ASME Section V NDT Requirements: Complete Code Reference Guide [2026]
ASME Section V guide: what each article covers, where PAUT and TOFD sit (Article 4 appendices), mandatory vs nonmandatory appendices, and the 2025 edition.
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Introduction to ASME Section V
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section V (Nondestructive Examination) sets out how NDE is performed: methods, equipment, calibration, techniques, written procedures, personnel and records. It applies only when another Code Section or a contract invokes it, and it does not set acceptance criteria; those come from the referencing construction code, such as Section I, Section VIII or B31.3. The current edition is the 2025 edition, published on 1 July 2025 and mandatory from 1 January 2026.
This guide maps the Section V articles to the examinations they govern, explains where phased array (PAUT) and time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) actually sit, separates mandatory from nonmandatory appendices, and lists the audit findings that come up repeatedly.
Structure of ASME Section V
Subsection A holds the method articles that ASME writes. Subsection B republishes ASTM standards as SE- and SA- documents, which apply when a method article or the referencing code calls them. The 2025 edition added a Subsection C for in-service techniques and moved several existing articles into it, so check the edition your contract names before citing an article number.
The core Subsection A articles are:
Article 1: General requirements
Article 2: Radiographic examination (RT)
Article 4: Ultrasonic examination methods for welds (UT), including the mandatory appendices for phased array and TOFD
Article 5: Ultrasonic examination methods for materials
Article 6: Liquid penetrant examination (PT)
Article 7: Magnetic particle examination (MT)
Article 8: Eddy current examination (ET)
Article 9: Visual examination (VT)
Article 10: Leak testing
Article 11: Acoustic emission examination of fiber-reinforced plastic vessels
Article 12: Acoustic emission examination of metallic vessels during pressure testing
There has been no Article 3 for many years. Later articles cover further techniques, including continuous acoustic emission monitoring, examination system qualification, ACFM, magnetic flux leakage, remote field testing, acoustic pulse reflectometry, guided waves, computed tomography and pulsed eddy current; the 2025 edition relocated several of these to Subsection C.
Article 1: General Requirements
Article 1 covers the scope of Section V, the responsibilities of the manufacturer, fabricator or installer, and personnel qualification. NDE personnel are qualified and certified under the employer's written practice, using the edition of ASNT SNT-TC-1A or ANSI/ASNT CP-189 that the Code adopts (the 2025 Code adopts the 2024 edition of SNT-TC-1A), and Section V lets a national or international central certification scheme, such as ASNT 9712 or ISO 9712, satisfy some written-practice requirements. The employer still issues the certification. Procedures must be written and, where the Code requires, demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Inspector.
Article 2: Radiographic Examination (RT)
Article 2 governs film and digital radiography: source and film or detector selection, image quality indicators, density or signal requirements, and records. Its mandatory appendices cover techniques such as computed radiography and digital detector arrays.
Articles 4 and 5: Ultrasonic Examination (UT)
Article 4 covers ultrasonic examination of welds and Article 5 ultrasonic examination of materials, including thickness measurement. Every UT examination must follow a written procedure that addresses the essential variables Section V lists: equipment, search units, calibration, scanning, and recording. A Level III approves the procedure; the examination is performed and interpreted by personnel certified at the level the employer's written practice requires.
Phased Array (PAUT) and TOFD
PAUT and TOFD are not standalone articles. Both sit inside Article 4, in its mandatory appendices, which set the additional requirements for those techniques: scan plans, calibration, encoded scanning and data recording. If you have seen a list that places phased array in Article 11 or TOFD in Article 12, it is wrong; those articles are acoustic emission. Citing the wrong article in a procedure is a straightforward audit finding.
Articles 6 to 10: PT, MT, ET, VT and Leak Testing
Article 6 (liquid penetrant) and Article 7 (magnetic particle) cover surface examinations, Article 8 covers eddy current examination, Article 9 covers visual examination (direct, remote and translucent), and Article 10 covers leak testing techniques. Each sets the procedure, equipment and technique requirements; acceptance criteria again come from the referencing code.
Mandatory vs. Nonmandatory Appendices
Mandatory appendices are requirements and must be met when the article applies, for example the Article 4 appendices for PAUT and TOFD or the Article 2 appendices for digital radiography. Nonmandatory appendices are guidance, such as sample forms, examples and supplementary explanations.
Common Audit Findings and Compliance Issues
Missing or expired certifications for NDT personnel are the most frequent finding, followed by written practices that still name an older SNT-TC-1A edition after the contract moved to the current Code. Written procedures that lack the essential variables, generic procedures used in non-standard applications, expired or incorrect reference standards, missing calibration records, and procedures that cite PAUT or TOFD by the wrong article are also common. Work is assessed under the edition in force when it was performed and accepted; applying a newer edition retrospectively does not strengthen an old acceptance.
Developing a Section V Compliance Program
Effective ASME Section V compliance requires systematic management: a written practice aligned with the adopted SNT-TC-1A or CP-189 edition, documented Level II and Level III certifications, application-specific procedures with the correct article references, calibrated equipment with records, an inventory of reference standards, internal audits, and controlled retention of examination reports. Track ASME errata and the next edition, due in 2027.
Conclusion
ASME Section V tells you how to perform an examination; the referencing code tells you whether the result is acceptable. Getting the article map, the edition and the personnel basis right is what keeps a Section V program out of audit findings.
Atlantis NDT is led by an ASNT NDT Level III. We develop application-specific procedures and conduct compliance audits against the current Code.
A method is only as useful as the record it leaves behind. Inspection companies running this method at scale need the result tied to the asset, the technician’s certification state and the instrument’s calibration status at the time of test — that bundle is what a client audit asks for. The NDT inspection software buyer’s guide and inspection management software cover how that record is held as structured data instead of filed PDFs.
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What is ASME Section V (ASME Section 5)?
ASME Section V, also written ASME Section 5, ASME V or BPVC.V, is the nondestructive examination volume of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. It sets out how to perform RT, UT, PT, MT, ET, VT, leak testing and other methods: equipment, calibration, technique, written procedures, personnel and records. It applies only when another code section or a contract invokes it. It never sets acceptance criteria. The current edition is 2025.
ASME Section V article by article
Section V is organized in subsections. Subsection A holds the method articles ASME writes. Subsection B republishes ASTM standards as SE- and SA- documents, which are generally for reference unless a method article or the referencing code calls them. The 2025 edition added a Subsection C for in-service techniques and moved several existing articles into it. Article numbers below follow recent editions. Check the edition your contract names before you cite a number in a procedure.
Article
Method
What it requires, in general terms
1
General requirements
Who is responsible for what, the Manufacturer or user versus the Inspector. Personnel qualified to an employer's written practice. Written procedures, and demonstration of them, when the referencing code requires. Equipment calibration and records. Mandatory Appendix II adds supplemental personnel qualification for techniques such as PAUT, TOFD, computed and digital radiography.
2
Radiographic examination
Source, film or detector selection. Image quality indicator (IQI) selection and placement. Density or digital image quality. Location markers and technique sketches. Appendices cover digital image acquisition and storage, phosphor imaging plates and castings.
4
Ultrasonic examination of welds
A procedure whose essential variables are listed in table form. Calibration blocks by thickness and curvature. Instrument linearity checks (Mandatory Appendices I and II). Sensitivity setting, scanning coverage and recording levels. Mandatory appendices for TOFD (III), phased array with manual raster scanning (IV), encoded E-scan and S-scan phased array (V) and UT procedure qualification (IX).
5
Ultrasonic examination of materials
Plate, forgings, castings, bolting, pumps and valves, and thickness measurement. Straight-beam and angle-beam calibration for each product form.
6
Liquid penetrant examination
Procedure variables, contaminant limits for penetrant materials used on nickel alloys, austenitic stainless and titanium, dwell and development times, lighting, and qualification for temperatures outside the standard range.
7
Magnetic particle examination
Yoke, prod, coil and central-conductor techniques. Field adequacy checks with field indicators or artificial-flaw shims. Particle concentration and lighting. An appendix for AC yokes on ferritic material under nonmagnetic coatings.
8
Eddy current examination
Appendices for nonferromagnetic heat-exchanger tubing, coated ferritic materials, external-coil examination of tubular products, coating thickness, and surface-crack depth with surface probes.
9
Visual examination
Direct and remote visual technique, lighting, access, a procedure demonstration showing the technique resolves fine detail, and personnel vision requirements.
10
Leak testing
Bubble, halogen, helium mass spectrometer, pressure change and ultrasonic leak detector techniques, each with a sensitivity check.
11 and 12
Acoustic emission
Article 11 covers fiber-reinforced plastic vessels. Article 12 covers metallic vessels during pressure testing. Both set instrumentation, sensor placement, stressing sequence and evaluation.
13
Continuous acoustic emission monitoring
Long-term monitoring of pressure boundaries, with system calibration. Relocated to Subsection C in 2025.
14
Examination system qualification
Statistically based performance demonstration, covering probability of detection and false calls, for when a referencing code requires a qualified system.
15, 16 and 17
ACFM, magnetic flux leakage and remote field testing
Technique-specific procedure tables, reference plates or tubes, and calibration. ACFM (Article 15) was relocated to Subsection C in 2025.
18 and 19
Acoustic pulse reflectometry; guided wave examination of piping
Tube-bundle and piping screening techniques. Both were relocated to Subsection C in 2025.
20 and 21
Computed tomography; pulsed eddy current for corrosion screening
Both were added in the 2021 edition. PEC includes a technical feasibility evaluation before use, and moved to Subsection C in 2025.
Subsection B
Adopted ASTM standards
SE- and SA- versions of ASTM guides, practices and specifications for each method. They become mandatory only when invoked.
If you have seen a list that starts with "Article 1: Visual" or places phased array in Article 11, it is wrong. Article 1 is general requirements. Phased array and TOFD sit inside Article 4 as mandatory appendices. Article 3 was emptied long ago when its radiography content merged into Article 2. The 2025 reorganization also moved full matrix capture out of Article 4, so FMC procedures need their code address checked.
How construction codes invoke Section V
Section V does nothing on its own. A construction code or a contract has to call it, and the call works as a chain:
The construction code decides that an examination is required. Section I for power boilers, Section VIII Divisions 1 and 2 for pressure vessels, Section III for nuclear components, B31.1 for power piping, B31.3 for process piping.
The construction code sets the extent and the acceptance criteria. How many welds, what percentage, which method, and what is rejectable. For example, B31.3 sets examination extent by fluid service, and Section VIII Division 1 sets when full radiography is required (UW-11) and how it is judged (UW-51).
The construction code points to the Section V article for technique. B31.3 sends radiography to Article 2, ultrasonic examination to Article 4, penetrant to Article 6, magnetic particle to Article 7 and visual to Article 9. Section VIII does the same through its radiography paragraphs and its MT and PT appendices.
Article 1 then tells you what the referencing code must supply. That covers personnel qualification, extent of examination, acceptance standards, record retention and reporting. If the referencing code is silent on one of these, the contract has to fill the gap.
In-service work follows a parallel path. API 510, API 570, API 653 and the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) govern inspection and repair of equipment already in service, and they refer back to Section V for examination technique in their repair and alteration rules. On those jobs the owner's Authorized Inspector stays inspector of record. Atlantis delivers the NDE to that inspector and is not the Authorized Inspector. One frequent surprise: structural steel welded to AWS D1.1 does not run through Section V at all. D1.1 carries its own UT and PAUT requirements.
Have a code-invoked examination coming up? Request an inspection quote with the construction code, its edition and your weld map. We will confirm which Section V articles apply before we price the work.
Written procedures and demonstration
When the referencing code requires it, every Section V examination runs to a written procedure. The procedure must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Inspector, which in practice means the Authorized Inspector working for the Manufacturer's inspection agency. Four points decide whether a procedure survives review.
Essential and nonessential variables
Most method articles carry a table of procedure requirements, each marked essential or nonessential. You can find them in Article 4 for UT of welds, Article 6 for PT, Article 7 for MT and Article 9 for VT. Change an essential variable, such as the penetrant family, the UT instrument or a search unit outside the qualified range, and the procedure must be requalified by demonstration. Change a nonessential variable and you revise the document, but you do not need to demonstrate again.
What a demonstration record should show
Procedure number and revision, and the Section V edition it was written to
Equipment by serial number, search units or consumables by batch, and calibration blocks by identification
The demonstration specimen and the indications it contains
Personnel who performed it, with certification level
Results, and the Inspector's acceptance with date and signature
Formal procedure qualification
Some techniques need more than a demonstration. When UT is used for flaw sizing, or the acceptance criteria are fracture-mechanics based, Article 4's procedure qualification appendix calls for qualification on blocks with known flaws. Article 14 applies when the referencing code demands a statistically qualified examination system. Budget for qualification blocks early. Blocks with real or simulated flaws have long lead times.
Personnel qualification references: SNT-TC-1A, CP-189 and central certification
Article 1 requires NDE personnel to be qualified and certified to their employer's written practice. That practice must follow one of two ASNT documents:
SNT-TC-1A, a recommended practice. The employer adapts its training hours, experience and exam content in the written practice and can justify changes.
ANSI/ASNT CP-189, a consensus standard. It is more prescriptive. For example, the Level III must hold ASNT Level III certification, and training outlines come from ANSI/ASNT CP-105.
The comparison is laid out in SNT-TC-1A vs CP-189. Three details catch employers out:
Each Section V edition fixes which edition of the ASNT document applies. The 2025 Code adopts the 2024 edition of SNT-TC-1A. A Section V interpretation reported by HSB confirms that written practices do not have to meet the May 2025 addendum to it. Certifications earned under a prior edition generally remain valid until recertification. New and renewed certifications follow the adopted edition.
Central certification can satisfy part of the requirement. Section V lets a national or international central certification scheme satisfy some written-practice requirements. ASNT's ACCP has been replaced by the ASNT 9712 program, launched in March 2023, and the ACCP transition period runs to September 2028. ISO 9712 certification can also be used. The employer still issues the certification under its written practice.
Advanced techniques need supplemental qualification. Article 1 Mandatory Appendix II adds technique-specific training, experience and examinations for PAUT, TOFD, computed radiography and digital radiography. A UT Level II without these records should not interpret PAUT data on Code work that invokes Article 1.
Canada note: provinces adopt ASME construction codes through CSA B51 and their own regulations, enforced by authorities such as TSSA in Ontario and ABSA in Alberta. Section V therefore applies to Canadian Code work much as it does in the US. Many Canadian owners also require personnel certified to CAN/CGSB-48.9712. CGSB closed on April 1, 2026, and NRCan's NDT Certification Body continues to issue that certification.
Atlantis trains to ASNT SNT-TC-1A only, at Level I, II and III, self-paced online or onsite at your facility, and has trained 1,000+ technicians. Course options are on the NDT Level 2 training page, and Gulf Coast teams often start from NDT training in Texas. Course costs are on our published US training fees page.
Request a training plan that maps your Level II candidates' hours and exams to your written practice and the 2025 Code.
The Section V edition cycle
Every two years, in odd years. ASME stopped publishing addenda and moved to a new edition every two years. The 2025 edition was published on July 1, 2025. The next is due in 2027.
Six months to comply. A new edition becomes mandatory six months after issue. The 2025 edition became mandatory on January 1, 2026.
Errata and notices between editions. HSB counted at least 30 errata and notices against the July 2025 Code within months of issue. Some changed requirements, not just typography. Subscribe to ASME's errata notices or have your Level III track them.
Code cases and interpretations. Code cases permit alternatives before they are written into the Code. Interpretations answer specific questions. Neither changes your procedure unless you invoke it, but auditors expect you to know the relevant ones.
For new construction, the Section V edition follows the construction code edition on the contract and data report. For in-service work, the owner's procedures name the edition. When an edition changes, run a gap analysis on every procedure and the written practice inside the six-month window, then record the effective date of each revision.
Common Section V audit findings beyond expired certifications
Expired certifications and generic procedures are the findings everyone knows. These are the ones we see next, in procedure reviews and client audits:
Stale article addresses. Procedures that cite FMC, PEC, ACFM, APR or guided wave by an article number the 2025 edition has moved.
Written practice behind the Code. The written practice still names SNT-TC-1A 2020 after the contract moved to the 2025 Code.
No Appendix II records. PAUT, TOFD, CR or DR technicians with method certification but no supplemental technique qualification on file.
Essential variable changed without requalification. A new penetrant family, a different UT instrument or a probe frequency outside the demonstrated range, with no new demonstration.
Demonstration without the Inspector. The procedure was demonstrated, but nothing shows the Inspector witnessed or accepted it.
Calibration blocks that do not match. Wrong material group, thickness or curvature for the component examined.
Linearity checks missing. Article 4 Mandatory Appendices I and II not documented at the interval the article requires.
No contaminant certifications. PT materials used on austenitic stainless or nickel alloy with no batch certification for sulfur and halogen content.
Unverified MT fields. Field strength never verified with an indicator or shims, or yoke lifting-power checks overdue.
Subsection B misread. An ASTM SE- document treated as mandatory when nothing invokes it, or ignored when the article does invoke it.
Our ASNT Level III consulting team writes and reviews procedures and written practices against the current edition.
Section V examinations performed for you
If you need the examinations done rather than the code explained, Atlantis performs RT through licensed radiography crews, UT, PAUT, TOFD, MT, PT, VT and ET. ASNT-certified technicians do the work under ASNT Level III oversight, to procedures written against the Section V edition your contract names. Atlantis has completed 1,500+ inspection activities. Field teams work from Houston across Texas, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, and the full method list is on our inspection services page. Pricing is quote on request; we reply within one business day.
Is ASME Section 5 the same as ASME Section V and ASME V?
Yes. Section V, Section 5, ASME V, Sec V and BPVC.V all refer to the same volume, Nondestructive Examination, of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. ASME numbers its sections with Roman numerals, so "Section 5" is the informal spelling.
What is the current edition of ASME Section V?
The 2025 edition, published July 1, 2025, and mandatory from January 1, 2026. It added Subsection C for in-service techniques and adopted the 2024 edition of SNT-TC-1A. The next edition is due in 2027.
How many articles are in ASME Section V?
Subsection A has run from Article 1 to Article 21 in recent editions, with no Article 3 for many years. Subsection B starts at Article 22 and holds the adopted ASTM standards. The 2025 edition moved several in-service articles into a new Subsection C, so count against the edition you hold.
Does ASME Section V apply to in-service inspection under API 510, 570 or 653?
Indirectly. The API inspection codes and the NBIC refer to Section V for examination technique, especially for repairs and alterations. Owners' in-service procedures often cite it too. Acceptance and inspection intervals still come from the API code and the owner's program, under the owner's Authorized Inspector.
Does ASME Section V accept ISO 9712 or ASNT 9712 certification?
Partly. Section V allows a central certification scheme to satisfy some of the written practice requirements, and it names the employer's written practice as the basis of certification. ASNT 9712 or ISO 9712 certificates support that practice. They do not replace it.
Is ASME Section V required for AWS D1.1 structural welds?
No. AWS D1.1 has its own examination and personnel requirements, including a phased array annex added in its 2020 edition. Section V applies when an ASME code, or a contract, invokes it.
Who is responsible for Section V compliance on a job?
The Code user, typically the Manufacturer or the owner, holds overall responsibility, including personnel qualification under its quality program. An NDE subcontractor is responsible for its own procedures, personnel and records, and those must meet the user's requirements. The Authorized Inspector verifies. Put the split in writing in the subcontract.
What changed in the 2025 edition of ASME Section V?
The main changes for US users are a new Subsection C that groups in-service techniques, relocation of several articles into it, full matrix capture moving out of Article 4, adoption of SNT-TC-1A 2024, and a series of errata after issue. Check any procedure that cites an article number or an ASNT edition.
Need this applied on your job?
Atlantis writes and reviews procedures to the codes you work under, and provides the inspection and the training.
ASME Section V examinations are performed and evaluated by technicians qualified in the method. The NDT Level 2 training covers Level 2 theory, calibration and interpretation practice across UT, RT, MT, PT, ET and VT. Completing a course is not certification: under an employer-based scheme such as SNT-TC-1A, your employer certifies you after its own examinations.
For employers:ASNT Level III consulting covers procedures, the written practice, qualification examinations and audit support for your technicians.
Section V tells you how to perform an examination; it never tells you whether the result is acceptable. Acceptance criteria live in the referencing construction code — Section VIII Division 1 for vessels, Section I for power boilers, B31.1 and B31.3 for piping. Article 2 is radiography, Article 4 ultrasonic examination of welds, Article 6 penetrant, Article 7 magnetic particle, Article 9 visual.
Section V is split into two subsections. Subsection A contains the examination methods themselves, article by article; Subsection B contains the standards adopted by reference, largely ASTM documents republished under SE numbers. A procedure that cites Section V correctly can still be non-compliant, because Section V defines how an examination is performed and the referencing construction code defines whether the result is accepted. Two article numbers cause most of the confusion in circulation. Phased array and time-of-flight diffraction are not standalone articles — both are handled as appendices inside Article 4, ultrasonic examination of welds. Articles 11 and 12 are acoustic emission: Article 11 for fibre-reinforced plastic vessels, Article 12 for metallic vessels during pressure testing. Edition control is the other recurring finding. Work is assessed under the edition in force when it was performed and accepted; applying a newer edition retrospectively invalidates the original acceptance decision rather than strengthening it.
Source: ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section V, Nondestructive Examination (2025 edition, published 1 July 2025, mandatory from 1 January 2026), Subsection A examination articles and Subsection B documents adopted by reference; acceptance criteria in ASME Section VIII Division 1, ASME Section I, ASME B31.1 and ASME B31.3.
Technically reviewed by Anoop Rayavarapu — ASNT NDT Level III (UT, RT, MT, PT, VT)
ASME Section V Article map — and where the acceptance criteria actually come from
Examination method
Section V Article (Subsection A)
Personnel qualification basis
Acceptance criteria set by
Radiographic examination (RT)
Article 2
SNT-TC-1A, CP-189 or ISO 9712 Level II
Section VIII Div 1 (vessels), Section I (boilers), B31.3 (process piping)
Ultrasonic examination of welds
Article 4
Level II, procedure approved by a Level III
The referencing construction code
Ultrasonic examination of materials and thickness
Article 5
Level II
Referencing code for new build; API 510/570/653 in service
Liquid penetrant examination (PT)
Article 6
Level II
The referencing construction code
Magnetic particle examination (MT)
Article 7
Level II
The referencing construction code
Eddy current examination (ET)
Article 8
Level II
The referencing construction code
Visual examination (VT)
Article 9
Level II with documented current vision test
The referencing construction code
Leak testing (LT)
Article 10
Level II
The referencing construction code
PAUT and TOFD are not standalone articles — both sit as appendices inside Article 4. Articles 11 and 12 are acoustic emission: Article 11 for fibre-reinforced plastic vessels, Article 12 for metallic vessels during pressure testing.
Does Section V set the acceptance criteria for weld defects?
No. Section V defines how an examination is performed — equipment, calibration, technique, personnel, written procedure and reporting. Whether an indication is acceptable comes from the referencing construction code: Section VIII Division 1 for pressure vessels, Section I for power boilers, B31.1 for power piping, B31.3 for process piping. A procedure citing Section V perfectly can still apply the wrong acceptance criteria.
Where do PAUT and TOFD sit in Section V?
Inside Article 4, ultrasonic examination of welds, as appendices — not as standalone articles. That trips people up because both are marketed as separate methods. Articles 11 and 12 are acoustic emission: Article 11 covers fibre-reinforced plastic vessels, Article 12 covers metallic vessels during pressure testing. Writing PAUT as Article 11 in a procedure is a straightforward audit finding.
Which edition applies to a weld examined in 2019?
The edition in force when the work was performed and accepted. New work moves to a newer edition from an effective date the organisation records and controls, and historical dispositions stay assessed under the edition then applicable. Re-assessing a 2019 weld against the 2025 edition invalidates the original acceptance decision and creates a far larger problem than it solves.
Who has to approve an NDE procedure?
A certified Level III, and the certification basis has to be stated — SNT-TC-1A, CP-189 or ISO 9712. The procedure must be specific to the materials, thickness ranges and configurations in scope. A single generic procedure written to cover everything a shop might ever examine is the second most common finding after expired or missing personnel certifications.
What separates a mandatory from a non-mandatory appendix?
Enforceability. A mandatory appendix is part of the requirement — reference standards, calibration blocks, radiographic image quality criteria — and departing from it is a code violation. A non-mandatory appendix is guidance: interpretation aids, technique advice, examples of indications. Auditors check mandatory appendices against your procedure line by line; non-mandatory ones matter only once your procedure invokes them.
How do Section V and Section IX records connect during an audit?
Through weld identity. Section IX governs the WPS, PQR and welder performance qualification; Section V governs the examination of the weld those documents produced. An audit that opens with an NDE report almost always ends in the Section IX file, so keeping both record sets keyed to the same weld number turns a multi-day retrieval into minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ASME Section V cover?
Section V of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code contains the nondestructive examination methods themselves, article by article: Article 2 radiography, Article 4 ultrasonic examination of welds, Article 5 ultrasonic thickness measurement, Article 6 liquid penetrant, Article 7 magnetic particle, Article 8 eddy current, Article 9 visual, Article 10 leak testing, and Articles 11 and 12 acoustic emission. It defines how an examination is performed, not whether the result is acceptable.
Where do acceptance criteria come from if not Section V?
From the referencing code section — Section VIII Division 1 for pressure vessels, Section I for power boilers, B31.1 or B31.3 for piping, and so on. This split catches people out regularly: a procedure can cite Section V correctly and still apply the wrong acceptance criteria, which is one of the most common findings in a procedure review.
Does Section V require written procedures?
Yes. Each article specifies the elements a written procedure must address, and several require the procedure to be demonstrated or qualified. Procedures also have to be specific to the materials, thickness ranges and configurations in scope — a single generic procedure covering everything the shop might ever examine will not survive scrutiny.
How do Section V and Section IX relate?
Section IX governs welding and brazing qualification — the WPS, PQR and welder performance qualification. Section V governs the examination of the resulting weld. Both are usually in play on the same joint, and an audit that starts with an NDE report frequently ends up in the Section IX records, so keeping the two record sets linked to the same weld identity saves considerable time.
Which edition applies to work already performed?
The edition in force when the work was performed and accepted. New work moves to a new edition from a defined effective date recorded by the organisation; historical dispositions stay assessed under the edition then applicable. Retrospectively applying a new edition invalidates the original acceptance decision and creates a far larger problem than it solves.