ASME Section V

ASME Section V (Nondestructive Examination) is the chapter of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code that defines NDT methods, procedures, and personnel qualification requirements for examinations referenced by other ASME construction and in-service codes.

Definition

ASME Section V contains 14 Articles covering the major NDT methods: visual (Art. 9), liquid penetrant (Art. 6), magnetic particle (Art. 7), radiographic (Art. 2), ultrasonic (Art. 4 and 5), eddy current (Art. 8), acoustic emission, leak testing, and more. Sections V references SE-standards (ASTM-derived) and mandatory and non-mandatory appendices.

Personnel Qualification

Section V references SNT-TC-1A, CP-189, and ISO 9712 for personnel certification, and requires a written practice that identifies which standard the employer follows.

Related terms

ASME Section VIII — ASME Section VIII is the ASME BPVC chapter covering rules for construction of pressure vessels, with Division 1 (design by rule), Division 2 (design by analysis), and Division 3 (high-pressure vessels), each invoking ASME Section V NDT requirements.
ASME Section IX — ASME Section IX is the welding and brazing qualification code, defining requirements for Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS), Procedure Qualification Records (PQR), and welder/operator performance qualification used by all ASME construction codes.
ASME Section XI — ASME Section XI is the In-Service Inspection (ISI) code for nuclear power plant components, defining periodic inspection intervals, NDT methods, acceptance criteria, and repair/replacement rules for Class 1, 2, and 3 nuclear pressure equipment.
SNT-TC-1A — ASNT SNT-TC-1A is the recommended practice for personnel qualification and certification in nondestructive testing, defining an employer-based certification model in which the employer issues a written practice and qualifies its own personnel using ASNT-recomm
ASNT CP-189 — ASNT CP-189 is the standard for qualification and certification of NDT personnel that mandates (rather than recommends) requirements — including a minimum 30-question general examination from an ASNT-furnished question pool — making it the most rigorous employ

More standard terms

ASME B31.1 Power Piping · ASME B31.3 Process Piping · ASME B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping · ASME B31.4 Liquid Pipelines · API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspection Code · API 570 Piping Inspection Code · API 571 Damage Mechanisms · API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1 Fitness-for-Service · API 580 Risk-Based Inspection · API 581 Risk-Based Inspection Methodology

Where this comes up in practice

Terms like this one appear in three places that matter commercially: the written practice that governs how your personnel are qualified, the procedures and technique sheets that define how an examination is actually performed, and the evidence an auditor or client asks for when they want to know why an inspection was accepted. Getting the terminology right is the easy part; being able to produce the qualification record, the calibration traceability and the procedure revision that applied on the day of the inspection is the part that decides audits.

Atlantis NDT provides NDT training and certification against ASNT SNT-TC-1A and ISO 9712, ASNT Level III consulting for written practices and procedure approval, inspection management software that holds qualification, calibration and procedure-revision evidence in recoverable form, and an asset integrity platform that binds inspection results to the asset they describe. Browse the full NDT glossary or ask a Level III directly.