API 570 study guide
API 570 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The API 570 Piping Inspector credential is one of the American Petroleum Institute's Individual Certification Programs (ICP). It is intended for inspectors and engineers who evaluate in-service process piping - the fixed piping systems found in refineries, petrochemical plants, tank farms and similar facilities - rather than newly fabricated pipe. The API 570 study guide has 5 sections and about 1,723 words.
01Scope, Definitions, and Organization of API 570
API 570 covers the inspection, rating, repair, alteration, and rerating of metallic piping systems that are in service in refineries, petrochemical and chemical plants, and similar process facilities. It follows a piping system for its whole in-service life, including idle periods before retirement.
338 words, about 2 min02Causes of Deterioration and Failure in Piping Systems
Candidates should group mechanisms rather than memorize a list: uniform thinning; localized loss (pitting, crevice, galvanic, under-deposit); velocity-related damage (erosion, erosion-corrosion, cavitation, flashing); environmental cracking (chloride SCC of austenitic stainless steel above roughly 60 C/140 F, caustic SCC, amine cracking, wet H2S cracking); high-temperature attack (sulfidation, naphthenic acid, oxidation, carburization, creep above roughly 800 F for carbon steel); hydrogen damage; metallurgical embrittlement (885 F/sigma, temper embrittlement, brittle fracture, thermal shock); and mechanical damage (water hammer, vibration fatigue at small-bore branch connections, thermal cycling fatigue). CUI is an external mechanism under insulation, commonly in the 10 F to 350 F band for carbon steel systems and aggravated by steam tracing and cyclic service.
339 words, about 2 min03Inspection, Rating, Repair, Alteration, and Rerating of In-Service Piping
Rating starts with thickness. Readings at CMLs feed the applicable code formula (ASME B31.3 for process piping) to establish t-min, the retirement thickness at which the component can no longer satisfy design conditions.
362 words, about 2 min04Inspection Practices, Methods, and Referenced Code Requirements
API 570 recognizes external inspection, internal (intrusive) inspection, and on-stream inspection that may substitute for internal inspection when justified. CMLs must be placed where damage is most likely and most severe: injection points and downstream mixing zones, low points, deadlegs, turbulent areas, downstream of valves and orifices, and soil-to-air interfaces.
336 words, about 2 min05Records, Reports, and Repair/Replacement Documentation
The inspection report records the date, inspection type and methods, CMLs and thickness data, damage found with its mechanism, corrosion rate and remaining life, recommendations, and the next inspection date. It is signed by the inspector and traceable to the specific system.
348 words, about 2 min