Overview of the Impact of Ultrasonic Examination Performance Demonstration on the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code

This paper addresses implementation of ultrasonic (UT) process qualification by performance demonstration as imposed by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI, Appendix VIII. The intended audience for the present paper is an engineer with a good knowledge of NDE, but a limited knowledge of the ASME Codes and Standards. The starting point for application of UT performance demonstration is described in a paper published in this journal just over a decade ago by Cowfer and Hedden. That paper addressed the application of ultrasonic performance demonstration to qualify an examination process for ASME Code Section XI inservice inspection. The present paper provides a brief summary of papers specifically selected to provide the reader with a concise update of progress in UT performance demonstration since the earlier paper. Given that qualification, the reader should not expect new information in this present paper. The papers selected have been mostly selected from those presented at ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conferences, from 1995 to 2002, addressing the subsequent development and application of the UT performance demonstration process. The emphasis is on work performed for nuclear utilities under the Performance Demonstration Initiative (PDI), for application to Section XI inservice inspection. However, material also is included describing parallel work in the European Community, and applications of UT performance demonstration in Sections I and VIII of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, for use of UT in place of RT for new construction, are included.