ASME B31.4 Safety & Relief Valves
What ASME B31.4 requires for safety & relief valves — applicability, key and testing requirements, the alternative standards, and compliant supply with full certification.
What does ASME B31.4 require for safety & relief valves?
ASME B31.4 (Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquids and Slurries, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)) sets the design, material and testing requirements for safety & relief valves in its scope. ASME B31.4 is the piping code for liquid hydrocarbon pipeline transportation systems - covering crude oil, condensate, petroleum products, LPG (liquid phase), carbon dioxide, and liquid anhydrous ammonia pipelines. It specifies pressure design, materials, valve requirements, testing, and operations for pipelines from production fields to tank farms and refineries. All valves installed in ASME B31.4 systems must comply with listed valve standards (ASME B16.34, API 6D, MSS SP-70/71) and be pressure-tested per the pipeline code.
Applicable Pressure Classes
Key Requirements
- Valve materials must conform to ASTM standards listed in ASME B31.4 material tables
- Ball valves and gate valves in mainline service must comply with API 6D
- Block valve spacing per federal regulation 49 CFR Part 195 (USA) - high consequence areas (HCA) typically require 10-mile maximum valve spacing
- Emergency shutdown (ESD) valves required at pump station suction and discharge and at specific geographical features
- Valve operators must be accessible for emergency operation - manual gear operator or actuated (pneumatic/electric) ESD
- Hydrostatic pressure test of pipeline to 125% of MAOP required on new construction
- ASME B16.34 or API 6D compliance required for all pressure-containing valves
Testing Requirements
- Valve shell test: per applicable valve standard (API 598, ISO 5208)
- Pipeline hydrostatic test: 1.25× MAOP, 4-hour minimum hold at pressure
- Leak test after pressure test: visual inspection of all joints and valve bodies
Alternative Standards for Safety & Relief Valves
Other standards that also govern safety & relief valves — useful for spec cross-acceptance.
Connected Engineering
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