New classification of industrial pipe grades
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The last edit to this post was made by bfdlwolf on 2019-5-8 at 08:15. The “Announcement by the State Administration for Market Regulation on Matters Related to Administrative Licenses for Special Equipment” (No. 3, 2019) specifies the classification levels for industrial pipelines as follows: GC1 level: 1. Process pipelines that transport media with acute toxicity of Category 1 as listed in the “Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals”, gas media with acute toxicity of Category 2, and liquid media with acute toxicity of Category 2 whose operating temperature is higher than their standard boiling point； 2. Process pipelines that transport flammable gases of Class A or B, or flammable liquids of Class A (including liquefied hydrocarbons), as specified in GB50160 \"Code for Fire Protection Design of Petrochemical Enterprises\" and GB50016 \"Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings\", and whose design pressure is 4.0 MPa or higher ； 3. Process pipelines that transport fluid media, with a design pressure of 10.0 MPa or higher, or a design pressure of 4.0 MPa or higher along with a design temperature of 400°C or higher. GC2 level: 1. Process pipelines other than those classified under GC1 level; 2. Refrigeration pipelines.GCD level: Power pipelines.
“Safety Technical Supervision Regulations for Pressure Pipelines – Industrial Pipelines” (TSG D0001-2009)
A1 Classification of industrial pipeline levels
A1.1 GC1 level – Industrial pipelines that meet one of the following conditions are classified as GC1 level: (1) Pipelines used to transport media with extremely high toxicity, highly hazardous gaseous media, and highly hazardous liquid media whose operating temperature is above their standard boiling point ； (2) Pipelines for transporting flammable gases of Class A or B, or flammable liquids of Class A (including liquefied gases), with a design pressure of 4.0 MPa or greater ； (3) Piping for transporting fluid media other than those in the first two categories, with a design pressure of 10.0 MPa or more, or a design pressure of 4.0 MPa or more and a design temperature of 400°C or higher. A1.2 GC2 class pipes refer to pipes whose medium toxicity, fire hazard (flammability), design pressure, and design temperature are lower than those of GC1 class as specified in Annex A1.3, excluding the GC3 class pipes specified therein. A1.3 GC3 class refers to pipes that transport non-toxic, non-flammable fluid media, with a design pressure of less than or equal to 1.0 MPa, and a design temperature higher than -20°C but not exceeding 185°C. The differences are as follows: 1. The definition of GC1(1) class pipelines has changed. GC1(1)-grade pipelines: “Process pipelines used for transporting media with an acute toxicity classification of Category 1 or Category 2 as specified in the ‘Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals’, gaseous media with an acute toxicity classification of Category 2, and liquid media with an acute toxicity classification of Category 2 whose operating temperature is higher than their standard boiling point.” They are not “pipelines used for transporting media that pose extremely high hazards, gaseous media with a high level of hazard, and liquid media with a high level of hazard whose operating temperature exceeds their standard boiling point.” 2. The degree of toxicity of the media is determined according to the acute toxicity categories specified in the ‘Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals’, rather than in accordance with the provisions of GB5044-1985 ‘Classification of the Degree of Hazard of Occupational Exposure to Toxic Substances’. In this way, pipes such as those for sulfuric acid are no longer classified as GC1(1) grade. 3. The scope of GC2 grade has been expanded; refrigeration pipes and the pipes that were previously classified as GC3 grade have been assigned to the GC2 grade, while the GC3 grade has been abolished. 4. A new GCD grade, namely for power pipes, has been added.
In other words, has the GC3 standard for industrial pipelines been abolished and incorporated into GC2?
Many standards have to be adjusted as well; it’s chaotic. So what if there’s GC3?
Pipes smaller than 50 still don’t count, right? Do all pressure pipelines require non-destructive testing?
The concept is incorrect; it refers to the level of the license, rather than a classification by pipeline level.
It’s already a very mature product. Why do we need to keep making changes? It only increases labor and development costs
The original poster’s concept is correct; I have consulted the authorities, and starting from June 1, the classification of pipeline levels will also be based on licensing levels, with the existing regulations and standards being updated accordingly!
Speaking of streamlining administration and delegating power, last year it seems that pipes with a diameter below DN150 no longer fall under GC3. Now that our industrial level has improved and the quality of materials has gotten better, the general materials used for GC3-class pipes, along with the construction quality, can now meet the requirements.
Redistribute? Well, there’s work to be done again – the levels of tens of thousands of pipelines need to be reclassified, and the registers, archives, and records all require corresponding updates. It might also involve the registration issues related to existing pipelines classified as GC3 level... Did the General Administration mention whether pipelines that have already been classified according to the old specifications need to be re-evaluated, have their registrations updated, and all relevant changes recorded?