About the BPVC

Since its first issuance in 1914, ASME’s Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) has pioneered modern standards-development, maintaining a commitment to enhance public safety and technological advancement to meet the needs of a changing world.  More than 100,000 copies of the BPVC are in use in 100 countries around the world. 

Click here for a printer-friendly version of a brochure, which details all 12 BPVC Sections, plus ASME’s portfolio of related BPVC offerings.

Product Scope / Abstract

This Section contains rules relating to the qualification of welding, brazing, and fusing procedures as required by other BPVC Sections for component manufacture.  It also covers rules relating to the qualification and requalification of welders, brazers, and welding, brazing and fusing machine operators in order that they may perform welding, brazing, or plastic fusing as required by other BPVC Sections in the manufacture of components.  Welding, brazing, and fusing data cover essential and nonessential variables specific to the joining process used.

Careful application of this Section will help users to comply with applicable regulations within their jurisdictions, while achieving the operational, cost and safety benefits to be gained from the many industry best-practices detailed within these volumes.

Key changes to this 2013 Edition include:

• New Part QF, “Plastic Fusing Requirements”
• New Part QG, “General Requirements”
• Addition of Hybrid Plasma GMAW
• Addition of Hybrid Laser GMAW
• Incorporation of Friction Stir Welding (FSW)

All changes to this 2013 Edition are incorporated into the appropriate page and each affected area is identified with a designator.  Each Section includes a Summary of Changes that lists the material affected by the change, plus the nature of the change.  There will no longer be Addenda service for this 2013 Edition or for future Editions.

Intended for manufacturers, users, constructors, designers and others concerned with the design, fabrication, assembly, erection, examination, inspection and testing of pressure vessels, plus all potential governing entities.

BPVC purchasers may wish to purchase a binder from ASME (BPVC Binder), but the publication will also fit a standard three-ring binder.