API 653 - Section 577 Flash Card – 62 Questions

1. What are the weldment requirement tasks prior to welding?

Review drawings, codes, standards, review weld requirements, procedures,

NDE info, welding equipment, etc. (4.2.2)

2. What are the materials requirements tasks prior to welding?

Ensure all material is identified: filler metal, base material, if required

perform PMI (4.2.7)

3. What are the quality assurance tasks during welding?

Establish a quality assurance and quality control umbrella with the welding
organization (4.3.1)

4. What are the appearance and finish tasks upon completion of welding?

Those tasks that assure final weld quality before placing the weldment in
service (4.4.1)

5. Name two of NDE personnel qualifications specified in ASME Section V, Article 1?

ASNT SNT-TC-1A, ANSI/ASNT CP-189. Those references give the employer

guidelines or standards (4.6)

6. What are the six referenced welding processes mentioned in API 577?

Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
Flux cored arc welding (FCAW)
Submerged arc welding (SAW)
Stud arc welding (SW)
(5)

7. What are the advantages and limitations of the SMAW welding process?

Advantages:
a. Equipment is relatively simple, inexpensive, and portable
b. Process can be used in areas of limited access
c. Process is less sensitive to wind and draft than other welding processes
d. Process is suitable for most of the commonly used metals and alloys

Limitations:
a. Deposition rates are lower than for other processes such as GMAW
b. Slag usually must be removed at stops and starts, and before depositing a
weld bead adjacent to or onto a previously deposited weld bead.
(5.2.2 and 5.2.3)
8. What are the three filler metal transfer modes in the GMAW welding process?

Short Circuiting Transfer (GMAW-S),

Globular Transfer,
Spray Transfer
(5.4.1, 5.4.2.2 and 5.4.3)

9. What are at least six of essential variables that must be shown on the WPS?

a. Process
b. Base metal
c. Filler metal (and/or flux)
d. Welding current
e. Welding position
f. Shielding gas, if used
g. Preparation of base metal
h. Fitting and alignment
i. Backside of joint
j. Peening
k. Preheat
l. Post-weld heat treatment
m. Welding technique
(6.2.1)

10. What are four tests that can be found on the PQR?

Tension test, guided bend test, notch toughness test, hardness

(6.3)

11. What are the three steps used when reviewing a WPS/PQR?

Verify WPS meets Section IX,

Verify PQR meets Section IX,
Confirm PQR essential variables support range on WPS
(6.4)

12. Where are the AWS classifications found in ASME Section IX?

Table W-432 (7.4)

13. The A-number applies to which type of filler metals?

Steel and steel alloys (7.5)

14. Where can ASME guidelines be found for the storage and handling of filler metals?

In the AWS A5.XX of filler metal specs (7.7)

15. Direct visual examination is conducted when access is sufficient to place the eye
within?

6" - 24", no less than 30º (9.3.1)

16. Name the 5 mechanical aids to visual examination?

Steel ruler, vernier scale, combination square set, thickness gauge, and levels
(9.3.2.2)

17. For added sensitivity using MT which technique is recommended?

Wet fluorescent magnetic particle (WFMT) (9.4.1)

18. What are four of the requirements that apply to the PT method?

a. Inspection is to be performed in accordance with a procedure (as specified

by the referencing code section)
b. Type of penetrant materials to be used
c. Details for pre-examination cleaning including minimum drying time
d. Dwell time for the penetrant
e. Details for removing excess penetrant, applying the developer and time
before interpretation
f. Evaluation of indications in terms of the acceptance standards of the
referencing code
g. Post examination cleaning requirements
h. Minimum required surface illumination (visible or blacklight) of the part
under examination
(9.6.1)

19. What are the common hole diameters of hole-type IQI's related to?

Multiples of the thickness of the sheet (9.8.2)

20. What are the most common sources used for RT?

Iridium 192 and Cobalt 60 (9.8.4)

21. When using the double-wall technique for RT how many exposures are required
when both walls are superimposed?

Minimum of 3, at 60º or 120º (9.8.8.3)

22. What are four of the items that an interpreter of radiographs must possess?

Product form of object being radiographed

The characteristics of the radiation source and energy level
The characteristics of the recording media
The processing of the recording media
(9.8.9.5)
23. What are the three types of displays used with UT?

A, B, C-scan displays (9.9)

24. What is the purpose of DAC (distance amplitude correction)?

This curve allows a simple echo evaluation of unknown reflectors by

comparison of the echo height with respect to the DAC (9.9.1.1)

25. What are the three types of ultrasonic testing?

Pulse Echo Raster Scanning,

Pulse Echo Zoned Inspection,
Time of Flight Diffraction
(9.9.6)

26. The tip diffraction method is effective for sizing what type of flaws?

Flaws that are open to the inside or outside diameter surface and are shallow
to mid-wall (9.9.7.2)

27. What is a common leak testing method that is used during hydrostatic testing?

Direct pressure bubble test (9.11)

28. What items of inspection results are to be reported in an inspection report?

a. Inspection sheet number

b. Inspection limitations
c. Inspection results
d. A description of all recordable and reportable indications
(9.12.1.3)

29. What effect does trace elements of carbon sulfur and phosphorous have in a cast
structure?

These elements can cause variations in the solidification temperature of

different microstructural phases within the melt. (10.2.1)

30. What are other terms for the rapid cooling or heating of a wrought material within
certain temperature ranges?

Quenching and tempering (10.2.2)

31. What is an important factor on the selection of shielding gases?

The type of mixture (10.2.3)

32. Materials with high thermal conductivity require higher or lower heat inputs to
welds?

Higher (10.3.2)

33. What are metals with a high coefficient of thermal expansion susceptible to?

Warping and distortion during welding (10.3.4)

34. Stress in relation to tensile test is defined as?

The force acting in a given region of the metal when an external load is applied.
(10.4.1)

35. Ductility is usually expressed as a percentage of the elongation within a _____.

Gage length. (10.4.2)

36. Name three hardness-testing methods.

Rockwell,
Vickers,
Brinell,
Knoop
(10.4.3)

37. What is the meaning of 55HRC?

A value of 55 in the C scale for a Hardness Rockwell test (10.4.3)

38. What is an example of an in-service degradation that is hardness related?

Susceptibility to wet H2S cracking in CS is reduced if hardness levels are

maintained below HRC 22 (10.4.3)

39. What are six reasons for performing pre-heating?

To reduce the tendency for hydrogen induced delayed cracking:

a. Bring temperature up to preheat or inter-pass temperatures required by the
WPS
b. Reduce shrinkage stresses in the weld and base metal
c. Reduce the cooling rate to prevent hardening and a reduction in ductility of
the weld and base metal HAZ
d. Maintain weld inter-pass temperatures
e. Eliminate moisture from the weld area
f. Meet the requirements of the applicable fabrication code
(10.5)
40. What is the name applied to a notched bar impact test?

Charpy impact test (10.4.4)

41. Materials are often impact tested at various temperatures to determine what?

The ductile or brittle transition temp (10.4.4)

42. What is the primary reason for PWHT?

To relieve the residual stresses in a welded fabrication (10.6)

43. Why is hardening of the weld and base metal HAZ are important in carbon and low
alloy steels?

Because of hydrogen-assisted cracking (10.7)

44. How is hardenability determined?

Measure the depth to which a piece of steel hardens during quenching from an
elevated temperature (10.7)

45. What are two types of material test reports?

Heat test and product analysis (10.8)

46. What are the factors related to weldability?

a. The metallurgical compatibility of the metal or alloy being welded

b. The specific welding processes being used to join the metal
c. The mechanical properties of the metal, such as strength, ductility and
toughness
d. The ability of the metal to be welded such that the completed weld has
sound mechanical properties
e. Weld joint design
(10.9)

47. What is the primary factor affecting weldability?

Chemical composition (10.9.1)

48. What do steels having CE (carbon equivalency) between 0.35-0.55 require?

Usually require pre-heat (10.9.1)

49. The simplest weldability tests are those that evaluate what?

Strength and ductility of the weld (10.9.2)

50. The Lehigh test evaluates what type of cracks?

Weld metal cracking and base metal cracking (Table 12)

51. What is the most common measure of weldability and susceptibility to hot cracking
in austenetic stainless steel?

Ferrite number of weld metal. Minimum of 5%-20% (10.10.1)

52. Is distortion greater or less for austenitic stainless steel than for carbon steel?

Greater (10.10.1)

53. Is it an advantage to apply preheating to nickel alloys when welding?

Disadvantage. It slows down the cooling period allowing hot cracking. (10.10.2)

54. Hot tap and in service welding operations should be carried out with what type
electrodes?

Low hydrogen (i.e. E7016, E7018, E7048) (11.2.1)

55. What is the required liquid flow rate in piping when in-service welding is
performed?

1.3ft/sec- 4ft/sec (11.2.2)

56. To minimize burn-through the first weld pass should be made with what diameter
electrode?

3/32" diameter for piping/equipment less than 1/4". (11.2.3)

57. What are the inspection tasks typically associated with hot tapping or welding on
in-service equipment?

a. Verifying adequate wall thickness

b. Verifying the welding procedure
c. Verifying flow conditions
d. Specifying the sequence of welding full encirclement sleeves and fittings
e. Verifying fit-up of the hot tap fitting
f. Auditing welding to assure the welding procedure is being followed
g. Perform NDE of completed welds
h. Witness leak testing of fitting, if specified
(11.2.4)

58. What is the limiting factor for base metal thickness when welding with the GMAW-s
process?

1.1 times the test coupon thickness for coupons less than 1/2" thick (11.3)
59. What is the transfer mode for GMAW-S?

Short circuiting transfer mode (11.3)

60. What are the five types of weld joints?

Butt, lap, corner, T, edge (Fig A.1)

61. What do the first two XX's stand for on the SMAW electrode identification system?

Strength (Fig A.6)

62. An electrode/flux identification is a F7A6-EM12K. What is the identification of the

flux?

F7A6 (Fig A.9)