FINAL EXAM (OPEN)

1. Exclusive of corrosion allowance, what is the minimum nominal thickness for

all new construction bottom plates?
a. ½ inch
b. ¼ inch
c. 3/16 inch
d. 5/8 inch

2. For shell horizontal joints, how many additional radiographs shall be taken for
each 50 feet of horizontal joint, (not including those required as per API 650)
for welds made in existing plates during the repair?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

3. The recommended minimum development time (penetrant testing) allowed

for a material made of high temperature alloy is:
a. 5 min
b. 10 min
c. 7 min
d. 60 min

4. Select suitable hole type (source side) penetrameter for following

weld joint:
Weld reinf. = 1/8" thk

7/8"
thk

a) Backing strip = 3/16" thk

a) No. 20
b) No. 25
c) No. 30
d) None of the above

5. If type of penetrameter is Q.1 is changed to wire type what shall be the

wire designation (wire decimeter in inch)
a. 0.025 (No. 10)
b. 0.016 (No. 8)
c. 0.032 (No. 11)
d. None of the above
6. For steel plates and weld to be checked LPI, what shall be the penetration
time for penetrant

a. 10 min for weld, 5 min for plate

 b. 5 min for both
c. 10 min for both
d. 5 min for weld, 10 min for plate

7. After applying the dry developer the examiner checked four welds for
surface defects after following period, weld A- after 5 minute, weld B after
10 minute, weld C was checked after 30 minutes and weld D after 65
minutes which of the weld were checked wrongly
a. Weld A and B
b. Weld C and D
c. Weld D only
d. Weld A and D

8. Following combination of base metal and welding electrode was qualified by

a certain PQR… impact testing is not required.
Base Metal =SA 285 GrC Plates, ¾” thk
Welding electrode = AWS E 6015
This PQR will qualify which of the following combination of base metal-
welding electrodes.
a. 1” thk SA 515Gr 60 plates, E 6013 electrodes
b. 1 ¾ “ rhk SA 285 GrC plates, E 6013 electrodes
c. 1 ¼ thk plates SA 516Gr70, E 7018 electrodes
d. None of the above

9. For MT examination by prod techniques the spacing between prods shall be

between
a. 4 inch to 12 inch
b. 4 inch to 10 inch
c. 3 inch to 10 inch
d. 3 inch to 8 inch

10. For a tank with 130 ft diameter thickness of top course worked out was
td=5mm tt=4mm. What will be minimum nominal thickness provided for
this course according to API 650 for a new tank?
a. 3/16” (5mm)
b. 1/4” (6mm)
c. 5/16” (8mm)
d. None of the above

11. For a tank with diameter 100ft was found to have thickness reduction in a
localized area. Minimum thickness observed (t2) was 1 inch. What will be
the critical vertical length of for the area?
a. 40 inches
b. 37 inches
c. 45 inches
d. None of the above

12. On a tank roof plate two corroded areas was observed at locations A and B
for location A, average thickness = 0.085 inches, area = 105 in 2
 Location B, average thickness = 0.095 inches, Area = 105 in2 your
decision will be:
a. Both A and B are within limits
b. Location A is OK, location B is art of limits
c. Both A and B are out of limits
d. Location B in OK, location A is out of limits

13. Hot tap connection is to be made on tank with following description shell
plate thickness = ¾ inch. Design temperature = 30°F the plates were not
tested for impact testing, (Consr. Code API 650-1974). What will be the
maximum size of tapping connection?
a. 8 inches NPS
b. 6 inches NPS
c. 10 inches NPS
d. 4 inches NPS

14. A replacement plate to be used on a shell thickness of 5/8 inch, on the

second course of the tank. Thickness of first course and third course is also
5/8 inch. Following 3 plates are available which one is most suitable to be
used as replacement plate.
a. Plate thickness = ¾”
b. Plate thickness = 5/8”
c. Plate thickness = 1/2”
d. Plate thickness = 1”

15. A tank is having remaining corrosion allowance of 2.5mm and corrosion

rate of the shell is 0.1mm per year. What will be inspection interval for
next ultrasonic thickness inspection from outside of the tank?
a. 15 Years
b. 12.5 Years
c. 10 Years
d. 5 Years

16. Two plates sample A and B were tested for longitudinal impact testing.
Following were results observed. They belonged to Group No. I as per API
650:
Results of impact test for sample A were 18ft lb, 8ft lb, 16ft lb.
Results on sample ‘B’: 12ft lb, 14ft lb, 20 ft. lb
Your assessment will be:
a. sample A and B both OK
b. sample A and B both to be re-tested
c. sample B is OK, A shall be re-tested
d. sample a is OK, B shall be re-tested

17. For replacement to an existing 0.25” thick shell plate of an AST, another
plate of 0.25” thickness to ASTM A36 is used. What should be the minimum
clear distance between the outer edges of the adjacent butt welds of
vertical and horizontal joints, respectively?
a. 10” & 6”
b. 6” & 3”
 c. 8” & 4”
d. 12” & 6”

18. Repair of a 5/8” thick shell, using lapped (lap welded) patch plate of 1/8”
thick was carried out, without informing the Owner. Such a repair is not
acceptable as per API standard 653, because:
a. Owner had not specified use of patch plate repairs
b. Lap patch plate of less than 3/16” is not permitted
c. Lap patch plate repair on shell thickness more than above ½” is not
permitted
d. All of above

19. As per API Standard 650, the offset between vertical seams of adjacent
shells shall be a minimum distance of:
a. 5 t, where ‘t’ is the plate thickness of thicker shell course at the offset
b. 4t, where ‘t’ is the plate thickness of thicker shell course at the offset
c. 3 t, where ‘t’ is the plate thickness of thicker shell course at the offset
d. 2 t, where ‘t’ is the plate thickness of thicker shell course at the offset

20. When butt welded annular bottom plates are used, in an AST built to API
Standard 650, their width from inside of the shell shall be at least:
a. 900 mm
b. 300 mm
c. 600 mm
d. None of the above

21. Misalignment in a completed 20 mm thick vertical seam of an AST built to

API Standard 650 shall be more than:
a. 2 mm
b. 1.5 mm
c. 0.8 mm
d. 3 mm

22. Out of roundness measured as deviation from radius measured 1 foot

above the bottom corner weld of a 150 ft diameter AST built to API
Standard 650, shall not exceed:
a. 1” (25 mm)
b. ½ “ (12.7 mm)
c. ¾” (19 mm)
d. 1-1/4” (32 mm)

23. Local deviations from theoretical shape of an aboveground storage tank

(AST), built to API Standard 650, specifically “Peaking” at vertical joints or
“Banding” at horizontal weld joints as measured over an appropriate sweep
board of 36” shall not exceed:
a. 19 mm (3/4”)
b. 13 mm (1/2”)
c. 16 mm (5/8”)
d. 1/8 mm (3”)
24. An AST has remaining corrosion allowance of 3.2 mm. The known rate of
corrosion of shell is 200 microns per year. As per API Standard 653, when
should the external visual inspection by an Authorized Inspector shall be
carried out at an interval not exceeding:
a. 5 years
b. 8 years
c. 4 years
d. 15 years

25. Typical corroded areas on a shell plate are exhibited below in figure 1 with
measured thickness in inches indicated on the sketch. The un-corroded
thickness of the shell plate is 0.750 inches and C.A is 0.125”

Figure 1

AREA “A”
0.65

0.66

0.72

0.54 AREA “B”

0.75
0.72

0
AREA “C”

0.75

The total length of a arrow line drawn is 8 inches. The length of the line in each
of the corroded areas A, B and C are 1.5”, 0.8” and 0.5 inches respectively.
Comment on the acceptability of the corroded condition.
b. The pitting can be ignored as a case of widely scattered pitting as both
pitting depth and dimensions are within limits
c. Not acceptable as size are not OK, total length of the pit dimensions is
more than permitted
d. The pitting can be ignored as a case of widely scattered pitting since
depth are OK
e. The pitting cannot be ignored as a case of widely scattered pitting
since depth are not OK
Q. No. Answer Reference
 1 B API 650, 3.4.1
2 A API 653, 12.2.1.2
3 C ASME Sec. V, Table T - 672
4 B ASME Sec. V, Table T - 276
5 D ASME Sec. V, Table T - 276
6 D ASME Sec. V, Table T - 672
7 D ASME Sec. V, T-676.1
8 C ASME Sec. IX, Table QW – 422, QW - 432
9 D ASME Sec. V, T – 773.3
10 C API 650, 3.6.1.1
11 B API 653, 4.3.2.1 (b)
12 D API 653, 4.2.1.2
13 D API 653, 9.14.1.1 (b)
14 B API 653, 9.2.1
15 B API 653, 6.3.3.2 (b)
16 B API 653, 4.3.2.2 (b)
17 C API 650, Table 2-4, and 2.2.8.3
18 B API 653, Fig. 9-1
19 D API 653, 9.3.1, 9.3.1.3
20 A API 650, 3.1.5.2 (b)
21 C API 650, 3.1.5.4
22 A API 650, 5.2.3.1
23 A API 650, 5.5.3
24 B API 650, 5.5.4
25 C API 653, 6.3.2.1