Pressure vessels are found everywhere -- from basement boilers to gasoline tankers -- and their usefulness is surpassed only by the hazardous consequences if they are not properly constructed and maintained. This essential reference guides mechanical engineers and technicians through the maze of the continually updated International Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes that govern safety, design, fabrication, and inspection. * 30% new information including coverage of the recent ASME B31.3 code

Pressure vessels are closed containers designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure. They have a variety of applications in industry, including in oil refineries, nuclear reactors, vehicle airbrake reservoirs, and more. The pressure differential with such vessels is dangerous, and due to the risk of accident and fatality around their use, the design, manufacture, operation and inspection of pressure vessels is regulated by engineering authorities and guided by legal codes and standards. Pressure Vessel Design Manual is a solutions-focused guide to the many problems and technical challenges involved in the design of pressure vessels to match stringent standards and codes. It brings together otherwise scattered information and explanations into one easy-to-use resource to minimize research and take readers from problem to solution in the most direct manner possible. Covers almost all problems that a working pressure vessel designer can expect to face, with 50+ step-by-step design procedures including a wealth of equations, explanations and data Internationally recognized, widely referenced and trusted, with 20+ years of use in over 30 countries making it an accepted industry standard guide Now revised with up-to-date ASME, ASCE and API regulatory code information, and dual unit coverage for increased ease of international use

Contains provisions which have been adopted by the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committee that cover Section 3, Divisions 1 and 2, and Section 3 to provide, when the need is urgent, rules for materials or constructions not covered by existing Code rules.

This is Volume 1 of the fully revised second edition. Organized to provide the technical professional with ready access to practical solutions, this revised, three-volume, 2,100-page second edition brings to life essential ASME Codes with authoritative commentary, examples, explanatory text, tables, graphics, references, and annotated bibliographic notes. This new edition has been fully updated to the current 2004 Code, except where specifically noted in the text. Gaining insights from the 78 contributors with professional expertise in the full range of pressure vessel and piping technologies, you find answers to your questions concerning the twelve sections of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, as well as the B31.1 and B31.3 Piping Codes. In addition, you find useful examinations of special topics including rules for accreditation and certification; perspective on cyclic, impact, and dynamic loads; functionality and operability criteria; fluids; pipe vibration; stress intensification factors, stress indices, and flexibility factors; code design and evaluation for cyclic loading; and bolted-flange joints and connections.