Summary:  

This course provides students with essential knowledge for managing process equipment in a plant environment. Design and post-construction considerations for pressure vessels, heat exchangers, fired heaters, boilers, piping, and tanks are presented with an applied emphasis. For example, rather than focusing on the many design rules in Section VIII Division 1, students learn to check flange ratings as the first step of a rerate. Practical information is brought to life with case studies, examples, and practice problems throughout the course, taught by expert instructors with many combined decades of plant experience and learning.

Outline: 

What is Pressure Equipment?

Regulations, Codes and Standards

• Jurisdictions
• Design codes
• In-Service Codes and Standards

Pressure Vessels

• Codes & standards – basis and margin
• Loads
• Special services
• Supports and internals
• Rerates
• Undocumented equipment
• Specifying new equipment
• Piping

Heaters Transfer Equipment

• Heat exchangers
• Fired Heaters

Bolted Joints

• ASME VIII-1 Mandatory Appendix 2 vs. ASME PCC-1
• ASME PCC-1 and integrity program basics
• Selecting bolting
• Selecting gaskets
• Common problems and solutions

Tanks

• Codes and standards
• Common damage
• Inspection

Maintenance and Turnarounds

• Reliability basics (MI programs, RBI)
• Repairs and ASME PCC-2
• API 510 and API 570
• Nondestructive Examination (NDE)
• Refractory lined equipment
• Fitness-for-Service
• Developing maintenance packages
• Checking 3rd party work

Damage Mechanisms

• Introduction, Goals, Outcomes
• Intro. to Metallurgy and Properties, Heat Treatment
• Crude/Vac Unit Overview
• Naphtha HT and Cat Reformer Overview
• Diesel HT/Hydrocracker Overview
• FCC Overview
• Coker
• Amine and Sulfur Units

Additional Topics Ad-Hoc

• Hydrogen Plant
• HF Alkylation
• Sulfuric Acid Alkylation
• NDE

Instructors: 

Colin Davis is Becht’s Fitness-for-Service Group Lead and has more than 14 years of fixed equipment engineering experience in the refining and chemical industries. His expertise includes fitness-for-service assessments, mechanical design, equipment integrity, incident investigations, turnaround support, and advanced engineering analysis. He has extensive experience applying ASME Section VIII, ASME B31.3, and API 579 methodologies, including Level 1, 2, and 3 assessments, repair planning, failure investigations, and equipment evaluations. Drawing on his experience with ExxonMobil and Becht, Colin brings a practical, field-focused approach to pressure equipment fundamentals, fixed equipment reliability, damage assessment, and mechanical integrity.

Nasser Sheikhi, a refinery mechanical Integrity Expert with 41 years of experience at BP. His roles included site metallurgist, TAR inspection lead, inspection & reliability superintendent, and corporate metallurgy & corrosion advisor. He played a key role in risk-based inspection, unit DMRs, CCD reviews, and audits of RBI-related work. Nasser, a dual-degree holder in BS Metallurgical Engineering and Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, has actively contributed to API and NACE STG 34, STG 39, and TEG 205X.

Location:  15700 John F Kennedy Blvd, Houston, TX 77032

• Phone:  +12814425100
• Hotel Website
• Parking available on-site - free for all training attendees

After you register, if applicable, you can find the hotel booking link under My Courses → (your course) → Resources.