# ASME BPVC Section VIII (Pressure Vessels)

> ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII, Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels, sets design, fabrication, examination and testing requirements for pressure vessels in three divisions, and defines which welds need NDT and the acceptance criteria for it.

- Source: https://amps.global/glossary/asme-bpvc-section-viii/
- Type: Glossary
- Published: 2026-09-05
- Tags: standards

## Key facts

- Division 1: general rules; Division 2: alternative rules with more analysis and stricter NDT; Division 3: high-pressure vessels
- Division 1 paragraphs UW-51 (full radiography), UW-52 (spot radiography) and UW-53 (UT of welds) set extent and acceptance
- Ultrasonic examination per Section V is accepted in lieu of radiography under specified conditions
- Joint efficiency and design thickness depend on the extent of radiography chosen

Also known as: ASME VIII, ASME Section VIII Division 1, ASME VIII Div 2.

## Why inspectors know it

New vessel fabrication in Australia and New Zealand is often to ASME VIII or to AS 1210 with ASME references; the NDT extent and the accept/reject rules on the report come from these paragraphs, and clients expect the clause to be quoted.

## In AMPS

Because AMPS generates reports from your own Word templates, the code clause, acceptance criteria and revision block stay exactly as your QA system wrote them, with job data filled in automatically. Vessel inspection history stays with the asset through its QR code and job history.

## Related pages

- [ASME BPVC Section V](https://amps.global/glossary/asme-bpvc-section-v/)
- [Radiographic testing (RT)](https://amps.global/glossary/radiographic-testing/)
- [API 510](https://amps.global/glossary/api-510/)
- [AS 4037](https://amps.global/glossary/as-4037/)

## Sources

- [ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code](https://www.asme.org/codes-standards/bpvc-standards)
- [ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASME_Boiler_and_Pressure_Vessel_Code)