ASME Section V

Covers — the methods and procedure requirements for nondestructive examination: radiography (RT), ultrasonics (UT, including phased array and TOFD), liquid penetrant (PT), magnetic particle (MT), visual (VT), eddy current, leak testing, and acoustic emission, plus calibration and equipment requirements.

Does NOT cover (exclusions) — the following are governed elsewhere:

• Which welds to examine and at what extent, plus acceptance criteria → the construction code (B31.3 / B31.1 / Section VIII).
• Welding procedure/welder qualification → ASME Section IX.
• NDT personnel certification → SNT-TC-1A / ISO 9712 (invoked by the referencing code).

Section V gives the technique; the referencing code gives the extent and acceptance.

Section V sets minimum requirements for examination technique:

• Method Procedures — detailed technique articles for RT, UT, PT, MT, VT and advanced methods (Article 1 general; method-specific articles follow).
• Equipment & Calibration — apparatus, reference blocks/IQIs, and calibration to ensure sensitivity.
• Documentation — written procedures and examination records.
• Personnel — examiners certified per the referencing code's personnel program (SNT-TC-1A/ISO 9712).

ASME Section V is the reference for how NDE is performed on code work. It provides standardized procedures for radiography, ultrasonics, liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, visual, and advanced methods, so an examination gives repeatable, defensible results regardless of who runs it.

Critically, Section V is invoked by a construction code that decides which welds to examine, how much, and the acceptance criteria. Section V supplies the technique and calibration; B31.3 or Section VIII supplies the extent and pass/fail limits.

Engineering Note: When specifying NDE, cite both the method (Section V article) and the acceptance code (e.g., B31.3 for the given fluid service) — one without the other leaves the inspection ambiguous.