Procedure for
CONTENTS
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
2. RESPONSIBILITIES
3. APPLICABLE STANDARD AND REFERENCES
4. COLOR CODING OF PIPING MATERIALS
5. LOCATION AND FEATURE OF MARKING
6. EXCEPTIONS
7. TABLE OF MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION
1.PURPOSE AND SCOPE:
The object of this document is to establish the color coding for piping material depending on
the material classification for an easy visual piping materials identification during storage,
fabrication, and installation.
This document will cover the color- coding requirements for piping materials identification to be
implemented by the contractor during construction activities at shops and sites. Color coding
need not to be retained after painting.
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This specification does not cover the color- coding requirements to be implemented at site by
contractor depending on fluid service as per SAES-L-310 Design of Plant Piping and SAES -
B- 067 ‘Safety Identification and Safety Colors.
This color code should be applicable to only external bare piping.
2. RESPONSIBILITIES:
Project Engineer:
It shall be the overall responsibility of the project engineer to implement the color coding, established
in this specification during storage of different piping materials prior to fabrication.
Site / Shop Engineer:
It shall be the responsibility of the site/shop Engineer for the implementation of the approved
procedure during entire fabrication and installation activities.
QC Manager:
It shall be the responsibility of the QC Manager to ensure all the requirements are complied with this
procedure.
QC Supervisor / QC inspector:
It will be the responsibility of the Q.C. Supervisor & assigned QC inspector to ensure that all
piping materials are properly color coded at all the stages of fabrication and installation
activities.
It will be the responsibility of all personnel involved while performing color coding on the piping
materials to ensure safe working practices are followed without exception.
3. APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND REFERENCES:
4. COLOR CODING OF PIPING MATERIALS:
Color coding for piping material identifies the most common grades of materials used in
piping systems.
Each piping material should be coded in accordance with this document and its attachments
and should have painted characters indicating the specification number of material.
Prior to coding, surfaces shall be cleaned and free of dirt, loose scale, grease, and oil. Paints
used for coding shall be durable, bright, and distinctive and shall not contain substances that
would harmfully affect the material at ambient or elevated temperatures. Method of application
can be either brush type, Roller Type or spray type with paint or dye.
Identification by this method is not a substitute for PMI testing or other permanent
manufacturer’s marking.
The principal purpose of this color code is to simplify identification of the pipe during storage
and after the pipe has been cut for fabrication or returned to stock.
Marking Materials:
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Paint marking should be done with water-insoluble material that contains no substance that
harmfully affects the metal at ambient or elevated temperatures. In particular, the marking
material shall be free of lead, sulfur, zinc, cadmium, mercury, chlorine, or other halogens.
When applying color code on stainless steel material, the paint shall have water soluble
chloride content less than 50 ppm.
Marking materials for stainless steel and nickel alloy piping must not contain undesirable
substances such as chlorides, fluorides, sulfur, and low melting point metals.
Pipe Spool Pieces:
Color coding shall be retained up-to fit-up and welding Stage for piping material. After Cutting
in cut pieces (Items), Items may be Color coding near Material Identification stamped.
Where pipe spool pieces are painted after completion of fabrication, further material color marking is
not necessary.
5. LOCATION AND FEATURE OF MARKING:
Pipe & Fittings should be marked with paint, dyes, tapes, etc., on both ends. For Pipes, color band
shall be applied in a staggered manner or full strips in throughout the length of pipe as
mentioned below:
20 mm wide color band for pipes Dia 10” & above.
10 mm wide color band for pipes below 10” Dia.
Flanges should be color marked on the hub. Miscellaneous material should be color marked to
provide proper identity. The paint shall not cover welding surfaces. In any case, color bands shall not
mask the original marking & Stamps.
Typical color code applications are shown in the following figures:
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6. EXCEPTIONS:
Components like Valves, special Piping items, steam traps, etc. do not require color-coding if
these components are permanently stamped or tagged by the manufacturer. If the materials
are not easily legible, valves, flanges, and fittings shall be coded with a stripe of 5 mm
minimum width. The color-coding on valves should indicate the valve body material.
ASTM A193 Grade B7 stud bolts do not require color coding if the grade of the
material is stamped on one end of each bolt.
Sheet type gaskets do not require color coding. Metallic Ring Type Joint gaskets require no
additional color marking, considering they shall be properly marked.
In case Ring Type Joint (RTJ) type Gaskets are not color coded by Manufacturer then color
coding system shall be applied in strips based on the gasket material and flange ratings.
The color code of the spiral wound gasket does matter! The industry standards require the
spiral wound gaskets to be color-coded. With spiral wound gaskets, there are two distinct
colors, the color of the outside rim and the color stripe along the rim. The outside rim is usually
yellow (304 SS), green (316 SS), or orange (Monel). The rim stripe is usually gray (Graphite).
Color coding may wave off for small size component like temporary cleat, stiffener & support if
material type is marked / punched on the same. In case re-use of material or any other
reason, if color code is erased same shall be re-stored immediately.
7. TABLE OF MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION:
Below Table details the color to be applied on different piping grades:
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