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In this chapter some general concepts and criteria pertaining to Section VIII are discussed. These include allowable stress, factors of safety, joint efficiency factors, brittle fracture, fatigue, and pressure testing. Detailed design and analysis rules for individual components are discussed in subsequent chapters.

Since frequent reference will be made to ASME Section VIII Divisions 1 and 2, the following designation will be used from here on to facilitate such references. ASME Section VIII, Division 1 Code will be designated by VIII-1. Similarly, VIII-2 will designate the ASME Section VIII, Division 2 Code. Other ASME code sections such as Section II Part D will be referenced to as II-D. Equations and paragraphs referenced in each of these divisions will be called out as they appear in their respective Code Divisions.

Many design rules in VIII-1 and VIII-2 are essentially identical. These include flange design and nozzle reinforcement requirements. In such cases, the rules of VIII-1 will be discussed with a statement indicating that the rules of VIII-2 are essentially the same. Appendix A at the end of this book lists the paragraph numbers in VIII-1 that pertain to various components of pressure vessels.