23 Standardization of Valves, Flanges, Fittings and Gaskets (ASME B16 Standard)

The Committee that has evolved into B16 [1] started life as a group of different organizations. All were becoming active in the early 1900's. This is the period when the ASME was asked and began to publish the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes. All of this activity was the result of the horrendous problems of boiler explosions that had wrecked the nation in the period after the Civil war.