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Up Topic Welding Industry / Inspection & Qualification / Overseas work?
- - By supermoto (***) Date 07-19-2010 15:24
I have been interested in possibly doing some overseas work for a a couple years.  I have heard some pros and cons.  I have tried to do some research on this but not sure where to look for companies and the industry is a little different.  I am a CWI and Level II in UT/MT for the past 3 years just in D1.1 and welded just about everything except pressure vessels.

I have heard about the tax breaks and great pay after a year of work.  Also that it is better to work for a American owned company.  I would like to try something other than Strucural Steel, but not sure if I would be qualified.

I searched on here but not too much talk about overseas work.
Parent - - By jon20013 (*****) Date 07-20-2010 06:52
Check Expatengineer.com, roadtechs.com, rigzone.com, brunelenergy.com, etc., there are tons of websites.  I've been overseas for the past 3 years working for an american company but seconded to the british branch of our company.  I LOVE it and will never go back to domestic work.
Parent - - By supermoto (***) Date 07-20-2010 12:38
Thanks for your response.  Do you think that just having experience with inspection to D1.1 will be difficult to find a postion in another industry?  Do you know of any countries to stay away from or had bad experiences with certain companies contracting you?
Parent - - By jon20013 (*****) Date 07-21-2010 03:23
In my experiences overseas, having a background in D1.1 is not even close to enough.  While D1.1 is used on many international projects there are also a whole host of other standards used.  What I've seen about countries to stay away from is in many cases we believe what we're fed by the news media.  Of course there are many dangerous places but doing a study online will prove beneficial.  Don't believe everything you hear on Fox Network, CBS, NBC or CNN.
Parent - - By supermoto (***) Date 07-21-2010 11:48
Thanks for being honest, this is what I need to hear.  I would really like to get out of structural steel inspection but as everyone knows its really hard to get into something that you don't have any experience in.  I consider myself to be lucky that my boss hired me just as a CWI and not UT/MT experience.  I just want to keep furthering my career and knowledge.  I will keep trying and something will come up. 

A buddy of mine told me about his company had a CWI contract for about a year for inspection on armoured vehicles in the middle east, and the money was really good.  Haven't heard back from him in a couple of days.
Parent - - By jon20013 (*****) Date 07-21-2010 13:19
The very best start would be to lay your hands on some more codes and standards.  I would say ASME IX would be a good beginning as it is the starting point for all other ASME Codes as far as welders and welding procedures. 

The ony way to get ahead in our business is to try staying ahead, which means constantly learning.  I've worked almost exclusively with ASME Codes since around 1980 and I still find myself having to read and re-read the code everytime I make an important decision.  That said, while I took my CWI open book to API 1104 back in 1979, if you asked me to do API work today I'd be totally lost.  (I could also say the same for my own understanding of D1.1 even though I sat on Committee for several years, I just don't use it much anymore so I've gone stale).

There's a lot to keep up with and I've never met anyone who actually knew it al, just many who thought they did!

Good luck, keep posting and will rty to guide you in anyway possible but the bulk of your success depends on you. :)
Parent - - By supermoto (***) Date 07-23-2010 14:13
jon20013, I am not too familiar with ASME code but I hear of a lot of numbers like IX, B31.1, etc...  Are they all in one code book or how are they organized.  I would like to see if I can find a used set of the major books that are used but not sure how old is too old and which ones to buy.
Parent - - By CWI555 (*****) Date 07-25-2010 00:25
Just for pressure piping alone:
ASME B31 series was developed for pressure piping, and is/has been broken down as follows:

B31.1 - Piping for industrial / power plants and marine applications. It has application in power and auxiliary service piping for electrical generation plants/ institutional plants, and heating plants. It may have changed in recent revs but it generally is limited to 15PSI and up for steam vapor, and high temp water at 160psi > 250F.

B31.2 is now NFPA z223.1 it's for gas piping systems  mostly residential

B31.3 This Code contains requirements for piping typically found in petroleum refineries; chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, paper, semiconductor, & cryogenic plants, & related processing plants terminals.

B31.4 This Code prescribes requirements for the design, materials, construction, assembly, inspection, and testing of piping transporting liquids such as crude oil, condensate, natural gasoline, natural gas liquids, liquefied petroleum gas, carbon dioxide, liquid alcohol, liquid anhydrous ammonia and liquid petroleum products between producers' lease facilities, tank farms, natural gas processing plants, refineries, stations, ammonia plants, terminals (marine, rail and truck) and other delivery and receiving points.
There is also some limited application to offshore systems.

B31.5 This Code prescribes requirements for the materials, design, fabrication, assembly, erection, test, and inspection of refrigerant, heat transfer components, and secondary coolant piping for temperatures as low as -320 deg F (-196 deg C)
Care must be taken with this one as it does contain specific limitations of applicability

B31.6 This designation never made it to print. In 1974 it was to be the code section for chemical plant piping, but ended up incorporated into B31.3

B31.7 Nuclear power piping was killed after two editions (I believe in 1969) and responsibility was assumed ASME B&PV Code, Section III, Subsections NA, NB, NC and ND (if you can get a copy of it, it has some valuable information in it)

B31.8 Gas transmission and distribution systems: design, fabrication, installation, inspection, and testing of pipeline facilities used for the transportation of gas. This Code also covers safety aspects of the operation and maintenance of those facilities.

B31.9 Building Services Piping : applicable to water(heating and cooling), steam and condensate, vacuum, and compressed air/non toxic gases.

B31.10 Cryogenic Piping; another one that was DOA. It was folded into B31.3

B31.11 Slurry Transportation Piping

B31.12 Code for Hydrogen Piping and Pipelines

B31Q : This Standard establishes the requirements for developing and implementing Pipeline Personnel Qualification Program.
http://www.asme.org/Codes/Publications/B31Q2006_Pipeline_Personnel.cfm This one has stirred many pots, and still in progress of stirring more.

There are other subsets to the B31 series, but I believe you get the picture.
B16 series is for pipes and fittings is even more fractured than the B31 series.
Parent - - By supermoto (***) Date 07-25-2010 04:43
Holy crap, these are separate code books? 

So what should I buy? 

I thought there was just one ASME code book. Maybe I should move my questions to the ASME area.
Parent - By CWI555 (*****) Date 07-25-2010 17:23
The primary ones you would want are B31.1 and B31.3. I believe your going to find it's an expensive proposition to acquire the ASME codes.
Parent - - By HgTX (***) Date 07-28-2010 18:53
Keep in mind the A in ASME stands for "American".  You'll still need to learn other codes if you want to do work overseas.  But part of what a CWI is supposed to be able to do is adapt to a new code.

Hg
Parent - By supermoto (***) Date 07-28-2010 19:00
That is what they teach you in the prep course but I still can't get anyone to give me a chance.  I will find a place soon.
Parent - - By js55 (*****) Date 07-20-2010 20:12
Sure jon. You say that now. Now that you've been Boratized !!  :)
Parent - By jon20013 (*****) Date 07-21-2010 03:23
Whats wrong with Borat?  I think I may have seen his sister a few times!!!! :)
Parent - - By L51174 (**) Date 07-20-2010 13:47
If its inspection work you're looking for try Sullivan & Associate, Inc. in Ladson SC

http://www.sa-ndt.com/

I know a couple folks who went overseas for them and had good experiences (i.e. made good money)
Parent - - By nantong (**) Date 07-24-2010 01:47
There is little chance of getting a job overseas unless you have years of experience, including overseas experience and you must be familiar with all the basic codes and ASME codes are a prerequisite. Most western companies employ local inspectors as they are so cheap and use expats only to oversee.
Parent - - By jon20013 (*****) Date 07-28-2010 06:00
Believe nantong said it right.
Parent - - By supermoto (***) Date 07-28-2010 15:12
That is what I am figuring out.  I will hopefully find a company that will bring me on so I can learn a new industry.
Parent - - By Joey (***) Date 07-28-2010 16:45
If you're beginner, you will have a hard time to compete with Pinoy inspectors in job overseas. We are cheap :) and capable!
Parent - By jon20013 (*****) Date 07-29-2010 02:01
Supermoto, you need to study on your own.  No one is going to bring you on unless you have a very good knowledge of many, many codes and standards.  To be successful overseas as an expat you pretty much need to be at the top of the food chain, so to speak.  If you don't take it on your own initiative just keep dreaming brother! ;-)
Up Topic Welding Industry / Inspection & Qualification / Overseas work?

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