Before a boiler, pressure vessel or pressure fitting can be used in Canada, its design generally has to be registered with the safety authority of the province or territory where it will operate. The registration is identified by a Canadian Registration Number, or CRN.
The standard behind it
CSA B51, the Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Pressure Piping Code, sets the registration requirements adopted by the provinces and territories. Vessels themselves are designed and built to a recognised construction code, most often ASME Section VIII Division 1.
Who issues a CRN
Each jurisdiction registers designs for use within its own borders. Examples include the TSSA in Ontario, ABSA in Alberta, Technical Safety BC in British Columbia, the RBQ in Québec and the TSASK in Saskatchewan. A vessel used in more than one province needs its design registered in each.
What a design submission usually contains
- Design calculations to the construction code
- Fabrication drawings with materials, weld details and nozzle schedule
- Design conditions: pressure, temperature, corrosion allowance and service
- Statutory declarations and the authority's application forms
During fabrication
Material must be traceable to mill test certificates, welding must use qualified procedures and welders, and the required non-destructive examination and hydrostatic test must be carried out and recorded. The completed manufacturer's data report is kept with the vessel.
Planning tip
Design registration takes time. Including it in the project schedule from the start, and confirming the province of installation at the quotation stage, avoids delays at commissioning. See our pressure vessel page for the documentation we supply.