Reliability

Standards & Compliance

In many projects, multiple standards apply—or conflict. Our role is not to recite clauses, but to establish a defensible technical basis for how standards are interpreted and applied.

Our approach to standards

Codes and standards define the minimum requirements for safety, reliability, and performance. But meeting requirements alone is not enough—what matters is understanding the intent behind the standard, resolving conflicts between overlapping codes, and making defensible judgments where the standard is silent or ambiguous.

We are engaged for standards interpretation, equivalency justification, and intent-based application—the work that separates engineers who understand the clauses from engineers who understand the engineering. Our team navigates multi-code environments and builds documentation that establishes not just compliance, but the technical basis behind every decision.

Engineer reviewing technical drawings with calipers

Expertise

Codes & standards we work with

Pressure Equipment

  • ASME BPVC Section VIII — Pressure vessel design and fabrication
  • ASME B31.1 / B31.3 — Power and process piping
  • CSA B51 — Boiler, pressure vessel, and piping code (Canada)
  • ASME BPVC Section II — Materials specifications
  • ASME BPVC Section V — Nondestructive examination
  • ASME BPVC Section IX — Welding and brazing qualifications

Nuclear

  • ASME BPVC Section III — Nuclear facility components (Classes 1, 2, 3)
  • ASME BPVC Section XI — In-service inspection of nuclear components
  • CSA N285 — Requirements for pressure-retaining systems (CANDU)
  • CSA N289 — Seismic qualification of nuclear facilities
  • CSA N286 — Management system requirements for nuclear facilities

Structural

  • CSA S16 — Design of steel structures
  • CSA A23.3 — Design of concrete structures
  • CAN/CSA-S6 — Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code
  • NBC / NBCC — National Building Code of Canada
  • AISC 360 — Structural steel buildings (US)
  • ACI 318 — Structural concrete (US)

Welding & Fabrication

  • AWS D1.1 — Structural welding (steel)
  • AWS D1.6 — Structural welding (stainless steel)
  • CSA W47.1 / W47.2 — Welding company certification
  • CSA W59 — Welded steel construction
  • ISO 3834 — Quality requirements for fusion welding
  • ISO 15614 — Welding procedure qualification

Quality & Management Systems

  • ISO 9001 — Quality management systems
  • ISO 19443 — Nuclear energy sector QMS application
  • NQA-1 — Quality assurance for nuclear facility applications
  • CSA N299 — Quality assurance for nuclear pressure equipment
  • 10 CFR 50 App. B — US nuclear QA criteria

Fitness-for-Service

  • API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1 — Fitness-for-service assessment
  • API 510 — Pressure vessel inspection
  • API 570 — Piping inspection
  • API 653 — Tank inspection and repair
  • BS 7910 — Fracture mechanics assessment of flaws

How we deliver

Standards services

01

Interpretation & Application

Resolve ambiguities in code requirements. Provide formal interpretation memoranda that document the engineering rationale behind standards application decisions.

02

Gap Analysis

Assess existing designs, procedures, or documentation against applicable codes. Identify gaps, non-conformances, and areas requiring remediation or justification.

03

Compliance Verification

Verify that engineering deliverables satisfy the requirements of applicable codes and standards. Document compliance in structured matrices and verification records.

04

Regulatory Submissions

Prepare technical basis documents, compliance packages, and supporting engineering analysis for regulatory review and approval processes.

05

Equivalency Justification

When a standard cannot be met directly, develop defensible alternative approach justifications that demonstrate equivalent safety and performance.

06

Audit Support

Support internal and external audits with engineering documentation, compliance evidence, and subject matter expertise for technical responses.

Need standards expertise?

Whether it is a contested interpretation, a multi-code conflict, or a regulatory submission that must be technically bulletproof—we bring the judgment to resolve it.

Standards support is provided based on project scope, jurisdiction, and applicable licensing requirements.

Engage our team