EN 13068: Non-Destructive Testing - Radiography of Welds
European standard for weld radiography, equivalent to ISO 17636.
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) publishes EN standards that are adopted as national standards across the EU and EFTA.
EN standards underpin the Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU) and are mandatory for CE-marking in the EU; outside the EU they remain widely used as accepted technical references.
EN 13068 is invoked when the scope of work matches its title — non-destructive testing - radiography of welds — and when the contract or regulatory regime cites it as the controlling document. On petroleum and petrochemical equipment, EN 13068 usually feeds into a written mechanical-integrity program: inspection intervals, examination methods, and acceptance criteria are all traced back to a clause number in the document. In fabrication shops the standard is reproduced inside the written procedure book and referenced from every inspection report so that the auditor's paper trail leads back to the same paragraph the inspector worked from.
Methods covered
Industries
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Oil & Gas
- Personnel qualification: examinations under EN 13068 must be performed by inspectors qualified and certified to a recognised scheme (typically ASNT SNT-TC-1A, CP-189, or ISO 9712 depending on jurisdiction), with documented training hours, vision tests, and a controlling written practice.
- Written procedure: every examination requires a written, controlled procedure that names the method, equipment, calibration steps, scanning pattern, and acceptance criteria — and is qualified before first use.
- Image-quality verification: every radiograph or digital exposure carries a penetrameter / IQI of the type and thickness specified by the standard; the IQI must be visible and at the required sensitivity for the radiograph to be acceptable.
- Radiation safety: source handling, exclusion zones, dosimetry, and source recordkeeping must follow the licensing authority's rules in addition to the inspection standard itself.
- Acceptance criteria: indications are evaluated against the standard's tabulated limits (length, depth, alignment, frequency); any indication exceeding the criteria is recorded, dispositioned, and either repaired or evaluated for fitness-for-service.
- Documentation: examination reports must include enough information for a third party to reproduce the inspection — equipment serial numbers, calibration records, inspector ID, sketches of indications, and the controlling procedure revision.
EN standards are managed under CEN's revision cycle and are republished as the European harmonised version of an ISO document where one exists. Updates to EN 13068 flow into the harmonised standards list under the relevant EU directive (e.g. PED 2014/68/EU); compliance with the latest harmonised version provides a presumption of conformity with the directive's essential requirements.
A typical refinery turnaround applies EN 13068 to the inspection scope for high-temperature piping and pressure vessels: corrosion-monitoring locations are read with UT thickness gauges, girth welds on repaired sections are radiographed or PAUT-scanned, and any indication outside the standard's acceptance table is dispositioned through API 579 fitness-for-service before the unit restarts.
What does EN 13068 cover?
EN 13068 (Non-Destructive Testing - Radiography of Welds) is published by CEN. European standard for weld radiography, equivalent to ISO 17636..
Is EN 13068 mandatory or voluntary?
EN 13068 is a consensus standard. It becomes mandatory when invoked by a contract, by another code that cites it (for example ASME Section V calling out an ASTM practice), or by a regulator that has adopted it into law in a specific jurisdiction.
Who is qualified to perform inspections under EN 13068?
Inspections under EN 13068 must be performed by personnel qualified and certified to a recognised NDT certification scheme — most commonly ASNT SNT-TC-1A or CP-189 in the United States, ISO 9712 in much of the rest of the world, and NAS 410 for aerospace work. The written practice that controls qualification must be in place before any examination is started.
Which other standards are commonly cited alongside EN 13068?
EN 13068 is most often cited together with the parent code that brings it into the contract — typically ASME Section V or VIII for U.S. pressure equipment, AWS D1.1 for structural welding, API 510/570/653 for in-service petroleum equipment, or the matching EN/ISO standard for European and international work.
Standard Code
EN 13068
Organization
CEN
Methods Covered
1 method(s)
Industries
3 sector(s)
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