We have discussed the pros and cons of pressure testing/leak testing piping. Code requires the test to be Hydrostatic Test; but if there is a legitmate issue with doing a hydrostatic test, then we can use the pneumatic test method. But we MUST realize the catastrophic/fatal hazard of pneumatic testing. For example,
an explosion of 200 ft of Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) 36 line containing air at 500 psig can create a blast wave roughly equivalent to 80 lb of TNT.
This translates into:
Damage to Windows of 4mm Thick Annealed Glass
| Small Window 0.55m by 0.55m | High Hazard |
| Medium Window 1.25m by 0.55m | High Hazard |
| Large Window 1.25m by 1.55m | High Hazard |
Minimum Range to No Break (m)
| Small Window | 85.05 |
| Medium Window | 137.38 |
| Large Window | 307.48 |
Ground Vibration (m)
| Maximum Effected Range | 189.31 |
Injury/Fatality to Personnel Range (m)
| Fatal Distance | 7.55 |
| Lung Damage | 11.97 |
| Eardrum Rupture | 30.77 |
Damage to Brick Structures (m)
| Houses completely demolished | 3.49 |
| Houses badly damaged, beyond repair, require demolition | 5.17 |
| Houses rendered uninhabitable, can be repaired with extensive work | 9.03 |
| Houses rendered uninhabitable, can be repaired reasonably quickly | 15.51 |
| Houses require repairs, serious inconvenience but remain habitable | 31.01 |
Data provided by https://unsaferguard.org/un-saferguard/blast-damage-estimation