Tightening the bolts

Despite the fact that the vast majority of the world’s petrochemical process
plants and pipelines are either welded or bolted together, there is often a
perceived difference between the two methods.
Whereas the welded joint has mandated procedures and competency requirements to
ensure its quality and fitness for purpose, the bolted flange joint has historically had few
such requirements, despite the fact that it serves the same purpose of pressurised
process containment.
However, times are changing. There is a growing case for bolting in petrochemical
process plants with the development of bolting techniques, standards and training.

The objective: preventing leaks

Welded and bolted joints are a common feature in petrochemical plants today and both
fulfil the same purpose in containing a pressurised liquid or gas and preventing leaks.
Whereas welded joints are permanent connections, bolted joints are a ‘temporary’
connection and tend to be required where assembly or maintenance dictates. Moreover,
problems with a welded joint tend to be more disruptive than a bolted joint which can be
readily examined and replaced.

Figure 1. Comparison between compliance requirements of a bolted and welded joints. 

When it comes to preventing leaks, the stakes are indeed high with any leaks, typically
carrying heavy financial penalties – due to rigorous environmental emissions targets –
and severe corporate reputational damage. For petrochemical projects in construction or
turnaround, leaks can also severely disrupt schedules, causing delays, cost overruns,
and uncertainty when production finally begins. One offshore multi-asset operator
calculated the average cost of their UK leaks to be in the region of US$100 000 per leak
in repair time and materials alone.
In addition, commissioning companies estimate that up to 20% of integrity test budgets
can be consumed by reworking bolted flange joints that leaked during a system test. In
worst case scenarios, leaks can lead to a full shutdown, mobilisation of emergency
services, evacuation and casualties. It is against this backdrop that there is a need for
the highest industry standards for both welding and bolting.
When dealing with welded joints, engineers must comply with the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B31.3 for process piping welding standards. This
stipulates strong material control, and documented and approved procedures with only
formally coded welders able to perform the welding. In addition, the standard requires
that welds are tested using non-destructive techniques and verified through hydro and/or
gas-testing methods. All these processes are recorded with full traceability.
Yet, given their same purpose, why have the mandatory standards for welded joints not
been applied to bolted connections? Things are changing in this respect too as industry
guidance has emerged to raise standards for bolting. A key reason for this is the
increased acceptance of specific bolting techniques when tightening bolted joints.

Increased control to bolt tightening

Tightening a bolted joint is not as simple as it may first appear. Variables, such as the
design standard, flange size, the choice of flange/gasket/bolt material, choice of lubricant
and the method of assembly, all work together to determine the optimum values and
procedures to use.
When it comes to actually tightening the joint, there have historically been two schools of
thought: controlled and uncontrolled tightening. Whereas uncontrolled tightening is
essentially a ‘best guess’ methodology where a hammer is used to hit a manual wrench
and turn the nut, controlled tightening uses trained and competent personnel who follow
prescribed procedures and are supported by calibrated and measurable equipment.
There are two main controlled tightening techniques: firstly torque tightening using a
hand or hydraulic wrench to turn the nut down the length of the bolt; and secondly bolt
tensioning, which works by stretching the bolt axially so that the nut can be turned down
by hand. Both have the same goal - to use the elastic properties of the bolt to compress
the joint and seal the gasket.
Controlled bolt tightening ensures known, controllable and accurate bolt loads. It also
provides greater uniformity of bolt loading – especially important on gasketed joints as an
even and consistent compression is required for the gasket to be effective.
Importantly, controlled bolt tightening also imposes a ‘safe operation’ approach using
prescribed procedures, eliminating the dangerous activities of manual uncontrolled
tightening and requires that the operators be skilled and follow procedures. Controlled
tooling also removes many of the uncertainties surrounding in-service joint failures and
ensures that the correct assembly and tightening of the joint are carried out first time
round.
There is little doubt that controlled bolt tightening has increased industry acceptance of
bolting.

Enhancing standards for bolting

While bolting technicians had not been held to the same competence standards as
welders in the past, this has now changed. Industry guidance has gradually emerged
over the last few years to raise standards for bolting.

Figure 2. Technician assembling a MorSafe flange clamp.

Two major publications concerned with the assembly and management of bolted flange
joints were released in 2013. CEN (the European committee for standardisation)
published EN1591 Part 4 as a standard entitled ‘Flanges and their Joints – Part 4:
Qualification of Personnel Competency in the Assembly of the Bolted Connections of
Critical Service Pressurized Systems’. ASME then released an updated PCC-1-2013
Guidelines for Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly to include Appendix A
relevant to the ‘Training and Qualification of Bolted Joint Assembly Personnel.’

The growth in bolting training programmes

Since the early 1990s, supporters of bolting have been developing industry training
programmes, facilitating a common approach and increasing the degree of control and
competence needed to secure leak-free bolting.
In 1994, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) certified a range
of specialist bolting training programmes including the Mechanical Joint Integrity (MJI)
programme available from 2011. Approved training courses derived from the ECITB
Mechanical Joint Integrity technical training standards cover isolations, dismantling
techniques, inspection of components, alignment techniques and clamp connectors, as
well as assembly and tightening techniques in specialist critical bolting. Training and
customer endorsement in this area has been further enhanced though ‘Step Change in
Safety’, a member-led organisation committed to improving safety in the oil and gas
industry in the UKCS.
It is important to add that experience and knowledge are also often confused with one
another. Training alone does not guarantee competence and experience alone does not
verify knowledge or understanding. The ‘Route to Competency’ is a combination of four
essential elements which follows a documented and traceable path of evidence
including: structured training, workplace experience, initial assessment, and ongoing
assessment.
The competence of the personnel involved in the disassembly, inspection, repair,
assembly and tightening of bolted connections – including subcontractors during a
shutdown when resource is at its peak – is fundamental to the joint integrity assurance
process. Developments in training have made this a reality.

The benefits of seeking a third party

Today the use of third party specialists and access to experienced, skilled site service
personnel with the highest levels of training and competency have further increased
control of the process of bolted flange joint assembly and reduced the risk of leaks.
For a petrochemical facility where there may be hundreds of thousands of bolted joints,
for example, the complete outsourcing of all requirements for controlled flange
management, and integrity assurance to specialist bolting contractors, is an attractive
option for many companies looking for greater control and leak elimination.
Taking this approach also encourages the adoption of global standards in controlled
bolting, flange management, and integrity assurance, ensuring that a ‘right first time’
approach is adopted, as opposed to a ‘leak and fix’ or ‘search and repair’ approach. The
latter approach tends to be adopted by companies without the specialist knowledge or
competencies required to assure bolted flange joint integrity.

A joint integrity management system

Managing a plant-wide bolting programme is aided by the adoption of a joint integrity
management system including a flange management programme with an embedded bolt
load calculation engine for common flange standards such as ASME B16.5, ASME
B16.47, API 6A and API 17D. In this way, joint integrity programmes offer the same
quality control and assurance requirements as a welded joint assembly.
 Figure 3. Technicians being trained in hydraulic tensioning.

Recommended bolt loads for standard joints should be derived from independently
verified calculation methods (such as ASME PCC-1) and traceable back to these
standards. It should include common gasket materials and configurations,
comprehensive flange and bolt materials, and a wide range of lubricants.
The use of such a system enables storage of the entire lifecycle data relating to every
critical bolted joint on an installation. Moreover, it provides managers and technicians
with essential information about joint history, the components used in assembly, and the
tools and the torque or tension values to deliver a leak-free joint.
In addition, all previous history and experience of the joint is available whenever the joint
is worked on, allowing any particular requirements of the joint to be taken into account
proactively prior to joint assembly and tightening.
This can also be used to aid planning, ensuring joint integrity, and can reduce
construction and maintenance schedules and costs. The correct information needed by
technicians also removes the possibility of guesswork and/or incorrect procedures. It is
also important that such a system should be implemented at the start of a project from
design and through to installation and eventual decommissioning.

A compelling alternative to welding

Today, the technical demands of bolting are every bit as important as those of welded
joints. Through the evolution of controlled bolt tightening, enhanced bolting standards,
high quality training and competency, and joint integrity management systems, controlled
bolting provides a compelling alternative to traditional welding in the petrochemical
industries. The result is a project or facility where joints are properly installed and
certified, leading to reduced leakage from assets, improved safety and environmental
performance, more efficient operations and reduced costs.