Proceedings of the ASME 2014 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference

PVP2014
July 20-24, 2014, Anaheim, California, USA

PVP2014-28719

FASTENERS – STRENGTH AND QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

Finn Kirkemo
Statoil ASA
Oslo, Norway
Email: fkir@statoil.com

ABSTRACT 𝑇𝑆,𝑐 stud structural tension capacity (limit load)

Heavy hex nuts may be selected with similar hardness to the
studs to avoid stripping of nut threads for pressure containing
(closure bolting) and primary load bearing bolting. However,
industry specification for subsea production systems, e.g. such
as API Specifications 6A, 16A, 16C, and 17D, allows the use of
low strength heavy hex nuts, e.g. ASTM A194 Grade 2HM or
7M, to be applied together with high strength studs, e.g. ASTM
A320 Grades L43 or L7. In the refining and chemical industries
the common practice is to use ASTM A193 B7 studs with 2H
nuts. Calculations and testing of nuts have been performed and
capacity formulas have been established for nut structural
capacities. Guidance is given on selecting nut strength/hardness
to avoid stripping of nut threads. ASTM specifications give
minimum quality requirements during manufacture. A brief
review of standard quality requirements is given and guidance
for additional requirements for high integrity fasteners in order
to have equivalent quality as pressure containing forgings is
given. The results from this paper may be used as background
for requirements in code updates and purchaser specifications.
NOMENCALTURE
𝐴𝑟 stud thread root area
𝐴𝑠 stud thread stress area
𝐴𝑁 nut thread stripping area (effective shear area)
𝐷 nominal size (basic major diameter of thread)
𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 minimum major diameter of stud
𝐷2𝑚𝑎𝑥 maximum pitch diameter of nut
𝐻𝑒𝑓𝑓 effective nut thickness
𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 minimum nut thickness
𝑃 thread pitch
𝑛 number of threads per inch
𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 effective number of threads in engagement
𝑇𝑁,𝑐 nut tension structural capacity (limit load)
𝜎𝑢 tensile strength
𝜎𝑦,𝑆 stud yield strength
𝜎𝑦,𝑁 nut yield strength
𝜏𝑦,𝑁 nut yield shear strength
INTRODUCTION
Threaded fasteners in this paper include studs, nuts, bolts
and cap screws used to assemble pressure containing parts or
assemble primary load bearing parts. Design of bolted
connection in tension is based on the structural capacity of the
stud and not that of the nut. This means that the stud shall be
the limiting part in the stud/nut assembly, i.e. the structural
capacity of the stud shall be less than the structural capacity of
the nut.
Failure of a stud/nut assembly due to over-tightening
during make-up, or overloading when the service load is
applied can occur by stud fracture or by stripping of the threads
in the nut and/or stud. Stud fracture is sudden and therefore
easily noticed. Replacement is easy and the operator is alerted
that immediate corrective actions are necessary. Thread
stripping starts at the first stressed thread and gradually, the
remaining threads peel-off through the entire length of
engagement. This is a progressive failure which may takes
several hours before the nut is completely disengaged from the
stud and introduces the danger of partly failed fasteners being
left in assemblies.
Figure 1 shows an example of nut thread stripping failure
occurred with 2”-8UN L7 studs with 2HM nuts during a
pressure test. Failure was caused by use of low strength nuts in
combination with oversized threads on the nut (i.e. dimensional
control of nut threads was not performed).
ASTM bolting specifications are basically material
specifications and, therefore, do not usually address design
issues including grade selection. API Spec 6A allows for low

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 strength ASTM A194 Grade 2HM nuts to be used with high
strength studs like ASTM A193 Grade B7, A320 Grades L7 and
L43 and ASTM A453 Grade 660. ASME Div.2 and Div.3 do
not require that nuts have the same hardness as studs. The use
of ASTM A193 Grade B7 or ASTM A320 Grade L7 studs with
2H nuts is the most common combination for ASME B31.3,
Div.2 and Div.3 applications. ISO 13628-7 (API 17G)
recommend heavy hex nuts to have equivalent hardness as the
studs to avoid nut thread stripping. The purpose of the first part
of this paper is to establish a methodology in which the
structural capacities of studs and nuts are established by
calculations, thus providing capacities to be used in checks to
identify minimum structural capacity in the nut to ensure that
the stud with the maximum capacity will physically break
before the nut threads are stripped, i.e. that the stud is the weak
link in the stud/nut assembly.
Figure 1 Failure from pressure testing – thread stripping
Fasteners used for critical applications represent a
challenge in terms of material selection, quality
assurance/control, traceability and documentation for
manufacture and delivery to ensure adequate performance,
integrity and avoidance of costly failures. Critical fasteners
should be manufactured as for other highly critical components
like pressure containing and primary load bearing forgings.
Historically fasteners for subsea production systems have been
delivered to manufacturers quality standard in accordance with
API Spec 6A applicable for surface wellhead and tree
equipment, with hardness limitations for low alloy steels as
given by API Spec 17D for subsea wellhead and tree
equipment. The hardness is limited to 321 HB/35 HRC due to
concerns with hydrogen embrittlement when connected to
cathodic protection. Quality control requirements in API Spec
6A are in general the same as given in ASTM specifications
without any additional requirements. The purpose of the second
part of this paper is to identify gaps in quality assurance/control
requirements in ASTM specifications to obtain similar quality
and safety level as for pressure containing forgings as given by
PSL3 API Spec 6A/17D.
STUD AND NUT TENSION STRUCTURAL CAPACITIES
Structural strength model
The desired mode of failure of a bolted joint is the
complete fracturing of the bolt or screw instead of the stripping
of the thread in the nut or in the internally threaded component.
In order to address the risk for nut thread stripping the stud and
nut structural tension capacities is established. For stud/nut
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connections subject to axial tension, possible ductile failure
modes are:
1. Tension failure of stud
2. Stripping of nut threads
3. Stripping of stud threads
The tension structural capacity or limit load (i.e. load
corresponding to through section yield) of a stud is root cross
section area multiplied by the yield strength of the stud; see
ASME B1.1 and Figure 2, calculated as follows:
𝑇𝑆,𝑐 = 𝜎𝑦,𝑆 ∙ 𝐴𝑟 (1)
𝜋 1.3 2
𝐴𝑟 = ∙ (𝐷 − ) (2)
4 𝑛
For inch series of fasteners, the thread pitch P is 1/n. When
studs are tensile tested; they exhibit tension capacities that are
greater than that predicted by the material strength and the root
area. Studs behave as if they had a larger cross-section area due
to plastic constraint caused by the threads. This area is named
the stress area and is based on a diameter midway between the
minor and pitch diameter, i.e. the stress diameter, see Figure 2,
and calculated as follows
𝜋 0.9743 2
𝐴𝑠 = ∙ (𝐷 − ) (3)
4 𝑛
Note that ASTM fastener specifications us tensile stress area
rather than root cross-section area.
The determination of structural capacity of nut threads or
nut stripping is somewhat more complicated. The threads are
assumed to fail in shear. The tension capacity of the nut is
determined by multiplying the nut shear strength by the
effective cross section area being sheared. The structural
tension capacity (i.e. thread stripping capacity) or limit load of
a heavy hex nut is calculated as follows; see Figure 3 and
Figure 4:
𝜎 ,
𝑇𝑁,𝑐 = 𝜏𝑦,𝑁 ∙ 𝐴𝑁 = ∙ 𝐴𝑁 (4)
√3
𝐴𝑁 = 0.8 ∙ 𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∙ 𝜋 ∙ 𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 ∙ [ + (𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 − 𝐷2𝑚𝑎𝑥 ) ∙ 𝑡𝑎𝑛(30°)] (5)
2
𝐻 𝐻 −0.8∙
𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 = = (6)
Thread shear area of un-deformed geometry is given in
Appendix B of ASME B1.1, i.e. nut dilatation (radial
deformation) is neglected. Nut dilation (relative thread
displacement) reduces the effective shear area to 80 % of un-
deformed shear area in Eq. (5), see Figure 3. The reduction in
shear area is based on elastic plastic finite element analysis and
proof load testing of nuts, see Annex A. Although this effect is
not included in ASME B1.1 it may be considered for
2 Copyright © 2014 by ASME
 calculating minimum engagement length in tapped holes for
studs to be on the safe side.

Figure 4 - Nut geometry with effective thread engagement

Figure 2 Stud thread form with dimensions

Table 1 Stud stress areas and heavy hex shear areas (in2)
Nominal Stud tensile areas Nut thread
size, threads Stress Root Stress/ stripping areas
per inch and area area root Class 2A/2B
thread series As Ar As/Ar AN
½-13 UNC 0,142 0,126 1,13 0,362
5/8-11 UNC 0,226 0,202 1,12 0,586
¾-10 UNC 0,334 0,302 1,11 0,868
7/8–9 UNC 0,462 0,419 1,10 1,206
1-8UNC 0,606 0,551 1,10 1,599
1 1/8-8UN 0,790 0,728 1,09 2,057
1 ¼-8UN 1,000 0,929 1,08 2,538
Figure 3 Thread geometry and nut thread shear plane 1 3/8-8UN 1,234 1,155 1,07 3,108
1 ½-8UN 1,492 1,405 1,06 3,734
The thread engagement in a nut does not include all threads 1 5/8-8UN 1,775 1,680 1,06 4,417
due to the helix. The assumption that 0.80 of the thread pitch P
of one thread in the nut remains unloaded is applied, see Eq. (6) 1 ¾-8UN 2,082 1,979 1,05 5,156
and Figure 4. This assumption is applied by VDI 2230 Part 1 1 7/8-8UN 2,414 2,303 1,05 5,952
(2003). 2-8UN 2,771 2,652 1,04 6,807
Table 1 lists the stud root, Eq. (2), stud stress area, Eq. (3)
and the nut thread stripping (shear) area, Eq. (5). The nut thread 2 ¼-8UN 3,557 3,422 1,04 8,609
stripping area 2A/2B means stud with Class 2A fit and nut with 2 ½-8UN 4,442 4,291 1,04 10,71
Class 2B fit. 2 ¾-8UN 5,425 5,258 1,03 13,02
For nuts, tensile strength requirements are validated by
3-8UN 6,506 6,324 1,03 15,54
hardness requirements in ASTM specifications. The tensile
strength can be converted to Brinell hardness (HBW) values by 3 ¼-8UN 7,686 7,487 1,03 18,22
the following approximate formulas: 3 ½-8UN 8,963 8,748 1,02 21,20
3 ¾-8UN 10,34 10,11 1,02 24,38
𝜎𝑢 ≈ 3.45 ∙ 𝐻𝐵𝑊 for stresses in MPa (7)
4-8UN 11,81 11,57 1,02 27,80
𝜎𝑢 ≈ 0.50 ∙ 𝐻𝐵𝑊 for stresses in ksi (8)

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 Table 2 Mechanical properties stud. Table 4 shows nut to stud unit strength checks. Regarding
𝜎𝑦 , 𝜎𝑢 , Yield/ nut to stud strength relationships, the heavy hex nut pattern and
ASTM HBW, HBW, standard thread class do show the nut to be significantly
min min tensile
specification min max stronger than the stud for most common sizes with equal
ksi ksi ratio
Stud A193 B7M 80 100 0,80 200 235 hardness in stud and nut. From Table 4 it is seen that low
strength nut (7M) has lower limit load than the connected stud.
Nut A194 7M 60 80 0,75 159 235 This means that separate design checks have to be performed
Nut A194 7M* 75 94 0,80 2001 235 on nuts when low strength nuts are assembled on high strength
Stud A320 L43 105 125 0,84 2502 321 studs.
Nut A194 7 100 119 0,84 248 327
1 Table 3 Tension capacities of studs and nuts (limit loads)
Increased hardness to meet tensile requirements
2
Calculated minimum hardness from Eq. (8) Tension capacity, kips
Nominal Stud Nut
Yield strength of nuts can then be found by assuming the size TS,c TN,c
yield strength to tensile strength ratio. In this study, the yield to
B7M L43 7M 7M* 7
tensile ratio assumed for Grade 7 nuts is the same as for Grade
L7/L43 studs, i.e. 0.84. For 2HM/7M nuts the yield to tensile 1/2 10,1 13,2 12,5 15,7 20,9
ratio is assumed to 0.75, i.e. equal to yield to tensile ratio of 5/8 16,1 21,2 20,3 25,4 33,8
L7M studs. Table 2 lists the stud and nut mechanical properties 3/4 24,2 31,7 30,1 37,6 50,1
at ambient temperature where stud properties are from ASTM
A320 and nut properties are based on hardness requirements in 7/8 33,5 44,0 41,8 52,2 69,6
ASTM A194. It should be noted that the low strength studs of 1 44,1 57,8 55,4 69,2 92,3
Grade B7M has higher minimum hardness then the nuts of 1 1/8 58,2 76,4 71,2 89,1 119
Grade 7M and hence, significant lower material strength than
1 1/4 74,3 97,5 87,9 110 147
the Grade B7M stud.
1 3/8 92,4 121 108 135 179
Tension capacities and nut/stud capacity checks 1 1/2 112 148 129 162 216
In this study five materials are used in the calculations of 1 5/8 134 176 153 191 255
stud and nut limit loads:
1 3/4 158 208 179 223 298
1. Low strength studs represented by A193 Grade B7M 1 7/8 184 242 206 258 344
2. Low strength nuts represented by A194 Grade 2HM/7M 2 212 278 236 295 393
3. Modified low strength nuts represented by denoted Grade
2HM* which is a Grade 2HM nut with increased minimum 2 1/4 274 359 298 373 497
hardness equal to ASTM A193 Grade B7M, i.e. increased 2 1/2 343 451 371 464 618
from 159 HBW or 84 HRB to 200 HBW or 93 HRB 2 3/4 421 552 451 564 752
respectively
3 506 664 538 673 897
4. High strength studs represented by ASTM A320 Grade L43
5. High strength studs represented by ASTM A194 Grade 7 3 1/4 599 786 631 789 1052
3 1/2 700 919 734 918 1224
The tension capacities given in Table 3 are calculated by 3 3/4 809 1061 845 1056 1408
the following equations:
4 925 1214 963 1204 1605
1. Stud limit load, Eq. (1)
2. Nut limit load, Eq. (4) For ASTM A194 Grades 7M and 2HM nuts with ASTM
A320 Grade L43 studs, the nut yield capacity is lower than the
As present design practice is to check studs and not nut stud capacity. This means that the 2HM nut/L43 stud assembly
structural capacity. A simple design check of nut limit load vs. does not have the design capacity as the standard assumes, as
stud limit has been performed as follows: API 6A only requires checking of the stud and not the nut. For
example, design factor of 0.83 is applied for pressure testing in
𝑁𝑢𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑇 , API 6A, i.e. allowable stud stress is 83 % of stud design
= ≥ 1.00 (9) capacity or 83 % of stud yield strength. For a 2 1/4" stud/nut
𝑆𝑡𝑢𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑇 ,
connection with Grade 2HM nut and Grade L43 stud, the nut is
If the check in Eq. (9) is less than 1.00, then the limit load of utilized to 100 % of nut yield strength, hence not fulfilling the
the nut is less than the stud, hence, the nut is weaker than the API 6A design requirements.

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 Returning to the discussion of fundamentals in thread is the weak link, it seems from this study that studs should be
connection design, for overloading the stud shall fail before the equipped with heavy hex nuts with a grade and minimum
nut, i.e. the stud shall be the weak link in the stud/nut assembly. hardness similar to that of the studs.
For heavy hex ASTM A194 nuts, the proof load capacity of the
nuts shall be a minimum 1.4 times the minimum ultimate It should further be noted that API 6A allows for the Grade
tensile capacity of the high strength stud and a minimum 1.5 2H nuts to high strength studs. Minimum hardness of Grade
times the minimum ultimate tensile capacity of the low strength L43 studs are 250 HBW, see Table 2, while the minimum
stud, respectively, see ASTM A320. These requirements imply hardness of Grade 2H to 1 ½ in including is 248. Over 1 ½ in
that the strongest nut in a stud/nut assembly will always the minimum hardness is 212 HBW. It should be noted that
physically break before the weakest nut fails by stripping. unless supplementary requirements are invoked to ASTM
A194, proof load testing of nuts is not performed for a proof
Table 4 Unity capacity check of nut and stud combinations loads in excess of 160 kips (705 kN). This means that 2H nuts
Nominal Unity check - Nut capacity/stud capacity with sizes over 1 1/8” are not proof load tested.
size 7M/B7M 7M*/B7M 7M/L43 7/L43
Preload loss due to stud loaded beyond its initial preload
1/2 1,25 1,56 0,95 1,58 level has been calculated by 2D axisymmetric elastic-plastic
5/8 1,26 1,57 0,96 1,60 finite element analysis with modeling of stud and nut threads,
3/4 1,25 1,56 0,95 1,58 see Annex A. The preload was applied as a given displacement.
Stud/nut assemblies preloaded to 67 % of stud yield capacity
7/8 1,25 1,56 0,95 1,58
start to lose significant preload when loaded in excess of 75%
1 1,26 1,57 0,96 1,60 of the stud yield capacity. Note that the clamp length to bolt
1 1/8 1,22 1,53 0,93 1,55 diameter ratio is low in the analysis. The loss of preload
1 1/4 1,18 1,48 0,90 1,50 increases with increased load level in excess of preload and is
significantly higher for Grade 2HM/7M nuts with Grade L43
1 3/8 1,17 1,46 0,89 1,48 studs than for Grade 7 nuts with Grade L43 studs. Note that
1 1/2 1,15 1,44 0,88 1,46 API Spec 6A allowable stress is 83% of yield strength for
1 5/8 1,14 1,42 0,87 1,45 pressure testing, hence, loss of preload is expected after
pressure testing. For API 16A which allows 90 % of yield
1 3/4 1,13 1,41 0,86 1,43 strength for pressure testing, the loss of preload can be high
1 7/8 1,12 1,40 0,85 1,42 after pressure testing.
2 1,11 1,39 0,85 1,41
END USER FASTENER EXPERIENCE
2 1/4 1,09 1,36 0,83 1,38
The market of fasteners has been schedule and price driven
2 1/2 1,08 1,35 0,82 1,37 last decades. Dealers/traders have entered the market and
2 3/4 1,07 1,34 0,82 1,36 quality in combination with traceability to the production
3 1,06 1,33 0,81 1,35 process steps has not been the main focus. This in combination
with increasing supply of fasteners from new markets in recent
3 1/4 1,05 1,32 0,80 1,34 years, a growing number of quality concerns has been
3 1/2 1,05 1,31 0,80 1,33 experienced. For subsea installations this has caused costly
3 3/4 1,04 1,31 0,80 1,33 failures and is also a structural safety concern. The gap between
design and quality requirements between fasteners and forgings
4 1,04 1,30 0,79 1,32
in combination with testing/service failures is the background
for Statoil’s fasteners requirements given in TR3101. The
Based on the checks in Table 4 it seems unlikely that 7M purpose of the second part of this paper is to compare quality
nuts with 159 HBW have sufficient strength to meet the proof requirements for pressure containing forgings and pressure
load test. With the same minimum hardness in the nut as in the containing (closure bolting). Examples of failures are also
stud (e.g. 7M* nuts and B7M studs), it seems more likely that given.
the proof load requirements will be met. The proof load testing The major failure mechanism experienced during the last
requirements given in A194 depend only on nut grade and not decades of subsea fasteners is so-called hydrogen induced
on stud grade. This means that if low strength nuts like Grade stress cracking (HISC) or hydrogen embrittlement (HE)
2HM are applied to high strength studs like Grade L43, the primarily resulting from the hydrogen charging conditions of
applied proof load are far too small. In order to avoid nut thread the cathodic protection (CP) system, Rørvik et al (2014). The
stripping proof loads of nuts should be based on the stud grade, main bulk of fasteners used subsea are of low alloyed steel
e.g. Grade 2HM nuts applied to Grade L43 studs should be (LAS) grade type (e.g. ASTM A320 Grade L7, L7M, L43 bolts
proof loaded as Grade 7 nuts. This issue is not addressed in API with ASTM A194 Grade 7M, 7 nuts) which rely on electrical
6A nor in ASTM Specifications. In order to ensure that the stud continuity to the cathodic protection system to avoid sea water

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 corrosion, but may be prone to HISC/HE if the fastener
hardness and strength level exceed the specified and established
limits.
In Figure 5 below shows an example of one failed
pressure/temperature transmitter flange with broken socket
screws caused by HISC. The screws are broken in the threads
and in the head-to-shank transition. Another HISC failure
experienced some years ago involved a single, but highly
critical 2.5”wellhead connector bolt on a North Sea subsea
installation. Only the bolt head had been directly exposed to CP
hydrogen charging, but failure occurred nonetheless at the head
to shank transition and showed a classical example of hydrogen
diffusion towards a stress concentrated area, see Figure 6. Both
examples showed hardness in excess of 350 HV10 or 35 HRC
which have been used to reduce the risk for HISC of low alloy
steels exposed to CP. For more details, see Rørvik et.al. (2014).
pressure containing forgings. Examples of fastener failures are
also given.
Statoil established TR3101in 2009 to improve fastener
quality due to increasing number of fastener failures in
operation, during assembly and during pressure testing.
TR3101 applies to critical fasteners and gives requirements for
material selection, manufacturing, quality control and
qualification of assemblers and assembly procedures of bolted
connections.
Material selection
Table 5 lists typical product ASTM standards for low alloy
steels (LAS) and precipitation hardened (PH) CRA’s for marine
atmosphere and subsea applications given in TR3101. Table 6
gives maximum and minimum hardness for LAS. Material
property requirements for LAS are to ensure ductile failures are
as follows:

1. the actual yield strength ≤ 950 MPa;

2. the actual yield to ultimate tensile strength ≤ 0.90;
3. the elongation in the tension test is ≥ 16 % using 4D
specimens and ≥ 14 % using 5D specimens;
4. the Charpy V-notch impact energy is minimum 41 J
(average) and 34 J (single) at minimum design
temperature.

Table 5 Typical subsea bolting materials and grades

Material Stud/headed fastener Heavy hex nut
A320 Gr L7/L431 A194 Gr 7
LAS
Figure 5 Failed transmitter socket screws. A320 Gr L7M A194 Gr 7M2
A453 Gr 660 Class D A453 Gr 660 Class D
PH CRA
If higher strength materials are needed from design, either A1014 Gr API 6A7183 F467 Gr API 6A7183
cold formed or precipitation hardened CRA’s are usually 1
L43 is used for bolts larger than 2 ½”
2
selected (e.g. ASTM A453 Grade 660 Class D, Alloy 718, The hardness shall not be less than 200 HBW or 93 HRB
3
Material to comply with API 6A718.
Alloy 725), but these may also be susceptible to HISC/HE
depending on strength level and manufacturing practice.
Table 6 Minimum and maximum hardness for LAS
Bolt Gr Nut Gr Hardness, min Hardness, max
L7/L431 7 248 HB/24 HRC 321 HB/35 HRC
L7M 7M 200 HB/93 HRB 235 HB/99 HRB
1
Minimum hardness is given for L7/L43 bolts which are not given in A320.

Figure 6 HISC failure of 2 ½” wellhead connector bolt
MATERIAL AND QUALITY RQUIREMENTS
General
The second part of this paper will give addition
requirements to standard ASMT fasteners which should be
considered to obtain the same quality of critical fasteners as for
Quality control
When using API Spec 6A in combination with ASTM
product specifications, it is important to be aware of some of
the limitations in these specifications with respect to quality
control. Table 7 summarize some of the gaps between common
design and quality requirements which will have been used for
pressure containing forged components (API 17D/PSL 3 API
6A) and critical quality fasteners when using ASTM
specifications with standard requirements.
Allowable bolting stresses in API 6A/17D is 50 % of yield
strength for design pressure compared to 55 % of yield strength
for forgings. For comparison, the allowable stress for process
piping B31.3 is the typically the lower of 20 % of tensile
strength and 25 % of yield strength. Allowable bolt stresses in

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 ASME Div.3 is 0.56% of yield strength (yield strength/1.8) or
67 % of yield strength (yield/1.5) for reduced shank stud. This
may explain that additional requirement should be given for
ASTM fasteners for subsea applications where also
consequences of failure (pollution, economic and political) are
higher than for land based process piping systems. Further, it
should be noted that API 6A allows use of threaded bolts down
to -29° C (-50°F) without requiring Charpy testing, while
Charpy impact testing is required for all pressure containing
forgings.
Figure 7 shows an example of studs and nuts failure where
fasteners for “testing only” were used. The electrolytic zinc
coated stud and nut failure after a pressure test in the preloaded
condition. Examination showed non-conformance on strength,
ductility, elongation, hardness and chemical composition.
Hydrogen embrittlement was considered as a significant factor
causing failure. Experience has shown that spending additional
cents on fasteners can save millions of dollars in service and
improve safety significant.
Figure 7 Failure of M42 Grade 12.9 during pressure test
Manufacture process steps
Fasteners have to be manufactured as other high quality
components like pressure containing forgings. Historically
fasteners for subsea production systems have been delivered to
manufactures quality standard in accordance with API Spec
6A/17D which refers to standard ASTM quality requirements
without any quality requirements.
The quality control in the manufacturing process is
important to obtain quality fasteners. Only for illustration and
compare with manufacture of pressure containing forgings, a
typical fastener manufacture process sequence is shown below.
1. Receipt control of hot rolled or hot forged bar
2. Saw bar into blanks
3. Ultrasonic testing of blanks or bolting blanks after any hot
heading and heat treatment
4. Fastener manufacturing
a. Studs
i. Cut/roll threads of blanks
b. Nuts
i. Hot forge blanks – heat treat – cut/tap threads
ii. Machine from blanks – cut/tap threads
c. Headed fasteners (bolts and cap screws)
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i. Hot forge heads – heat treat – cut/roll threads
ii. Machine from blank – cut/roll threads
5. Mechanical test (tensile, impact, proof load, wedge load)
6. Microstructure - macro etch
7. Decarburization test
8. Dimensional and thread fit control
9. Magnetic particle testing
10. Hardness test
11. Marking
12. Visual inspection
13. PMI
14. Coating (with post-baking)
15. Final inspection
Chemical composition, melting practice, casting practice,
hot working practice and heat treatment form the basic
properties of the starting bar.
The production of each type of fasteners is performed in
accordance with an applicable qualified manufacture process
plan (MPP). The MPP is a document that specifies all steps of
the manufacture process (route) including relevant work
procedures and all nominated approved subcontractors.
An inspection and test plan (ITP) sometimes called control
plan is also established for each type of fastener and
manufacturing route. The ITP is a single document which
addresses all factors which influence quality of the production.
It gives all manufacturing steps from control of received
material to shipment of finished products, including all
inspection and checkpoints, acceptance criteria and reference to
procedures.
Representative mechanical testing
During make-up by torque, the primary loads on fasteners
are torque and tension. During operation, the primary load on
fastener is tension (longitudinal). The fastener testing
specification ASTM A370 specifies longitudinal testing only.
Experience has shown that longitudinal testing provides
assurance of the required properties for fasteners.
Mechanical properties from starting bars can be applied to
the final stud in cases where no heat treatment and no down
machined diameters have been performed for LAS. For heat-
treated bars/blanks and down machined diameters, new
representative mechanical testing has to be performed. Tensile
testing and impact testing are typically performed at ½ radius
from outer surface. Headed fasteners and nuts may be
machined from blanks. Diameter limitations given in A320, e.g.
2 ½ in (65 mm) applies to the blank/bar diameter and not the
shank diameter. This means that headed fastener and nuts
greater than 1 3/8” should not be machined from bars in order
maintain hardenability.
Headed fasteners are wedge tensile tested in addition to
tension and impact testing of the shank to demonstrate ductility
and structural integrity of the junction of head and shank, see
Figure 8. In a full size wedge tensile test, a hardened steel
wedge of a specified angle is placed under the fastener head as
the fastener is tested in full size. This puts a bending load on the
7 Copyright © 2014 by ASME
 head. To pass the test, the fastener must break in the threaded
portion, not fail at the head. Full size fastener wedge tensile
testing is required for ASTM A193, A320, and A1014 headed
fasteners; however, no full size testing is required for A453 and
A540 fasteners. It should further be noted that ASTM do not
require full size testing for headed fasteners over 1 5/8 in for
any material.
may be performed in the shank/head transition where it will be
transverse to grain flow.
Quality requirements
This section identifies some quality gaps between PSL 3
API 6A pressure containing forgings and standard closure
bolting in API 6A. This forms also the background for some of
the additional requirements given in TR3101 which are given to
close these gaps in order to obtain equivalent quality. API has
recently released Spec 20E for LAS and API 6A, 16A and 17D
is in the process of adding API Spec 20E to the product
specification.

Table 7 Quality requirements not given by API 6A

Requirement Standard
Requirement
Nut selection to studs, i.e. minimum hardness
No
and size
Inspection and test plan and manufacturing
No
process flow map including use of sub suppliers
PMI of finished product No
UNR thread profile No
Figure 8 Wedge tensile testing of full size headed fasteners Lot traceability1 Not for nuts
Decarburization of threads Some
For large size headed fastener, the locations of tensile test Oversize tapping of nuts/undersize stud threads Silent
specimen are shown in Figure 9. Proof load testing of nuts in excess of 705 kN No
Proof load test for CRA nuts all sizes No
Wedge load testing large2 LAS headed fasteners No
Wedge load testing for CRA headed fasteners No
Hardness testing of individual fastener No3
Bar marking No4
Non-destructive testing No
Visual inspection No
Dimensional and thread fit No
ISO 10474 Type 3.1 material certificate No
Marking for lot traceability No
1
Lot traceability (cast and heat treatment/size) per ASTM A962
2
Large means 1 5/8 in diameter and larger
3
Figure 9 Location of tension test specimen, ASTM A370 Standard for L7M and 7M fasteners for H2S service
4
A540 includes bar marking requirements
Fasteners are normally manufactured from bar. Because of
how a bar is produced, it has highly longitudinal characteristics. ASTM A962 with product specifications does not give any
This can be readily observed by a cross-sectional macro-etch requirements to select nuts to match bolt strength to avoid nut
where longitudinal grain flow is very apparent. This thread stripping. Heavy hex nuts with equivalent
longitudinal structure does affect mechanical test results, hardness/strength as the stud should be applied. In addition, the
impact properties in particular. A traverse impact test for a bar nut proof loading should not be independent of the stud grade,
will almost always exhibit significantly lower results than a i.e. it should be related to the stud grade. Note that API 6A
longitudinal impact test. This is due to the test specimen allows use of low strength nuts like 2HM in combination with
crossing the longitudinal grain flow. Indeed, in non-fastener high strength studs like L7 and 660 which introduce a risk for
testing specifications where traverse impact strength is of nut thread stripping and overloading of nuts, as studs are
importance, lower impact requirements are stated for transverse assumed to governing bolting design in API 6A.
impacts. Since there has been so little traverse testing of All mechanical testing and final inspection of fasteners are
fasteners, it would be difficult to establish traverse result performed by an ISO/IEC 17025 certified test laboratory or an
requirements. For large headed critical fasteners impact testing acceptable equivalent.

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 The phosphorus and sulfur content of carbon and low alloy sizes LAS nuts. Cross sectional hardness testing per Annex A3
steel are limited to 0.025 % mass fraction to ensure clean and of ASTM A370 may be performed for large size nuts.
tough material.
All fasteners shall at all-time be traceable back to the origin
of the material. Bar marking requirements are introduced to
ensure traceability in the manufacturing process.
Fasteners are traceable to a specific heat and heat-treat lot.
A194 does not require control of nuts by heat number. In order
to obtain traceability Supplementary Requirement (SR) S5 in
A194 has to be invoked.
Bulk fasteners are often heat treated/quenched in piles
without free circulation of air and fluids around the fasteners.
This gives variable effects of the heat treatment (heating and
quenching), hence variable mechanical properties. During heat
treatment, it is ensured that all items in the furnace load are
spaced to ensure sufficient space to ensure free circulation
around each item during heating and quenching shown by
Figure 10 Example of decarburization of nut threads
furnace/quench load diagrams. Guidance on heat treatment can
be found in API RP 6HT.
The single most important mechanical property of nuts is
Unified inch screw (UN) threads as specified by ASTM proof load. The proof load is the axially applied load through a
A962 allows for flat sharp thread roots. UNR thread profile mating hardened mandrel, see Figure 12, which the nut must
with rounded roots is used instead for external threads to reduce
support without evidence of thread stripping and rupturing of
the risk for cracking in thread roots during heat treatment,
the nut wall. Additionally, after the proof load has been applied
improve NDT flaw detectability and improve fatigue
and the load released, the nut must be freely removable from
performance. It should be noted that industry practice is to
the mandrel. Nut proof load testing in A194 should be related to
manufacture with radiused roots whether UNR is specified or the selected stud to avoid nut failure. This means that Grade
not for small sizes, e.g. less than 1“ nominal size. Threading of
2HM/7M nuts should be tested to Grade 7 proof loads when
fasteners in precipitation hardening stainless steel or nickel
applied to Grade L7/L43 studs.
alloys are performed by rolling or machining after heat
treatment to reduce thread root hardness.
Oversize tapping of nut threads is sometimes used to
ensure thread fit for coated studs/headed fasteners (external
threads). Oversizing of nut threads or under sizing of stud or
bolt threads is prohibited as this will reduce the structural
strength.
The presence of decarburization of LAS starting material
(bars) and finished fasteners i.e. a soft surface layer due to
carbon loss during heat treatment (Figure 10), will impair the
bolt/nut strength, hence no evidence of decarburization is
allowed. Regarding fasteners machined from a bar with a
starting diameter greater than the nominal diameter of the
finished stud, A962-13a paragraph 8.6 would require testing of
the finished stud, however, the wording could be clarified.
Figure 11 Proof load testing of nuts
Nut strength cannot normally be determined by tensile
specimens, hence, proof load testing are introduced as a
CRA nuts covered by the common requirements in A962
strength control of nuts, see Figure 11. However, A194 does not
and product requirements A194 are not proof load tested
require proof load testing to be performed for a proof load in
without any additional requirements, e.g. A453 and A1014. Nut
excess of 705 kN (160 000 lbs), i.e. sizes greater than 1 ¼” for
proof load should be 20-30 % greater than the specified
heavy hex Grade 7 nuts. This limit is introduced by ASTM due
minimum tensile strength of the bolt for CRAs.
to the testing capacity limitations of common tensile testing
Companies performing visual inspection and NDT
machines. The background for not performing proof load tests
activities should have a quality system as given in ISO/IEC
of larger size nuts from Grade 2H and 2HM is unclear from a
17020 or an acceptable equivalent. Personnel performing visual
strength point of view due to the limited hardenability of the
inspection or non-destructive testing should be certified for the
1045 steel used to manufacture these grades. Supplementary
test method in accordance with ISO 9712 or equivalent. All
Requirement (SR) S4 is invoked to ensure strength of large
NDT should be based on written procedures by personnel

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 holding Level 3, while personnel performing NDT should hold
Level 2.
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is not specified by ASTM
without giving supplementary requirements. Each part is
visually examined per ASTM F788 for bolting and ASTM F812
for nuts. Surface NDT (magnetic particle/liquid penetrant) is
performed of minimum 5 % to 100 % of the lot in accordance
to SR S55/S56 of ASTM A962. Quality fasteners are ordered in
small batches; hence, the cost increase for the surface NDT
extent from 5 % to 100 % is marginal. Ultrasonic testing may
be performed for bolting with major cross section greater than
2” (50 mm) prior to threading in accordance with SR S62 in
ASTM A962.
Figure 12 shows a 2H nut which failed under assembling
due to initial crack in nut.
Figure 12 Nut (2” 2H) failure under assembly by torque
For steel fasteners there is a close correlation between the
hardness and tensile strength. Hardness is quick, easy and
nondestructive. A hardness range is specified for each fastener
grade. The minimum corresponds to the specified minimum
tensile strength. The maximum represents a level of hardness
beyond which the fastener might fail due to HE and HISC.
Table 6 gives minimum and maximum hardness applied for
LAS fasteners. Hardness test is performed on each finished
fastener by indentation method to confirm specified hardness
values. This is similar requirement as applied to fasteners used
with insulated flanges in H2S service, e.g. A320 Grade L7M
bolting and ASTM A194 Grade 7M nuts. As the batch sizes are
small, the use of electromagnetic testing for hardness is small;
hence, indentation hardness testing is applied.
Snap gage Plug gage and ring gage
Figure 13 Thread fit gages
Dimensional and thread fit inspection for ASTM fasteners
have to be specified by the purchaser. Thread fit is performed
on all parts. Thread fit is checked by GO or NO GO functional
gages like thread plugs, thread ring or snap gage, see Figure 13.
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Sample size for dimensions may be in accordance with
Category 3 of ASME B18.18.
Thin coatings like electrolytic zinc, phosphates or heat
cured fluor-polymer (PTFE) may be used for intermediate
protection. Baking of electrolytic zinc plated carbon and low
alloy steel fasteners with an actual tensile strength greater than
1000 MPa or hardness greater than 32 HRC shall be performed
in accordance with ISO 9588 to class ER-9.
The test report or material certificate is validated by the
manufacturer’s authorized inspection representative,
independent of the manufacturing department. All fasteners are
delivered with material certificates in accordance with EN
10204 Type 3.1 or ISO 10474 Type 3.1. The starting bar
material certificate is attached to the fasteners manufacturer’s
certificate.
In addition to marking of grade and manufacturer, each
individual fastener M12 (1/2 in) and greater in nominal
diameter are hard marked with a traceability code that provides
full traceability to the lot. The traceability code shall be
reported on the certification; see SR S66 per ASTM A962. The
marking are visible after installation.
All finished fasteners are positively verified by positive
material identification testing (PMI) to avoid discrepancies to
applicable materials specifications and/or any mix-up with
other material grades. All alloy steel and nickel base alloy are
also checked by the manufacturer at reception of the material.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Based on the calculations and evaluations performed in this
study the following is recommended to ensure that the ASTM
A194 heavy hex nuts meet the design requirements and avoid
nut thread stripping:
a) Low strength nuts like Grade 2HM or Grade 7M heavy hex
nuts should not be used in combination with high strength
studs like ASTMA A320 L7/L43.
b) Studs should be equipped with heavy hex nuts with a grade
and minimum hardness of steel similar to that of the studs.
c) Proof loads of nuts should be based on the stud grade
where the nut is applied. E.g. all nuts applied to A320 L43
studs should be proof loaded as ASTM A194 Grade 7 nuts.
d) Low strength heavy hex nuts like Grades 2HM and 7M
should have the same minimum hardness as the low
strength studs like ASTM A193 Grade B7M and ASTM
A320 Grade L7M. This means that the minimum hardness
of the matching nuts shall be increased from 159 HBW or
84 HRB to 200 HBW or 93 HRB for low strength nuts.
Use of low strength nuts on high strength studs increases
loss of preload compared to use of equal strength nuts and
studs, especially where the allowable stress for pressure testing
is 90 % of yield strength (API 16A/17G) compared to 83% of
yield strength in API 6A.
Gaps in quality assurance/control requirements between
standard ASTM quality requirements and PSL 3 API 6A/17D
pressure containing forgings are identified. These gaps should
be closed in design codes or purchaser specification in order to
10 Copyright © 2014 by ASME
 ensure consistent structural safety between critical forgings and
critical fasteners.
Further tests and finite element analysis may be considered
to improve the accuracy of the proposed model.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author acknowledges the assistance by Mr. Anthony
Muff and Mr. Lester Burgess for reviewing the manuscript and
providing valuable suggestions.
REFERENCES
1. API Spec 6A, Specification for wellhead and Christmas
tree equipment, 20th edition, 2010, (Modified ISO
10423:2009).
2. API Std 6A718, Nickel Base Alloy 718 (UNS N07718) for
Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Equipment, Second
Edition, 2009, Includes Errata (2010).
3. API RP 6HT, Heat Treatment and Testing of Carbon and
Low Alloy Steel Large Cross Section and Critical Section
Components, 2nd Edition, 2013.
4. API Spec 16A, Specification for drill though equipment,
3rd edition, 2004.
5. API Spec 16C, Choke and kill system, 1st edition, 1993.
6. API Spec 17D, Design and operation of subsea production
systems—Subsea wellhead and tree equipment, 2nd
edition, May 2011, (Identical to ISO 13628-4:2011).
7. API RP 17G, Recommended Practice for Completion /
Workover Risers, Second Edition, 2nd edition, 2006,
(Identical to ISO 13628-7:2005).
8. API Spec 20E, Alloy and Carbon Steel Bolting for Use in
the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries, 1st edition,
August 2012.
9. ASME B1.1, Unified Inch Screw Threads (UN and UNR
Thread Form), 2003.
10. ASME/ANSI B18.2.2, Square and Hex Nuts (inch series),
1987, Reaffirmed 1999.
11. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII
Division 2, Alternative Rules, 2013.
12. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII
Division 3, Alternative Rules for Construction of High-
Pressure vessels, 2013.
13. ASME B31.3, Process piping, 2012.
14. ASME B18.18, Quality Assurance for Fasteners, 2011.
15. ASTM A962, Common requirements for bolting intended
for use at any temperature from cryogenic to the creep
range, 2013b.
16. ASTM A194, Carbon and alloy steel nuts for bolts for high
pressure and high-temperature service, 2013.
17. ASTM A320, Alloy steel bolting materials for low-
temperature service, 2011a.
18. ASTM A370, Mechanical testing of steel products, 2012a.
19. ASTM A453, High-temperature bolting materials with
expansion coefficients comparable to austenitic stainless
steels, 2012.
20. ASTM A540, Alloy-steel bolting materials for special
applications, 2011.
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21. ASTM A1014, Precipitation-hardening bolting material
(UNS N07718) for high temperature service, 2010.
22. ASTM F788, Specification for Surface Discontinuities of
Bolts, Screws, and Studs, Inch and Metric Series, 2013.
23. ASTM F812, Standard Specification for Surface
Discontinuities of Nuts, Inch and Metric Series, 2012.
24. Blake, A., What Every Engineer Should Know about
Threaded Fasteners: Materials and Design, Marcel Decker,
1986.
25. Bickford, J.H., An Introduction to the Design and Behavior
of Bolted Joints, Marcel Decker, 1990.
26. DAMT/FEA/1694 Rev.F, Limit Load and Proof tests for
1.250-8UN and 2.250-8UN nut/stud assemblies, 20th
September 2010.
27. ISO 17020, Conformity assessment – General criteria for
the operation of various types of bodies performing
inspection, 2012.
28. ISO 17025, General requirements for the competence of
testing and calibration laboratories, 2005.
29. Kirkemo, F., Stud and nut structural tension capacity
matching, WRC Bulletin 542, The Welding Research
Council, New York, 2012.
30. Rørvik, G., Haaland, B.Ø., and Kirkemo, F., Fasteners in
subsea application – end user experiences and
requirements, OMAE2014-24520.
31. TR3101 - Fasteners, Statoil Technical Requirements,
Version 3, 2012.
32. VDI 2230 Part 1, Systematic calculation of high-duty
bolted joints. Joints with one cylindrical bolt, 2003.
ANNEX A
NUT TENSION CAPACITY
INTRODUCTION
Validation of nut tension structural capacity has been
performed by FEA and testing. This Annex gives a brief
overview of the FEA and results performed to validate the nut
tension capacity Eq. (4). This Eq. has also been validated with
ultimate load tests to failure of nuts in this Annex.
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
DAMT Limited (2010) performed a detailed elastic-plastic
finite element analysis (FEA) of 1 ¼”-8UN and 2 ¼”-8UN
stud/nut connections with the Abaqus program (version 6.7-4
courtesy Simulia (UK) Limited). The FEA of the two nut and
stud assemblies was carried out in order to obtain (a) the limit
load of the assembly and (b) the ultimate (failure) load of the
assembly.
Figure A.1 shows the FEA model of the 2 ¼” stud/nut
comprising the threaded stud, the mating nut and the backing
plate. Similar model was used for the 1 ¼” model. The real
three-dimensional geometry of the assembly was approximated
so that a 2D axi symmetric study could be undertaken. The
main area of approximation was the modeling of the screw
11 Copyright © 2014 by ASME
 threads as a series of separate concentric grooves instead of one
helical groove. This approximation is commonplace in such
studies and should not significantly affect the results predicted.
All threads were modeled at minimum, metal condition
(namely smallest stud and largest nut). The hexagonal nut was
modeled as a plain cylinder with a diameter equal to the across-
flats dimension of the nut. The models included threads with
full-nut-length engagement (no shortfall) with contact (and zero
friction) defined between all mating contact faces. The models
included 9 active threads in the 1 ¼" model and 15 active
threads in the 2 ¼" model.
The mesh consisted of order 85,000 4-noded quadrilateral
elements (fully integrated “CAX4”) and all component parts
were meshed separately and made to interact using the method
of frictionless node-to-surface finite-sliding contact. The effects Figure A.2 Stress strain curves
of non-linear geometry were also added making the contact and
sliding method the most rigorous available in Abaqus. Table A.1 – Stud-nut FEA results
A rigid element was applied to the left hand end of the stud Size Stud yield Nut yield strength, ksi
in order to facilitate loading by movement of the master node. strength, ksi 50 60 80 105
The control node associated with the rigid backing plate was
constrained in the axial direction (as illustrated in Figure A.1 by 1 1/4 105 Nut Nut Stud Stud
the hatching on the left hand face of the backing plate). 1 1/4 80 Nut Stud Stud Stud
2 1/4 105 Nut Nut Nut Stud
2 1/4 80 Nut Nut Stud Stud
Nut: Nut thread stripping FEA
Stud: Stud tension failure FEA

Figure A.1 Axisymmetric FEA model of 2 ¼” stud/nut

The material properties given in Table 2 were used in the

analysis. The stress-strain relationship was derived from the
ASME VIII Div. 2 true stress-true strain curves using the
Young’s Modulus, the yield strength and the ultimate tensile
strength as input values. All material models marked “Y” were
clipped at the yield strength and all those marked “U” were
clipped at the ultimate tensile strength. The stress-strain curves
are illustrated in Figure A.2.
The material combinations analyzed for stud and nuts are
shown in Table A.1. The materials strength values are
representative for high and low strength studs with equal or
reduced strength in nuts compared to the stud strength. The
trend in Table A.1 compares well with the hand calculations in
Tables 3 and 4.
Figure A.3 Limit load analysis of 2 ¼” stud (105 ksi)/nut
(80ksi)
Figure A.3 shows load-displacement curve (1:1 scale)
where ultimate load is indicated and deformed shape at failure
is shown. Note the bell mouthing (radial thread deformation)
and that all threads in the nut carry loads and yield (shear
failure) at ultimate loads.
The FEA results and hand calculations also show good
agreement for 1 ¼ " and 2 1/4 " stud/heavy hex nuts, see Table
A.2, Table A.3 and Table A.4. Hand calculations are based on
Eq. (4) for nuts and Eq. (1) for studs with root and stress area
from Eq. (2) and (3), respectively.

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 Table A.2 – 1 ¼” Limit load analysis Table A.5 Comparisons of tests and calculated failure loads
Grade Size Proof load HBW HBW Actual Calculated Actual/calculated
requirement reqirements actual failure failure load failure load ratio
(kips) load (kips)
(kips)
2HM 2 1/4 534 159-235 162 524 403 1,30
2HM 2 1/4 534 159-235 222 489 552 0,89
7M 1 1/2 224 159-235 229 248 247 1,01
2HM 1 1/2 224 159-235 207 238 223 1,07
2HM 1 3/8 185 159-235 192 203 172 1,18
2HM 1 3/8 185 159-235 197 193 177 1,09
7M 1 3/8 185 159-235 217 202 195 1,04
2HM 1 1/4 150 159-235 190 182 139 1,31
2HM 1 1/4 150 159-235 228 174 167 1,04
7M 1 1/4 150 159-235 205 183 150 1,22
7M 1 1/4 150 159-235 200 165 147 1,12
7 2 1/2 770 248-327 262 741 810 0,92
Table A.3 – 2 ¼” Limit load calculations 7 2 1/2 770 248-328 262 718 810 0,89
Mean 1,08
St.dev. 0,14

Table A.4 – Ultimate load calculations

NUT TESTING
Table A.5 summaries some nut proof tests which have been
performed to failure or when failure occurred before the proof
load was reached. It is observed that nuts with acceptable
hardness failed to meet the proof load test. This indicates that
the minimum hardness at the thread was to low and that there
are some uncertainty introduced when performing hardness at
outer surface to be representative for the nut threads.
Furthermore, test failure loads compared reasonable well with
calculations using tensile strength based on hardness as basis
for the calculations. It is expected that the mean value will be
closer to 1.00 if flow strength, i.e. average of the yield strength
and the tensile strength, has been used.

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