Establishing

ASME B16.5 blind flanges pressure ratings for

The following calculations and discussion is based around determining minimum allowable thickness of
blind to evaluate for fitness for service if corroded or machined locally or globally. The discussion is
based around standard ASME B16.5 blind flanges.

ASME B16.5 blind flanges are manufactured as standard blinds. The standard only provides maximum
pressure rating at different temperatures for the given thickness in new condition only; however the
standard does not have any detailed calculations which provides a detailed technical basis of how the
flanges thickness/rating are established while on the other side pressure vessel design codes such as
ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 have detailed analysis and design approach, covered in UG-34 and Appendix 2.
ASME B16.5 has been used in the industry for decades and owning to its historic successful use in
process industry, the standard flanges has been accepted/incorporated in pressure equipment codes as
per its pressure/temperature rating as stated in ASME B16.5.

For corroded or machined blind flanges with loss of thickness which needed to be evaluated for fitness
for service, it becomes important to re-establish/rerate the flanges typically using either an analytical
approach as given in pressure vessel codes for flanges or doing a more detailed analysis as per FEA. It is
also to be noted that if ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 Appendix 2/UG-34 rules are applied to ASME B16.5 blind
flanges even in new condition, in most cases it will fail to comply with the criteria which means
compared to the original basis of ASME B16.5 the ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 Appendix 2/UG-34 is more
conservative, however as stated above historic successful experience with these standards blinds
justifies as not to apply the detailed analysis as per ASME SEC VIII DIV 1. Similarly for corroded/machined
condition the blind flanges can be re-rated based on the original/new condition rating where the rules of
ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 can be applied partially to derive a simple relationship between change in thickness
to change in pressure rating . A simple analytical approach for re-rating of blind flanges has been
developed below:

For discussion as an example the following blind flange has been checked.

Blind Flange Data

Standard = ASME B16.5, Size = 24”, Rating = 300lb, Material = SA-105, Bolts size = 1 ½”, Bolt
material = SA-193 B7, Gasket = Spiral Wound as per ASME B16.20, Design Pressure = 3.56 MPa,
Design Temperature = 300 Degree C.

ASME B16.5 rating at design temperature = 3.98 MPa

Uncorroded wall thickness in new condition = 68.3 mm, Wall loss locally = 2 mm max

Corrosion (wall
loss) or machined
to remove

damage surface
underneath the
Gasket nuts

1

Assessment basis and procedure

The assessment is required for two conditions

a) For operating condition bolting and pressure load

b) For gasket seating condition bolting load

Using ASME B16.5 rating as a basis it can easily be concluded that the ratio of the maximum pressure
rating as per ASME B16.5 versus actual design pressure will roughly indicate any excess wall thickness in
the blind flange that either can be machined or used as a corrosion allowance. It is also to be noted that
as per ASME B16.5 Appendix A, the blind flanges can be re-rating to a pressure greater than tabulated in
ASME B16.5 tables using material specific min yield/tensile strength values at design temperature as
tabulated in ASME SEC II D. There is also a ceiling pressure limited in ASME B16.5 to limit deflection.

For the example blind flange we have:

ASME B16.5 rating at design temperature = 3.98 MPa

ASME B16.5 rating using Appendix A – A-2.1 = 4.09 MPa

Ceiling pressure for given rating and design temperature = 4.494 MPa

The higher value of 4.09 MPa instead of 3.98 MPa can be used as a reference for new condition rating.

a) For operating condition bolt and pressure loads

To establish roughly how much thickness is available, a relationship between the pressure and
thickness will need to be established. The following general equation limiting primary bending
stresses in the bolted flat plate is used.

---------- 1

Where C, S, E hG, d are all constant for a given blind flange. “W” operating bolt load is typically
calculated as

------------ 2

Rearranging to take pressure “P” as a common term we get

W = P(0.785G2 + 2b x 3.14Gm) -------------------------- 3

Comparing new to corroded blind flange the term in the braces in equation-3 is constant and
lets call it “A” and putting it in equation-1 we get.

t = d (CP/SE + 1.9 P A/ (SEd3) )1/2 -----------4

in equation-4 we can assign term “C/SE” as constant B, and term “1.9 x A / (SEd3)” as constant
“C” as these do not change for a given blind flange. Putting it back in equation-4 we get.

t = d (pB + Cp)1/2

t = d P1/2 (B +C) ½ ----------- 5

 taking term d (B + C)1/2 as a constant “D” we get

t = P1/2 D -------------6

It is obvious from above equation-6 that for a given blind flange the relationship between rated
pressure versus thickness is not linear unlike other pressure part (i.e. shells/heads) where
relationship between pressure and thickness is linear.

using equation-6 we can take the ratio of rated thickness tnew/rated pressure new Pnew to
unrated corroded thickness tcor and corroded condition pressure rating Pcor for the given blind
flange as:

tnew/tcor = Pnew1/2 D / Pcor1/2 D

tnew/tcor = Pnew1/2 / Pcor1/2

Pcor = Pnew (tcor/tnew)2 ------------- 7A

Or

tcor = ( Pcor / Pnew)1/2tnew ------------ 7B

Using the above equation-7A or 7B for a given blind flange having the rating for new condition, a
rating for corroded condition can be derived.

For the example blind flange the minimum required thickness for design pressure of 3.56 MPa
as per equation 7B becomes:

tcor = (3.56/4.09)1/2 x 68.3 = ~ 63.8mm

The above thickness is required for the operating condition load onto the blind flange.

b) For gasket seating condition bolting loads

It is important to note that the loads onto the blind flanges for gasket seating condition is
different than operating conditions. Once the bolted connection is pressurized the stresses in
the bolts and blind flange will change and this has been established and proven in industry using
detailed analysis/experimentation considering the elastic or plastic interaction of bolts, blind
flange, flange, and gasket.

Having very successful experience with standard blind flanges where the bolts are torqued or
tensioned to commonly acceptable values published in form of codes such as ASME PCC 1, the
ASME PCC-1 bolt tension loads can be used as a basis in gasket seating calculations for ASME
B16.5.

It also important to note that typically the codes for design of flanges uses a calibrated approach
between design bolting loads for gasket seating and actual gasket seating bolting loads. The bolt
allowable stresses in design codes are typically an order of 1/4th the yield point of bolting
material as compared to other pressure parts (i.e. shells/heads) where allowable stresses in
design are 2/3 the yield point. The reason for having such a low allowable stress in bolts
compared to its yield point is based on the fact that the it is hard to determine the actual bolt
load or tension with the methods applied on field for bolt tensioning/torqueing and also due to
the complex elastic/plastic interaction of bolts, flanges and gasket. For such a case of
unpredictability it is important to have more margin for the bolts i.e. design bolts to 1/4th yield
3

 point to give a greater range between allowable stress and the actual stress below yield point,
where if bolting actual stresses goes above allowable it will be very unlikely to have reached the
yield point. it is common approach to stress the bolts to 40% to 70% of the yield point during
actual bolting up for gasket seating in comparison to the typical design allowable of 25% of yield
point. This discrepancy as evident where the actual gasket seating stresses greater than design
stresses in bolts is intentional and also endorsed/written in codes i.e. in ASME SEC VIII DIV 1
Appendix S as

“ In any event, it is evident that an initial bolt stress higher than the design value may, and in
most cases, must, be developed in the tightening operation, and it is the intent of this Division
that such a practice is permissible, provided it includes necessary and appropriate provision to
ensure against excessive flange distortion and gross crushing of the gasket”

Similarly from above it can also be concluded that the actual stresses in the blind flange may be
greater than design stress for the gasket seating condition. The design limit for bending stresses
is 2/3 yield point ( i.e. basic allowable stress “S”) of the material for bolted connections rather
than generally used design allowable bending stress limit upto yield point (i.e. “1.5S”). The
design limit is kept 1/3 below yield point so as to have the blind flange as much fully elastic with
no plastic strains in the blind flange that may lead to leakage at the gasket location which is
where the bending stresses in the blind flange is maximum during gasket seating. However as
per above discussion it is clear that the actual gasket seating bolt loads can be higher than
design and so the actual stresses in the blind can be higher than design where the difference of
1/3 between design stress and yield point will some how serve as a margin for loads above
design limits to avoid any excessive distortion specifically in terms of plastic deformation of the
blind member in bending.

Taking ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 appendix S as an example it is clear that the actual bolting loads
needs to be limited to a value that won’t case any excessive distortion of the flange in gasket
seating condition otherwise due to any excessive distortion the joint in simple terms may leak if
pressurized. There is no firm value as to how much actual stress/strain or distortion can be
tolerated in the blind flange for a given gasket seating condition using actual bolt
tension/torque, however using successful practical actual data of applied bolt tension/torques
for gasket seating condition with ASME B16.5, an simple analytical procedure can be developed
which can be used for checking blind flanges for gasket seating bolting loads. Following a) and b)
are the two key conditions to met

a) Check corroded blind flange thickness for design condition gasket seating bolt load. Limit
bending stress to “S” (i.e. 2/3 yield point).

b) Find the approximate actual bending stress or strain in the corroded blind flange for the
actual bolting loads for gasket seating conditions that was successfully used on the new
blind flange (typically values given in ASME PCC-1 can be used as a reference as well). The
blind flange is considered acceptable if any of the following conditions in order of
preference is met.

1. The bending stress in blind flange, ideally to be limited to “S” (i.e.2/3 yield point - fully
elastic strain across the thickness) but not to exceed “1.5S” (yield point – close to
plastic strains at the outer edges of the plate). If this is not satisfied go to step 2.


Bending stress top
and bottom across
the wall thickness
close to yield point

2. If the bending stress exceeds the yield point, it is acceptable provided the following two
conditions are met.

I. The bending stress/strain is not greater than 10% of the stress/strain of new
flange for the same gasket seating bolt loads. The 10% margin is arbitrary
selected based on the fact that the actual bolting loads vary from the targeted
values and 10% can be considered a small acceptable variation which is
deemed conservative . Furthermore the following condition b) also serves as a
further check that the 10% increase will not cause major distortion in the blind
flange.

II. Bending stress is less than 1.5 yield point (fully yielded section across the plate
thickness). This is based on the fact that after crossing this limit the blind plate
thickness will have gross permanent deformation and bolts won’t be able to be
tensioned beyond that since any addition tension will cause the plate to
deform further without any further elastic resistance ignoring strain hardening
properties of the material to be conservative.
Bending stress top
and bottom across
the wall thickness.
Section fully
yielded. Tension on
top and
compression on
bottom

Note: The approximate true induced stresses in the blind flange for gasket seating
bolting loads can be calculated using the following equation:
2
S = (1.9Whg)/ (d t )

Where

S= induced stress

W = Gasket seating bolt load

hg = moment arm – (gasket to bolt circle)

d = gasket reaction diameter

t = thickness of the blind flange.

For the example blind flange we have :
Gasket Seating Case - Design Loads

Gasket Seating load Wm2= 1364813 N Using ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 Appendix 2 as a reference
required bolt area Am= 7935 mm2 Using ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 Appendix 2 as a reference
available area of the bolts Ab= 21755 mm2 Using ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 Appendix 2 as a reference
Gasket seating load for design W= 2553319 N Using ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 Appendix 2 as a reference

Blind thickness required for gasket seating codition 62 mm As per ASME SEC VIII DIV 1 - UG 34 - (2)
Bending Stress 124 MPa O.K

Gasket Seating Case - Actual Loads

Tension per bolt 240 kN

Stresses in blind flange is less than yield point- corroded condition NO

Corroded blind flange OK for original bolt load for gasket seating OK