Flange Management Procedure Overview
Flange Management Procedure Overview
: 26071-100-GPP-FB00-00001
FLANGE MANAGEMENT
PROCEDURE
001 7 MAY 2020 ISSUED FOR CONSTRUCTION WELLY [Link] Y.D, KIM
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REVISION LOG
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. GENERAL .....................................................................................................................................................5
2. REFERENCE ................................................................................................................................................5
3. PROJECT DESCription .................................................................................................................................5
4. RESPONSIBILITIES .....................................................................................................................................6
4.1 PIPING INSPECTOR .............................................................................................................................6
4.2 CHIEF FIELD INSPECTOR ........................................................................................................................6
4.3 SUPERVISOR .......................................................................................................................................6
4.4 ENGINEER ............................................................................................................................................6
4.5 CONSTRUCTION MANAGER ...............................................................................................................6
4.6 DIRECT WORKER ................................................................................................................................6
4.6.1 FITTER
4.6.2 HELPER
5. GENERAL REQUIREMENT..........................................................................................................................7
5.1 BOLTING ...............................................................................................................................................7
5.2 THREAD LUBRICANTS AND PRESERVATIVES ..................................................................................7
5.3 FLANGE FACES....................................................................................................................................7
5.4 GASKETS ..............................................................................................................................................8
6. BOLTING & TIGHTENING PROCEDURE ....................................................................................................8
6.1 PREPARATION FOR BOLT UP.............................................................................................................8
6.2 PRE-ASSEMBLY OF FLANGES ............................................................................................................9
6.3 TIGHTENING METHODS .................................................................................................................... 10
7. BOLTING SEQUENCE ............................................................................................................................... 15
7.1 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 4 BOLTS (Fig-3) ...................................................................15
7.2 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 8 BOLTS (Fig-4) ...................................................................15
7.3 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 12 BOLTS (Fig-5) ................................................................. 15
7.4 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 16 BOLTS (FIG-6) ................................................................. 16
7.5 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 20 BOLTS (FIG-7) .................................................................16
7.6 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 24 BOLTS (FIG-8) .................................................................17
8. FLANGE BOLTING-UP TORQUE TABLES ................................................................................................ 18
9. TAGGING PROCEDURE............................................................................................................................ 19
APPENDIX 1 TAGGING DESIGN ...................................................................................................................... 23
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1. GENERAL
The scope of this procedure is to describe the system for controlled, monitored and recording of making-
up flanges with the correct gaskets, flanges, bolt & nuts, suitable tools, torque value and ensure the
hydraulic or manual bolt tightening activities are carried out in safe manner and correct method within the
RDMP RU-V Balikpapan Project
2. REFERENCE
The current edition at the date of contract award of the following codes, standards and specification form
an integral part of this specification.
:
3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
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4. RESPONSIBILITIES
4.1 PIPING INSPECTOR
To inspect the compliance of gaskets, gasket seat flanges, flange serrations for RF flanges, bolt
& nuts according to piping class data sheet.
To monitor and record installation of all gaskets, flanges and bolt tightening results as per ASTM
standard.
To inspect tools, spanners, wrenches and torque wrenches to ensure they are in good condition
and suitable for torque range.
4.2 CHIEF FIELD INSPECTOR
To monitor all activities related to inspection of flange installation.
To check the recording of flange installation and bolt tightening result.
To review flange installation report.
To socialize of Flange Joint Management Procedure in field to Contractor and Subcontractor,
Supervisor, Piping Inspector, Flange Management Engineer, Worker/Mechanic and other
services.
4.3 SUPERVISOR
Supervise centering of gasket on flanges and installation of all bolts.
Supervise tightening of all bolts according to bolting sequence & torque procedure.
Supervise preparing of tools, spanners, wrenches and torque wrenches.
Supervisor/Foreman shall responsible for the safe operation and quality of work during erection
4.4 ENGINEER
Prepare isometric drawing and recommended sequence of bolt tightening.
The flange management engineer will check the work to ensure the information collected up to
this stage is correct. Then to identify: Torque method required, Torque value required,
Torque/tension tools required and Hydraulic torque/tension pressure (if required).
4.6.1 FITTER
Tighten and loosen bolts on flange connections as per drawings and work plan.
Assist with installation/removal of blinds as needed for pressure testing purposes.
Possess skilled knowledge of pipe fittings, bolts, valves, etc. as required.
Assemble and secure pipes, tubes, fittings, and related equipment according to specifications.
Use impact wrenches, bolting torque and other tools supporting the work to install valves and
piping spools.
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4.6.2 HELPER
5. GENERAL REQUIREMENT
5.1 BOLTING
To ensure consistent performance, it is essential that nuts and bolts are supplied with the precise
specification for tolerance and fit. Studs/nuts shall be the correct material and size/length for the
application and free of corrosion, damage, dirt and grit.
It is essential that when choosing fasteners for a flanged joint the grade of stud and nut use are
compatible and compliant with the piping specification.
Prior to assembly the flanges should be inspected to ensure the faces are in good condition
(particularly with respect to radial scoring), clean, parallel and axially aligned.
Pipe flange alignment tolerance shall comply with the relevant pipe fabrication/erection
specification.
Flange alignment is critical to the performance of the bolted joint. No excess pressure should be
exerted to align the bolt holes for the insertions of bolt without engineering approval. Excess pressure
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used to assist with the insertion of bolt on flanges on rotating equipment could have damaging effects
on seals, shaft and bearings. For specific information on pipe alignment on rotating equipment see
API 686. General piping alignment specification can be found in ASME-PCC-1.
Every effort shall be made to align the joint. Applying large forces, through mechanical devices or
bolting, to align flange joint is bad practice and not permitted. Joints found with this condition should
be reported to Owner prior start commissioning.
5.4 GASKETS
A new gasket/RTJ/Seal Ring shall be used whenever joints are made or remade. Gasket shall be
suitable for the operating conditions and remain flexible under varying load due to fluctuations in
pressure and temperature. The type of gasket used shall comply with the pipe specification. Where
spiral wound gaskets are utilized, extra care shall be taken to protect the face of the gasket.
When installing the gaskets, ensure the flange and gasket faces are clean and dry. Gaskets should
be of correct type and correctly positioned. Note that it is not possible to mix and match gaskets
between proprietary clamped connectors such as Grayloc, Techlok, Galperti, etc.
6.1.1. All the flanges installed shall be visually inspected to ensure parts of gasket seat flanges
are free from dirty and no indication of defects like scratches, corrosion, etc, which could
make leakages. If any defects are found then the flange shall be removed for repairing and
6.1.2. All gaskets to be used shall be visually inspected: To ensure correct material specification,
Type, Rating, Class and no indication of defects.
6.1.3. All stud bolts and nuts must be marked to indicate the grade of material used in their
manufacture. All nuts shall have the Grade marked on th
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6.1.4. Bolts shall be checked for proper size: diameter, length, conformance to specifications,
cleanliness and absence of burrs. Bolts that are bent or have damaged threads shall not be
used. When measuring stud bolts it is important to note that all imperial bolts are measured
inside the point. All metric stud bolts are measured using the overall length. A stud bolt
diameter is measured in the same way as any other externally threaded fastener.
6.1.5. All torque, tensioning and measuring equipment shall be properly maintained as per the
and valid calibration. Tools shall be inspected prior to use and
worn or damaged tools shall be replaced.
6.1.6. Special requirement for spiral wound (SW) gasket are as follows:
The gasket is in good condition: guide rings are in place, there are no marks and spiral is
intact.
Marking or stamping on the gasket match those on the flange.
That the inner ring (if fitted) does not protrude into the bore of the pipe (most important when
fitting Butterfly Valves).
The gasket is centralized on the studs.
6.2.1 Each flange joint will be tagged with a unique identifying number and recorded in the flange
database.
6.2.2 Bolt holes of mating flanges shall be aligned using a spud wrench or other tool.
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6.2.3 The gasket shall be inserted and centered between the flanges. Nuts shall be hand tightened
to hold the gasket in place. When flanged joints are in horizontal lines, gasket without
centering devices such as ring joint gaskets shall be lowered to the bolt for retention and then
raised into position.
6.2.4 The remaining bolts and nuts shall be installed and hand tightened with the flange face
parallel. Care shall be taken to assure proper seating and centering of the gasket.
6.2.5 After the initial alignment has been completed, the remaining bolts and nuts shall be installed
and hand tightened. All bolts extend completely through their nuts. At least two (2) complete
threads shall be visible from the backside of each nut.
6.2.6 Heavy covers of horizontal equipment shall be provided with external supports and suitable
guidance which shall be maintained until the joint is tightened.
The flogging of bolts in hydrocarbon systems is not permitted without the approval of the
Company Construction Manager and the prior completion of a Risk Assessment.
Flange bolts shall be tightened by torque wrenches on all hydrocarbon systems (all pressure
ratings), and utility systems rate at Class 150 and above.
Controlled torque wrenching shall be carried out using either manual or hydraulic torque
bolt loading, access, clearance and tooling availability, which shall be determined by the
site personnel. When the bolt loading requires a torque figure greater than 500 [Link] (678
Nm) to be applied, the use of hydraulic torque wrenches is recommended.
a) Bolt sizes less than 2 inches diameter for all service ratings up to and including Class
900.
b) Bolt sizes less than 1-1/2 inches diameter for all service ratings of Class 1500 and above.
c) Bolt diameter in excess of those stated in (a) and (b) when hydraulic jack tensioning is
not practical.
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The bolt tensioning operation must be carried out in accordance with the tension
If tensioning equipment cannot be applied due to access restrictions then the Company
Construction Manager shall be advised and a Risk Assessment completed detailing the
additional controls required ensuring joint integrity, this may include using conventional
spanners and joint make up verification.
6.4.1 In general the selection of the tensioning/torque device used to assemble a flanged joint
as well as the method of control, such as turn of nut shall be made based on Approved
Procedure. Tightening Method Applied can be used as a guide to determine a suitable
method for bolting.
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6.4.3 All tightening activity shall be record by Subcontractor in Flange Joint Record Sheet and
subject to Contractor & Owner approval. Flange jointing Record sheet shown in Appendix-
2.
6.5.1 When disassembly of a joint is required, the service bolts shall be loosened in the same
sequence specified in article 6.4.2 for tightening. As minimum, two passes shall be made
loosening bolts. The bolting patterns given in (Figure-3) through (Figure-8) shall be
followed.
6.5.2 Each nut shall be loosened one-twelfth (1/12) turn in the proper sequence to keep
distribution of residual stress on each bolt is same and the loosening sequence repeated
at least once before each bolt is completely loosened.
1.
6.5.3 Alignment
Flanges should meet in the relaxed position and be aligned both parallel &
concentric.
Guideline as recommended below is 1 mm misalignment in 200 mm of flange face is
acceptable.
The stiffness of pipework will vary according to the configuration. Where the pipe is
restrained on either side of the flange joint, a small amount of misalignment will require
large loads to pull the flanges together for make-up and similarly reasonable loads
required if either side of the flange joint has few restraints.
However, pulling the flanges into position could cause unacceptable loads and
deflections in other parts of the system, and means that bolt load is being used to pull
the flanges together instead of to compress the gasket.
(a)
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(b)
Figure 2 (a) & (b) Alignment tolerances
6.6.1 After the flanged connection has been tightened. All joints shall be 100% inspected for
uniform bolt loading by wrench testing each bolt in the same sequence listed above until
all bolts are judge to have the same level of tightness.
6.6.2 All measurement from the bolt tension gauge of each bolt shall be repeatable. A number
of readings shall be taken showing consistent values before entering them on the Flange
Jointing Record sheet (Appendix-2).
6.6.3 Bolt tension gauges for Manual torque and Hydraulic torque shall be calibrated before
each new application by an experienced operator.
6.6.4 Personnel operators with the correct competencies and have been experienced at least
two years at piping constructions to perform final assembly of the flange joint.
6.6.5 All inspection activities shall be recorded by Subcontractor, approved by Contractor, and
accepted by Company Inspector.
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7. BOLTING SEQUENCE
7.1 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 4 BOLTS (Fig-3)
Figure-3
Figure-4
7.3 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 12 BOLTS (Fig-5)
Sequential Order: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12
Rotation Order: 1, 5, 9, 3, 7, 11, 2, 6, 10, 4, 8, 12
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Figure-5
7.4 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 16 BOLTS (FIG-6)
Sequential Order: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16
Rotation Order: 1, 9, 5, 13, 3, 11, 7, 15, 2, 10, 6, 14, 4, 12, 8, 16
Figure-6
7.5 BOLT TIGHTENING SEQUENCE FOR 20 BOLTS (FIG-7)
Sequential Order: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, 19-20
Rotation Order: 1, 13, 5, 17, 9, 3, 15, 7, 11, 19, 2, 14, 6, 18, 10, 4, 16, 8, 12, 20
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Figure-7
Figure-8
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2.
Notes :
Bolting torque to develope 50% Bolt Yield Stress at Nut Factor, K=0.16 (may varies)
This Table is applicabe to Never-Seize paste and Fel-Pro lubricant, K=0,16 (may varies)
The above Table is applicable only for ASTM A320 Grade L7, A193 Grade B7 and A193 B16 Stud
Bolts.
The torque value are approved for spiral wound graphite and PTFE filled gasket. Graphite sheet
gasket GHE and GHR types, ring joint, double jacketed and camprofile gaskets.
The Final Torque Value accounts for 10% bolt relaxation
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9. TAGGING PROCEDURE
be fitted. Tagging medium shall consist of a main tag and three distinct stickers. The tags are double-sided
and comprise four distinct sections. The outer three sections are not colored, but have markings to indicate
which colored sticker needs to be applied as per the relevant step. Tags should be made from waterproof
material e.g. plastic.
The stickers should be colored as shown below to correspond with their respective sections. The upper portion
of the sticker shall have an adhesive backing to allow attachment to Side B of the appropriate section of the
tag when the task has been completed. The lower portion of the sticker shall be perforated to allow tear off for
inclusion into the record. Stickers should be made from water proof material e.g. plastic / vinyl.
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Section 1 (Main body of tag which will initially remain on the flange)
Section 2 (Flange made up / bolts tightened)
Section 3 (Tightened Flange Inspected)
Section 4 (Flange Leak Tested)
Section 1 of the main body of the tag will be colored coded to enable quick visual confirmation of the line class.
RED
2500# ANSI =
When Section 4 has been completed (on both sides) AND all three stickers have been affixed, the tag indicates
that the flange has been assembled, tightened, inspected and tested competently.
The tag should be fitted using a suitable tie and in a position adjacent to or on the joint.
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Section 1 is attached by the Work Lead once the flange has been aligned, gasket inserted and bolts made
up hand tight, to indicate the flange is ready to be tightened. The Worker will keep a log of all tag numbers
attached to flange joints during the shift and submit the log to the Work Leader for inclusion into the register
at the end of each shift. The tag will remain on the flange joint until Handover / Commissioning.
Side A: This side of tag is completed by the Worker assembling the flange. The worker shall print his name
and confirm the acceptable condition of the:
Side B: When the flange is ready for bolt tensioning/torquing, the worker shall check Side A of the tag to
confirm the flange had been assembled correctly. The worker can then proceed to tighten the flange. When
bolt tightening is completed, the worker shall print his name and confirm:
a) System Number
b) Line Number
c) The torque or tension applied. Measured using hydraulic pressure gauges mounted on the
torque/tensioning machinery or set point on manual torque wrenches.
Section 2 sticker is attached by the worker once the flange has been tightened. Both halves of the sticker are
filled out, and then the lower half of the sticker is removed and returned to the Work Leader to provide a visual
indication that the flange has been tightened and ready to be inspected. The Work Lead responsible for the
tightening operation shall advise the Construction Supervisor of the name of the worker tightening each flange
and be responsible for the return of Section 2 sticker to the Construction Supervisor who will retain it in the
work pack for close out audit.
Section 3 sticker is attached by the Discipline Inspector after he visually inspects the flange joint and verifies
that the proper bolt tightening procedures have been followed and the joint has been properly logged for
inclusion in the Flange Management Database. Once the flange joint has been inspected, the Discipline
Inspector shall fill out both halves of the sticker, then remove the lower half of the sticker and return it to the
Construction Supervisor to provide a visual indication that the flange joint has been inspected and is ready for
leak test. The Section 3 sticker lower half shall be retained in the work pack for close out audit.
Section 4 sticker is attached by the Leak Test Personnel once a successful leak test has been carried out.
When the flange joint has successfully passed a leak test, the Leak Test Personnel shall confirm and write on
Side B Pressure and date of test, fill out both halves of the sticker, then remove Section 4 lower half of the
sticker and return it to the Construction Supervisor who will insert the perforated sticker in the work pack for
close out audit.
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If the result of the leak test is failure due to a leaking flange, a new tag should be assigned to the joint prior to
rework.
When all flanges have been tightened and tested the tag should be kept on all flanges for at least 3 months
after the start-up is complete. After that it is at the discretion of the Facility Management as to how long the
tags are kept.
Contractor and Subcontractor shall prepare a certificate joint tag, when tightening bolt flanges is complete.
These tags should be fitted to each flange joint to make easy traceability whenever any non-conformance
or leakages during hydrostatic or pneumatic test (Apendix-1).
On completion of the Flange Jointing Record Sheet (Appendix-2), should be completed data sheet
including: Area/ location of the flange, Equipment/ Line number, Isometric drawing number, Joint
description, Flange size & Class, Gasket type, Bolt material, Methods of Jointing, Torque values, Flange
face condition, Flange aligned result, Tag number, Date joint made. The P& ID, Isometric drawing and
Flange jointing record sheets shall be returned to the flange management engineer.
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250 mm
SIDE A
FLANGE CHECKLIST & TAGGING
TECHNICIAN DATE
LUBRICANT APPLIED
MATERIAL
RETURN TO RETURN TO RETURN TO
GASKET: CORRECT LENGTH
SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR
SIDE B
LINE NO:
TENSIONED TORQUED
TECHNICIAN
130 mm 40 mm 40 mm 40 mm
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PRECOMMISIONING COMPLETION CHECK SHEET JTB RDMP RU V BALIKPAPAN UTILIZATION
Tag No,
Equipment Descriptiom
Drawing No.
Tag No,
Equipment Descriptiom
Drawing No.
Name
Signature
Date
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PRECOMMISIONING COMPLETION CHECK SHEET RDMP RU V BALIKPAPAN UTILIZATION
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NOMINAL PIPE SIZE