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Bolted flat cover and blind flange with opening: ASME VIII-1 & EN 13445-3 calculator

Thickness and opening reinforcement check: ASME VIII-1 UG-34 sketch (j)/(k)/(p), UG-39, UG-40 · EN 13445-3:2021 clause 10.5–10.6free tool by Studio Spizuoco Ingegneria

Free online check of a bolted flat cover or blind flange with an opening or nozzle. It computes the required cover thickness to ASME BPVC Section VIII Division 1 UG-34 (sketches j, k, p, with bolt load), the opening reinforcement to UG-39 and UG-40, and the pierced flat end to EN 13445-3:2021 clauses 10.5 and 10.6, side by side. Everything runs in your browser.

Design data

Bolting and gasket

Opening and nozzle

Second opening

The second opening is treated as a plain hole (no nozzle). Its distance from the cover axis equals r + p, along the same diameter.

Axonometric view: cover, bolt circle C, gasket reaction diameter G, bore Dᵢ, opening d with nozzle. Proportions follow the inputs.

Section through the cover axis and the opening centre.

ASME BPVC VIII-1

UG-34 (c)(2) eq. (1)/(2) · UG-39(b) · UG-40 · App. 2

EN 13445-3:2021

10.5 · 10.6.1.3 · 10.6.2 · Clause 11 (G)
Results depend entirely on the data you enter. Checking the input data, the applicability of the code and the results is the sole responsibility of the user.

Symbols

  1. d (ASME, UG-34): for sketches (j)/(k) d = G, the gasket reaction diameter; for sketch (p) d = the diameter of the shell or flange bore Dᵢ. It is not the opening diameter.
  2. d (ASME, UG-39/40): the corroded diameter of the opening, d = d_o + 2c, in the plane of the head.
  3. d (EN, 10.6): hole diameter, or the equivalent diameter of a nozzle from 10.6.2.2. j: the diameter used in Y₂, = G for a bolted end; for a pair of openings j = k, the centre distance.
  4. C: bolt circle. G: gasket reaction diameter. h_G: radial distance from G to the bolt circle. t, e: required thickness. t_n, e_ab: nozzle wall, corroded.

Calculation notes

  1. How to compute G. From the gasket contact width N = (G_o − G_i)/2 the basic width b₀ = N/2 (flat ring gasket, ASME Table 2-5.2 sketch 1a; EN Clause 11, Table 11-2). If b₀ ≤ 6 mm (ASME) or ≤ 6.3 mm (EN): b = b₀ and G = (G_o + G_i)/2. Otherwise b = 2.5·√b₀ (ASME) or 2.52·√b₀ (EN) and G = G_o − 2b. For other facings (raised face with groove, RTJ…) b₀ changes: use the manual G. Full-face gasket (sketch (p)): G is taken as the mean gasket diameter, G = (G_o + G_i)/2, as for Class FF flanges in ASME BPVC III Div. 1 Appendix L.
  2. ASME UG-34 eq. (1) with C = 0.25 for sketch (p); eq. (2) with C = 0.3 and the bolt term 1.9·W·h_G/(S·E·d³) for (j)/(k). Operating uses S and W_m1; seating uses S_a, P = 0 and W_m2 (estimated as π·b·G·y).
  3. UG-39(b)(1): A = 0.5·d·t, with t the required unpierced thickness. UG-40 limits: parallel = max(d; R_n + t_n + t), normal = min(2.5·t; 2.5·t_n). Available area = A₁ (head excess) + A₂ (nozzle outward) + A₃ (nozzle inward) + A₄₁ (outer fillet). f_r2 = S_n/S ≤ 1.
  4. UG-39(d): instead of reinforcement, the head thickness is computed with C doubled (sketch (p): 2·C or 0.75, the smaller) or 2·0.3 = 0.6 in eq. (2) for sketch (j)/(k); the bolt term is unchanged. Valid for openings ≤ half the head diameter.
  5. EN 10.5.2, narrow-face gasket: e₀ = max(e_A; e_P) (10.5-1), with e_A for assembly (10.5-2, W_A and f_A) and e_P for operating (10.5-3). C_F = max(√(t_B/(2d_b + 6e₁,a/(m + 0.5))); 1) (10.5-4) corrects for wide bolt pitch. Flanged extension: e₁ = max(e_A; e_P1) (10.5-5/6). For the test condition use P_T and f_test.
  6. EN 13445-3, bolted end: e = Y₂·e₀ (10.6-2) with Y₂ = √(j/(j − d)) (10.6-4), j = G for a single opening. Y₁ and 10.6-1 are for welded ends only.
  7. EN 10.6.2.2: d = d_i − 2A'/e (set-on) or d = d_e − 2A'/e (set-in), with A from Fig. 10.6-3/10.6-4 and e_b from 7.4.2 (e_b = P·d_e/(2·f_b·z + P), z = 1). l = min(0.8·√((d_i + e_ab)·e_ab); L_o).
  8. Pair of openings (EN): d = mean of the diameters, j = k. Each opening is also checked alone. The fatigue route of 10.6-5 is not implemented.
  9. EN 10.6.1.2: blind threaded bolt holes around openings fitted with standard pipe flanges need no reinforcement if the bore does not exceed the flange bore and the material under the hole is at least 50 % of the bolt diameter.
  10. Not covered: integral flat heads with large central openings (ASME VIII-2 4.6.4, VIII-1 Appendix 14), welded flat ends (EN 10.6-1), fatigue.

Frequently asked questions

What is d in ASME UG-34 for a bolted flat cover?

For sketches (j) and (k) d is the gasket reaction diameter G; for sketch (p), full-face gasket, it is the shell or flange bore. It is not the opening diameter, which enters only UG-39 and UG-40.

How is the gasket reaction diameter G calculated?

With contact width N, b₀ = N/2 for a flat ring gasket. If b₀ ≤ 6 mm (ASME) or 6.3 mm (EN), G is the mean contact diameter; otherwise b = 2.5·√b₀ (ASME) or 2.52·√b₀ (EN) and G = G_o − 2b. For a full-face gasket G is the mean gasket diameter (ASME III Appendix L, Class FF).

How does EN 13445-3 check an opening in a bolted flat end?

Clause 10.6 multiplies the unpierced thickness e₀ from 10.5 by Y₂ = √(j/(j − d)), with j = G and d the hole diameter or the nozzle equivalent diameter from 10.6.2.2. The opening must be smaller than half of G.

What if the opening is larger than half the diameter?

ASME UG-39(b) and EN 10.6 no longer apply. Integral flat heads with large central openings follow VIII-1 Appendix 14 or VIII-2 4.6.4. Studio Spizuoco can carry out these checks, or a FEM analysis, on request.