Inspectioneering

Integripedia Topic
ASME PCC-1 - Guidelines for Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly

Explore this topic

ASME PCC-1, Guidelines for Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly (BFJA), is a standard created and published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Published in November of 2013, PCC-1 replaces the first edition, which was published in 2000.

This standard applies to pressure-boundary flanged joints with ring-type gaskets that are entirely within the circle enclosed by the bolt holes and with no contact outside the circle. The guidelines within the standard may also be used to develop joint assembly procedures for a broad range of sizes and service as well. Guidance on troubleshooting BFJAs not providing leak-tight performance is also provided in this document.

This standard gives directions for the training and qualification of bolted joint assembly personnel. It also covers the cleaning and examination of flange and fastener contact surfaces, the alignment of flanged joints, the installation of gaskets, and the lubrication of working surfaces. The installation, numbering, and tightening of bolts are all covered by ASME PCC-1 as well, as is the tightening sequence. The final topics covered are target torque determination, joint pressure and tightness testing, records, and joint disassembly. There are also several appendices that provide important information and guidelines as well.
 
Compared to the previous edition ASME PCC-1, the 2013 edition has gone through many changes, including the newly added Appendix A, which contains significant guidance for the levels of training and experience required for technicians working on BFJAs. There are now three major levels of qualifications; all requiring different degrees of training, experience and assessment. One can only qualify for ASME PCC-1 once all three levels have been completed.
 
ASME PCC-1 also now outlines the extensive requirements for the training of bolted joint personnel, including qualified bolting specialists, qualified senior bolting specialists, and qualified senior bolting instructors. Also, training will now take much longer than previous bolted training programs, to cover all of the requirements. For example, although only five days are required for the foundational module of the training curriculum, the training requirements from ASME include more than 200 individual topics which are all expected to be covered during the training.

Is this definition incomplete? You can help by contributing to it.

Related Topics

Relevant Links

Topic Tools

Share this Topic

Contribute to Definition

We welcome updates to this Integripedia definition from the Inspectioneering community. Click the link below to open a form that will allow you to make adjustments to the definition and submit them to the Inspectioneering staff.

Contribute to Definition
Articles about ASME PCC-1 - Guidelines for Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly
    News related to ASME PCC-1 - Guidelines for Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly
    • Becht Pono Corrosion & Materials Expertise
      Partner Content

      Becht’s industry-leading Corrosion and Metallurgical experts are here to help with significant owner-operator experience covering the refining, petrochemical and chemical industries. This expertise is leveraged to help our clients become more...

       Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
      Join the Inspectioneering LinkedIn group Follow Inspectioneering on Twitter Follow Inspectioneering on Facebook
      Copyright © 2021 Inspectioneering, LLC. All rights reserved.
      Inspectioneering Journal

      Inspectioneering Journal

      Explore over 20 years of articles written by our team of subject matter experts.
      Company Directory

      Company Directory

      Find relevant products, services, and technologies.
      Talent Solutions

      Talent Solutions

      Discover job opportunities that match your skillset.
      Case Studies

      Case Studies

      Learn from the experience of others in the industry.
      Integripedia

      Integripedia

      Inspectioneering's index of mechanical integrity topics – built by you.
      Industry News

      Industry News

      Stay up-to-date with the latest inspection and asset integrity management news.
      Blog

      Blog

      Read short articles and insights authored by industry experts.
      Interviews

      Expert Interviews

      Inspectioneering's archive of interviews with industry subject matter experts.
      Event Calendar

      Event Calendar

      Find upcoming conferences, training sessions, online events, and more.
      Downloads

      Downloads

      Downloadable eBooks, Asset Intelligence Reports, checklists, white papers, and more.
      Videos

      Videos

      Watch educational and informative videos directly related to your profession.
      Industry Acronyms

      Acronyms

      Commonly used asset integrity management and inspection acronyms.