Response to Loads of Flat-Faced Flanged Connections and Reliability of Some Design Methods
Paper presents some characteristic patterns of the elastic response of a typical flat-faced flanged pressure pipe connection, which is loaded by a quasistatically varying system of forces. An actual 300 psi rated pipe connection and several plastic models of the connection were investigated. The obtained results were compared with each other and with the predications of the recent PVRC Design Code and of related theories. The correlation between experimental results obtained for all models and for the actual connection was satisfactory. The correlation between the experimental results and the predictions of the recommended design procedure is not satisfactory in a wide range of loads for some major parameters (e.g. bolt force, flange deformation, interface contact area, response of the bolt assembly, etc.). In a narrow range of loads, the correlation can be considered acceptable for some parameters only.