Expansion Joint Specification

APPLICATIONS

  • Newly Designed Piping Systems

  • Existing Piping Systems with Insufficient Flexibility (Too Stiff)

  • Overloaded Nozzles on Rotating Equipment

  • Overloaded Nozzles on Vessels, Tanks, or Heat Exchangers

There are numerous expansion joint styles, designs, and material choices available. Correctly designed and specified expansion joints generally outlast the piping system they are installed in. Unfortunately, the misapplication of expansion joints has led to many piping system failures that could have been avoided. These failures have caused many people to not use expansion joints when they are truly needed.

Expansion joints can be made of elastomers, fabric, or metals. They can be single convolution or multi-convolution, single bellow or multiple bellows, restrained or unrestrained, gimble, pinned, or hinged design. We specify and design bellows materials, number of bellows, individual bellows stiffness, expansion joint restraints (tie-rods, pins, hinges, gimbles, etc.), movements, and rotations.

ANALYSIS