Class 600 Lap Joint Flange Dimensions

ASME B16.5 dimensions and bolting for the Class 600 lap joint flange, NPS 1/2 through NPS 24, with what the class is rated for and where this flange type is used in it.

Standard
ASME B16.5
Flange type
Lap Joint Flange
Pressure class
Class 600
Size range
NPS 1/2 – NPS 24
Raised face height
0.25 in (6.3 mm)
Rating at 100 °F (A105)
1480 psig (102.0 bar)

Where a Class 600 lap joint flange is used

Class 600 is the first of the high-pressure classes in everyday use, common on high-pressure steam, boiler feed water and hydrocarbon process lines.

A lap joint flange is loose on the pipe and bears against a stub end. It is less common at this class, because the joint has little resistance to bending; where it is used, it is for alloy lines that are dismantled often.

The number 600 is a designation and not a pressure. A Class 600 flange in A105 carbon steel is rated 1480 psig (102.0 bar) at 100 °F, 1265 psig at 400 °F, 1135 psig at 600 °F and 825 psig at 800 °F. In Type 304 stainless, Group 2.1, it starts at 1440 psig and still holds 810 psig at 800 °F, so the material and the metal temperature have to be fixed before the class can be.

Lap joint flange, sectionSection through a lap joint flange. The flange is loose on the pipe and bears against the lap of a stub end, which is butt-welded to the pipe and forms the gasket face.Flange ODBolt circleLap ODThicknessLength through hubPipe ODButt weldStub endLap
NPS 6 Class 600 flange, front viewFront view of a flange with 12 bolt holes set evenly on the bolt circle, 30 degrees apart, with the holes straddling the vertical and horizontal centrelines.30°NPS 6 Class 600, to scale
Left: lap joint flange in section, showing what each column of the table measures. Welds are orange; the section is not to scale. Right: an NPS 6 Class 600 flange from the front, to scale. It is 14.00 in (355.6 mm) across, with 12 holes of 1.125 in for 1 in bolts on a 11.50 in (292.1 mm) bolt circle. The holes straddle the centrelines.

Dimensions in every size

Dimensions are given in inches, with the millimetre equivalent beneath in grey.

ASME B16.5 Class 600 lap joint flange dimensions.
SizeFlange ODThicknessBolt circleBoltsBolt dia.Raised face OD
NPS 1/23.7595.25 mm0.5614.22 mm2.6266.55 mm41/2 in1.3835.05 mm
NPS 3/44.62117.35 mm0.6215.75 mm3.2582.55 mm45/8 in1.6942.93 mm
NPS 14.88123.95 mm0.6917.53 mm3.5088.90 mm45/8 in2.0050.80 mm
NPS 1 1/45.25133.35 mm0.8120.57 mm3.8898.55 mm45/8 in2.5063.50 mm
NPS 1 1/26.12155.45 mm0.8822.35 mm4.50114.30 mm43/4 in2.8873.15 mm
NPS 26.50165.10 mm1.0025.40 mm5.00127.00 mm85/8 in3.6291.95 mm
NPS 2 1/27.50190.50 mm1.1228.45 mm5.88149.35 mm83/4 in4.12104.65 mm
NPS 38.25209.55 mm1.2531.75 mm6.62168.15 mm83/4 in5.00127.00 mm
NPS 3 1/29.00228.60 mm1.3835.05 mm7.25184.15 mm87/8 in5.50139.70 mm
NPS 410.75273.05 mm1.5038.10 mm8.50215.90 mm87/8 in6.19157.23 mm
NPS 513.00330.20 mm1.7544.45 mm10.50266.70 mm81 in7.31185.67 mm
NPS 614.00355.60 mm1.8847.75 mm11.50292.10 mm121 in8.50215.90 mm
NPS 816.50419.10 mm2.1955.63 mm13.75349.25 mm121 1/8 in10.62269.75 mm
NPS 1020.00508.00 mm2.5063.50 mm17.00431.80 mm161 1/4 in12.75323.85 mm
NPS 1222.00558.80 mm2.6266.55 mm19.25488.95 mm201 1/4 in15.00381.00 mm
NPS 1423.75603.25 mm2.7569.85 mm20.75527.05 mm201 3/8 in16.25412.75 mm
NPS 1627.00685.80 mm3.0076.20 mm23.75603.25 mm201 1/2 in18.50469.90 mm
NPS 1829.25742.95 mm3.2582.55 mm25.75654.05 mm201 5/8 in21.00533.40 mm
NPS 2032.00812.80 mm3.5088.90 mm28.50723.90 mm241 5/8 in23.00584.20 mm
NPS 2437.00939.80 mm4.00101.60 mm33.00838.20 mm241 7/8 in27.25692.15 mm

Flange thickness excludes the raised face. Bolt diameter is nominal; stud bolts are normally ASTM A193 B7 with A194 2H nuts.

Across the 20 sizes published in Class 600, the flange grows from 3.75 in (95.2 mm) across and 0.56 in (14.2 mm) thick at NPS 1/2 to 37.00 in (939.8 mm) across and 4.00 in (101.6 mm) thick at NPS 24. The bolt count goes 4 from NPS 1/2, 8 from NPS 2, 12 from NPS 6, 16 from NPS 10, 20 from NPS 12 and 24 from NPS 20, always in multiples of four so that the holes can straddle the centrelines. The largest bolt in the class is 1 7/8 in, first needed at NPS 24. Against Class 150, an NPS 6 flange in Class 600 is 3.00 in larger in diameter and 2.0 times as thick.

Bolt holes, spacing and torque

Bolt holes in ASME B16.5 flanges are drilled 1/8 in larger than the nominal bolt and are set to straddle the vertical and horizontal centrelines, never to sit on them. Spacing is the distance between neighbouring holes measured round the bolt circle, which shows how much room there is for a wrench or a tensioner. The torque column is a starting figure for a lubricated stud, not a joint-specific value.

Bolting geometry for Class 600 flanges, derived from the ASME B16.5 bolt size and bolt circle.
SizeBoltingBolt hole dia.Hole spacingTorque for 50 ksi bolt stress
NPS 1/24 × 1/2 in0.62515.88 mm2.0652.27 mm47 lb-ft
NPS 3/44 × 5/8 in0.75019.05 mm2.5564.83 mm94 lb-ft
NPS 14 × 5/8 in0.75019.05 mm2.7569.82 mm94 lb-ft
NPS 1 1/44 × 5/8 in0.75019.05 mm3.0577.40 mm94 lb-ft
NPS 1 1/24 × 3/4 in0.87522.22 mm3.5389.77 mm167 lb-ft
NPS 28 × 5/8 in0.75019.05 mm1.9649.87 mm94 lb-ft
NPS 2 1/28 × 3/4 in0.87522.22 mm2.3158.65 mm167 lb-ft
NPS 38 × 3/4 in0.87522.22 mm2.6066.03 mm167 lb-ft
NPS 3 1/28 × 7/8 in1.00025.40 mm2.8572.32 mm269 lb-ft
NPS 48 × 7/8 in1.00025.40 mm3.3484.78 mm269 lb-ft
NPS 58 × 1 in1.12528.57 mm4.12104.73 mm404 lb-ft
NPS 612 × 1 in1.12528.57 mm3.0176.47 mm404 lb-ft
NPS 812 × 1 1/8 in1.25031.75 mm3.6091.43 mm593 lb-ft
NPS 1016 × 1 1/4 in1.37534.92 mm3.3484.78 mm833 lb-ft
NPS 1220 × 1 1/4 in1.37534.92 mm3.0276.80 mm833 lb-ft
NPS 1420 × 1 3/8 in1.50038.10 mm3.2682.79 mm1,131 lb-ft
NPS 1620 × 1 1/2 in1.62541.27 mm3.7394.76 mm1,492 lb-ft
NPS 1820 × 1 5/8 in1.75044.45 mm4.04102.74 mm1,923 lb-ft
NPS 2024 × 1 5/8 in1.75044.45 mm3.7394.76 mm1,923 lb-ft
NPS 2424 × 1 7/8 in2.00050.80 mm4.32109.72 mm3,018 lb-ft

Torque is T = K·F·d with nut factor K = 0.16 and a bolt stress of 50,000 psi on the tensile stress area. The bolt torque guide gives the method and other nut factors.

Guides and comparisons for this page

Common questions

How many bolts does a Class 600 lap joint flange use?

NPS 1/2 takes 4 × 1/2 in; NPS 3/4 takes 4 × 5/8 in; NPS 1 takes 4 × 5/8 in; NPS 1 1/4 takes 4 × 5/8 in; NPS 1 1/2 takes 4 × 3/4 in. Bolt count rises with size — see the table above for the full range.

What pressure is a Class 600 flange rated for?

Class is a designation, not a pressure. A Class 600 flange in A105 carbon steel is rated 1480 psig (102.0 bar) at 100 °F, and that rating falls as metal temperature rises. In stainless the same class starts lower at ambient but holds up far better in the heat — see the P-T rating tables.

Will a Class 600 flange bolt to a Class 150 flange?

No. Bolt circle diameter, bolt count and bolt size all change with class, so flanges of different classes in the same NPS will not mate. The only exceptions inside B16.5 are the deliberate ones the standard calls out, such as Class 400 sharing Class 600 dimensions in NPS 1/2 through 3 1/2.

Same flange, other classes

Same class, other flange types

Every class in one size