Description This industry sponsored project arises from a conference where several industries have reported issues around 'hot bolting'. This is the practice where bolts are replaced in flanged joints whilst remaining under pressure (hence 'hot' bolting) - it does not relate to temperature persay. Key Objectives To develop a series of finite element models to examine the loss of contact pressure and investigate how 'safe' hot bollting can be in industry and if guidelines and practices required updating. Using ANSYS, simple models will build skills in establishing contact pressure evaluation. Thereafter a full 3D model of a bolted flanged joint (8 bolts) will be developed and 'hot' bolts will be removed sequentially until leakage/failure occurs.