Brett Thibodeaux
Fixed Equipment Reliability Area Group Leader, CITGO Petroleum Corporation
Brett has nearly 20 years of experience, primarily specializing in the troubleshooting of poor performing bolted flange joints associated with pressure equipment such as heat exchangers, pressure vessels and piping. While employed by end user companies Brett has led the development, implementation, and ongoing management of two world class bolted flange joint integrity programs in accordance with ASME PCC-1.
Brett served as the lead fixed equipment engineer on a Mega Project totaling $11.14 Billion in expansion which was the largest project ever built in Louisiana and the largest single foreign direct investment at a single manufacturing site in U.S. history. His unique background, having hands on experience in a fab shop as a welder and fabricator while also being an engineer, allows him to have a practical outlook on all resolutions to problems, and a passion for preventing repetitive problems from occurring. Brett is a voting member of ASME PCC-1 Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly Standard and was a lead author in the revisions to Appendix A, “Training and Qualification of Bolted Joint Assembly Personnel."
Brett has been teaching courses that includes the theoretical and practical aspects of industrial bolting for the past several years. Brett performed the first end user audit of bolting contractors in accordance with ASME PCC-1, has performed research and development on bolted joints, has been a presenter at numerous bolted flange joint conferences and symposiums and has authored multiple papers on various bolting assembly practices and technologies. Brett holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He also has extensive experience with pressure vessel repairs, root cause failure analysis of pressure equipment, FFS evaluations, corrosion and metallurgy, and damage mechanisms.
Brett’s committee involvement includes ASME PCC-1 Subcommittee – Voting Member, API Bolted Flange Joint Assembler/ Inspector Certification – Test Development Committee Member, API Piping and Valve Committee – Voting Member, PIP Piping Function Team – Committee Member, ASME Bolted Flange Joint Assembly Technical Advisory Committee “Subject Matter Expert”, ASME Bolting Specialist Qualification Program Advisory Committee and holds licenses for API-570 (ID 62056) and API-570 (ID 59003).
Brett served as the lead fixed equipment engineer on a Mega Project totaling $11.14 Billion in expansion which was the largest project ever built in Louisiana and the largest single foreign direct investment at a single manufacturing site in U.S. history. His unique background, having hands on experience in a fab shop as a welder and fabricator while also being an engineer, allows him to have a practical outlook on all resolutions to problems, and a passion for preventing repetitive problems from occurring. Brett is a voting member of ASME PCC-1 Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly Standard and was a lead author in the revisions to Appendix A, “Training and Qualification of Bolted Joint Assembly Personnel."
Brett has been teaching courses that includes the theoretical and practical aspects of industrial bolting for the past several years. Brett performed the first end user audit of bolting contractors in accordance with ASME PCC-1, has performed research and development on bolted joints, has been a presenter at numerous bolted flange joint conferences and symposiums and has authored multiple papers on various bolting assembly practices and technologies. Brett holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He also has extensive experience with pressure vessel repairs, root cause failure analysis of pressure equipment, FFS evaluations, corrosion and metallurgy, and damage mechanisms.
Brett’s committee involvement includes ASME PCC-1 Subcommittee – Voting Member, API Bolted Flange Joint Assembler/ Inspector Certification – Test Development Committee Member, API Piping and Valve Committee – Voting Member, PIP Piping Function Team – Committee Member, ASME Bolted Flange Joint Assembly Technical Advisory Committee “Subject Matter Expert”, ASME Bolting Specialist Qualification Program Advisory Committee and holds licenses for API-570 (ID 62056) and API-570 (ID 59003).