Welcome

to

Presentation
on

PIPE SUPPORT SYSTEMS & PIPING FLEXIBILITY

(03-Feb-2005)

9/19/2006 1
 Program Objectives

1. To create a sense of appreciation for compliance of best

engineering practices , and improve understanding of piping
through preliminary knowledge of Pipe supports.

2 To enable faster & better interpretation of engineering

deliverables by working knowledge of these Pipe supports .

3 To enable maintenance engineers to take preventive action in

case of exceptions.

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 INDEX

PART-I Overview.
PART-II Support Basics.
PART-III Support Classification.
PART-IV Support Detailing.
PART-V Support Design.
PART-VI Line Designation
PART-VII Piping Flexibility
PART-VIII Sample Drawings .

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 OVERVIEW

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 THE CODE ASME B 31.3 SPECIFIES UNDER CLAUSE 321.1.1, THE
OBJECTIVE OF THE SUPPORT DESIGN AS PREVENTION OF

¾ Piping stress in excess of those permitted in the code.

¾ Leakage at joints due to misaligned flanges.
¾ Excessive thrust and moments on connected equipment (such as
pumps and turbines).
¾ Excessive stresses in the supporting (or restraining) elements.

¾ .
Resonance with imposed fluid induced vibrations
¾ Excessive interference with thermal expansion and contraction in a
piping system, which is otherwise adequately flexible.(No unwanted
rigidity).
¾ Unintentional disengagement of piping from its supports.
¾ Excessive piping sag in systems requiring drainage slope.

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 PIPE SUPPORTS STANDARDS

1. ANSI31.1 &31.3 ie Power Piping & Process Piping

2. *MSS –SP 58 Pipe Hangers and Support : Materials, Design &
Manufacturers
3. *MSS –SP 69 Pipe Hangers and Support : Selection & Application.
4. *MSS –SP 77 Guidelines for Pipe Support Contractual
Relationships.
5. *MSS –SP 89 Pipe Hangers and Supports: Fabrication &
Installation Practises.
6. MSS –SP 90 Guidelines on Terminology of Pipe Hangers &
Supports.

* These are advisory standards recommending standard practices.

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 SUPPORT OR SUPPORTING ELEMENTS

The term “supports” or “supporting elements” encompasses the

entire range of various methods of carrying the weight of pipeline
and the contents. It therefore includes “hangers” which generally
carry the weight from above, with the supporting members being
mainly in tension. Likewise, it includes “supports” which on
occasion are delineated as those which carry weight from below,
with supporting member being in compression.

Pipe supports refer to the physical structural elements such as

pre- engineered structural steel along with suitable springs,
snubbers, fixed on pipes to reduce or nullify the forces created in
piping systems due to self weight, thermal expansion or
contraction, shock load, etc.

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 Basic Terminology

•Pipe : Pressure tight cylinder to convey fluid/fluid pressure

•Pipe Support Elements: Transmit the load from pipe to structures& /or
pressure equipment Ex. Spring Hangers, Guides, Hangers. These are called Fixtures.
Attachment like clips, clamps, strips etc. are called Structural Attachments.
•Piping Components: Joining/Assembling Mechanical elements for pressure
tight piping etc. like Flanges, Gaskets, Valves, Expansion Joints, Hoses, Traps
Strainers etc.
•Piping: Assemblies of piping components used to convey, distribute, mix etc.
flows. Also includes piping elements.
•Piping Elements: Any material or work required to plan & install piping system
is called piping elements. Specs, Materials, components, supports inspection etc.
•Piping System : Interconnected piping subjected to same set or varying sets of
Design conditions.

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 Continued…..

Hot load / Hot setting / Operating load

The weight that the spring has to support while the pipe line
system is in operation.
This is also called Operating load.

Cold load / Cold setting / Installed load

The weight that the spring has to support while the pipe line
system is NOT in operation. This is also called pre-set load.

Travel stops
Limit the spring travel at the top and bottom to a small
percentage beyond the specified range. In addition, they
prevent the spring form moving while the spring is not in
operation (in pre-set mode) or in hydrostatic testing phase.

Travel
Compression or expansion of spring in “mm” from Hot to Cold or
vice versa load variation.
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 Elements Of Pipe Support

1. Fixtures:
2. Structural Attachments:
a. Hanger Rods
a. Clips
b. Spring hangers
b. Lugs
c. Turn Buckles
c. U-bolts
d. Chains
d. Straps
e. Anchors
f. Brackets
g. Guides
h. Saddles

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 Classification of Pipe Supports
1. Rigid or Weight Supports (Rod Hangers, Sliding supports, VS & CS Supports)
2. Rigid Restraints & Anchors (Supplementary Steel or Structural Members )
3. Snubbers (Hydraulic & Mechanical )
4. Sway Braces

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 Rigid Type Supports (Weight supports)

All sliding type supports: Bare, Clamped, Shoe, Dummy supports,

bracket supports, etc. (supported from bottom). In this the supports
members are in compression.

Hangers rods (without spring): Will be supported from top.

(Designed on the basis of max. weight carrying conditions,
including Hydro test). In this the supports are in tension.

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 SHOE SADLE CLAMP SHOE BASE SUPPT BASE ADJ.SPT

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 BASE ELL SPT BASE ADJ SPT DUMMY SPT DUMMY SPT SHOE VERT DUMMY

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 ADJ. ELL. SPT ADJ. SPT. ADJ.GUIDE ADJ. GUIDE SPT. NO WELD

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TRUNNION ELL.SPT. SUPPORT SUPPORT CLAMP ELL.SPT

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 ROD HANGER

THE ROD HANGERS ARE USED FOR NON CRITICAL SUPPORTS.

DIFFERENNT ATTACHMENTS LIKE EYE-NUTS,TURNBUCKLES,RODS HEX
NUTS & BOLT CLAMPS ARE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH HANGER RODS.
TURNBUCKLES ARE FOR ADJUSTMENT IN THE SUSPENDED LENGTH FROM
THE PIPE.

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 ROD HANGERS

Offset Limitation of rod

hangers
a) Pipe With Movement In
Axial Direction
b) Cold Pipe Positioning
– 1) Offset,Cold
-- 2) Operating Position Hot

Permissible horizontal
movement not to exceed +4°
for Rod hangers .

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 Anchors & Guides (Restraint Type)

Anchors & Guides are provided to restrict movement of pipe in

any one or all 6 freedom of movements.

1. They are provided to restrain, direct or absorb piping

movements.
2. Their design takes into account forces/moments at these
elements caused by internal pressure and thermal
expansion/contraction.

Supplementary Steel

To attach the pipe with various type of supports

mentioned above we need to tie it with the existing
structure. To achieve this we either weld structural
members to the supporting elements or supporting
brackets on to the existing structure.
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 PIPE SUPPORT MATERIAL FOR COLD SERVICES

1. Natural seasoned wood – IS 3629 Gr.I

• Along the grain cutting & across the grain loading
• Timber group A

1. HDPUF – Compressive Strength 70000 Kpa OR 70 KG

per cm 2
• Loyde grade 320 – 82000 KPa - Standard
• Loyde grade 250 – 49000 KPa - Standard

• Loyde grade 300 – 70000 KPa – (IPCL Customized)

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 Variable & Constant Supports (Flexible Supports)

Variable Spring Supports:

Variable spring supports are so called because they provide variable

supporting forces as the pipe moves vertically due to contraction or
elongation. Maximum variation in load is 25%.

Constant Spring Supports:

Constant spring supports are used where thermal movements are too
large (over 2 inches & max 6% load variation is allowed). Such spring
supports are used to restrict the loads created in piping systems on to
critical equipment nozzles.

NOTE:
(In Spring Supports springs are not designed for Hydrotest loads, however
supports members are designed to take hydro-test loads.)
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Spring Hanger in four different load conditions

a) Unloaded b) Loaded in c) Pipe moves d) Pipe moves up from

Position Hot position down from cold cold to hot position
to hot position
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 TYPES OF VARIABLE –SPRING HANGERS

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 Variable Spring Supports (Flexible Supports)

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 SELECTION OF FLEXIBLE SUPPORTS

CONSTANT SPRING : Constant spring

hangers are selected where absolutely necessary,
when the percentage variation of load from cold to
hot should be less than ± 6% for critical
pipelines, which give the lowest %, load
variation. The geometry & kinematics of these
constant spring hangers is such that theoretically
and constant supporting force can be achieved
throughout its full range of expansion and
contract.

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 Constant Effort Spring support

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 CONSTANT-SPRING SUPPORT

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 Constant Spring Supports (Flexible Supports)

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 VARIABLE SPRING

Variable spring hangers are recommended for general

use on non-critical piping systems & where constant
supports are not required. The inherent
characteristic of a variable spring is such that its
supportings force varies with spring deflection and
spring scale. The vertical expansion of piping causes
a corrresponding compression or extension of spring
& causes a change in the actual supporting force is
equal to the product of amount of vertical expansion
& the spring scale.

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 Comparison of variable support & constant support Springs

Particular Variable Spring Support Constant Spring Support

Design Simple design with Helical Sophisticated design with

spring
Application Non critical applications – Ex.
Heat Exchangers, Vessel,
ordinary piping etc.
Movement Applicable for Low thermal
movements (upto 50 mm)
Space Less space for installation
Spring & Bell Crank Lever
Critical applications – Ex.
Steam piping near steam
turbines , Steam Headers
,Boilers etc.
Applicable for large thermal
movements (above 50 mm)
Large space for installation

Cost Low cost High cost

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Formulas And Calculations

Upward movement - If Cold load is greater than Hot load

Downward movement - If Hot load is greater than Cold load

Movement = (Cold load - Hot load) / Spring rate.

If result > 0 then movement direction is up. Otherwise, it's down.

Variability = ((Movement x Spring rate) / Hot load) x 100

(% load change)

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 SNUBBERS

Rigid restraints are usually necessary when the

pipe is strong to survive loads such as earthquake
or high winds or other dynamic loads such as fluid
hammer. But when these restraints are used in
high temperature piping at some location it may
develop elevated stress levels. In these cases
snubbers are used.

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 SNUBBER ASSEMBLY

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 Mechanical Snubber

a) Photograph b) Schematic
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 Hydraulic Snubber

a) Schematic b) Photograph

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 SWAY BRACES

Sway braces are used to limit the effect of pipe vibration.

These are little more than variable springs acting in
horizontal plane. When sway brace is installed, the spring
preload is adjusted to be zero when pipe is in the operating
position. Sway braces, like variable springs, do add some
expansion stresses in the pipe.

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 SWAY BRACES

A) Vibration Control & Sway Brace.

B) Cutaway Section

C) Deflection of Spring when Thrust Exceeds

Pre-compression

D) Tension Causes deflection of Spring in

Opposite Direction

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 LOAD COMBINATIONS

Pipe supports must be designed to withstand any combination

of loading which is postulated to occur simultaneously. Normal
operating loads are either deadweight or deadweight plus
thermal. These loads may be combined with occasional loads,
as required by the design criteria of the specific project.
Under certain conditions, capacities of materials may be
increased for occasional loads. E.g. is the concept of service
level instituted by ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, Section
III. A typical spec for design load combination is as follows:-

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 Load Cases
Normal I Deadweight
II Deadweight + Thermal
Upset I Normal + relief valve discharge
II Normal + earthquake(DBE) +relief valve
discharge.
III Normal + water hammer
Emergency Normal + earthquake (DBE)+ Relief valve
discharge.
Faulted Normal + earthquake (DBE) + pipe rupture.

These loads may be added either algebraically to arrive at realistic values or

absolutely for added conservatism, according to the design criteria
requirements.

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 MAXIMUM SPAN BETWEEN TWO SUPPORTS
As per ASME B31.1 Table 12.5 adopted from MSS-SP-69

Suggested Maximum Span

Pipe (NB)
Water mtr. (ft) Air /Steam mtr. (ft)
1 2.1 (7) 2.7 (9)
2 3.0 (10) 4.0 (13)
3 3.7 (12) 4.6 (15)
4 4.3 (14) 5.2 (17)
6 5.2 (17) 6.4 (21)
8 5.8 (19) 7.3 (24)
12 7.0 (23) 9.1 (30)
16 8.2 (27) 10.7 (35)
20 9.1 (30) 11.9 (39)
9/19/2006 24 9.8 (32) 12.8 (42) 40
 GUIDELINES FOR LOCATION OF SUPPORTS

¾ Support should be located at near as possible to

concentrated loads as valves, flanges etc. To keep
the bending stress to the minimum.
¾ When changes of direction in a horizontal plane
occur, it is suggested that the spacing be limited
to 75% of the tabulated values to promote
stability and reduce eccentric loadings.

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¾ The standard span does not apply to vertical
run pipes (risers) since no moment and no
stress will develop due to gravity load in the
riser. The support should be located on the
upper half of a riser to prevent instability in
overturning of pipe under its own weight.
¾ Support location should be selected near the
existing building steel to minimize the use of
supplementary steel.

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 SPECS FOR ORDER

o The exact hot or operating load required to be supported during

the working condition.
o Hydrostatic test load.
o The total travel.
o The direction of travel either upwards or downwards from the
erected position.
o The set pin locking position (top, middle, bottom or as required).
o The basic model.
o Requirement of bottom accessory components such as rods,
clamps etc.
o Any hazardous environmental conditions.
o Any special finish on the body such as galvanizing etc.

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 Phenomenon in Piping Flexibility

CREEP RUPTURE STRENGHT

Time dependant stress is usually related to the “Creep Rupture Strength”
at high temperature. At temperature above 1/3 of the melting point
most metals will exhibit creep in standard tensile test. If the load is kept
constant the specimen will continue to deform and subsequently fail.
Hence considering this creep, the allowable stresses are 62.5% of the
yield stress. Hence taking a conservative estimate the limit of the
bending stress at which plastic flow starts is 1.6 times the allowable cold
or hot stress.

FATIGUE ON PIPING

ARC Markl investigated the phenomenon of fatigue in piping. He

observed that the fatigue failure occurred not in the middle of his test
spans, but in the vicinity of fittings and that also at a lower stress than that
for pipes. This lead to a factor called “Stress Intensification Factor”.

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 Piping Support Design Tips

1. Since most piping systems are not made strictly of straight horizontal runs, the
standard support spacing may not be applied uniformly throughout. Locations of
supports should consider the following guidelines.
2. Pipe supports should be located as near as possible to concentrated weights such
as valves, flanges, etc. From a pipe stress point of view, the best location for
support attachment is directly on the equipment.
3. When changes of direction in a horizontal plane occur between the pipe and
associated supports, such as with pipe elbows, it is suggested that the spacing be
limited to three-fourths of the standard span shown in table.
4. The standard span does not apply to vertical runs of pipe (risers) since no moment
(and therefore no stress, as defined by the piping codes) will develop owing to
gravity loads in riser.
5. Support locations should be selected near existing building steel to maximize ease
of design & construction and to minimize the supplemental structural materials
used to transmit the pipe loading back to the building structure.

9/19/2006 45
 Key Maintenance Tips

• Adequately designed piping and support systems are

absolutely critical & important.
• Major failure of supports can be catastrophic.
• It becomes absolutely necessary for maintenance engineers
to be very vigilant towards critical support systems and
check for following common piping support problems :
1. Shoe not resting on the sleepers.
2. Shoe twisted.
3. Support weathered away.
4. Trunnion / Dummy bent on vertical lines.
5. Structural members bent near loops.
6. LPDs embedded in soil thus turning it into an anchor
support.

9/19/2006 46
 Key Maintenance Tips

Continued….

• Wooden blocks placed under elbow dummies

weathered off.
• Guide plates in guided supports missing.
• Pipe stops in axial restraint broken / bent.
• Blocks attached to these pipe stops weathered off.
• Variable Spring Supports Corroded.
• Variable Spring Supports locks not removed.
• Due to displacement Variable spring supports not
operational.
• Pipe is corroded where it is directly resting on sleeper
rod.
• Line is not supported adequately, high cantilever.

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 PIPING CLASS CODING
„ 3-Character System : X - X - XXXX - XXX - XX
„ 1st Slot/Character :
Line size in inches
„ 2ND Slot/Character :
P-Process ; CWS-Cooling Water Supply ;CWR-CW Return; N2-Nitrogen;
H2-Hydrogen; AS-Service Air; AI-Instrument Air; AP-Plant Air; FW-Fire Water;
DMW-DM Water, etc.
„ 3rd Slot/Character :
4 Digit Line Sr.No.
„ 4th Slot/Character :
Piping Class
a) First Character specifying : A-150# B-300# D-600 # E-900 # F-1500 #
G-2500 #
b) Middle No. specifying variants. (1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 13 19 20)
c) Third Character specifying : A-CS, B-CS MOLY, C D E H K M N S-PVC, T Y-
MSRL Z-HDPE
(Ex: A1A, A2A A3A, A4A, B1A, B2A.., B1K, B2K, D1A,D2A, D5A, F2A, F2D, G2E)
„ 5th Slot/Character :
Insulation Type
IH, IC, IS, ET
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Piping Flexibility
An Introduction

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 Expansion Loads

Piping system which is too well restrained will not be able

to expand and large forces will develop at the points of lockup,
causing large stresses to develop in the pipe.
The ideal restraint conditions for thermal considerations is a
total lack of restraint. Since this is not feasible, given other
loads, some forces due to expansion will develop on restraints
even in the most optimally supported system.
Hence it is necessary to determine piping thermal
movements for use in spring hanger selection and design of
clearances in restraints.

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 THERMAL EXPANSION OF PIPING SYSTEM

(a) Loop without directed thermal growth

(b) Loop with directed thermal movement
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 a.Poor Service/Piping Distortion.

b.Proper Service/Piping alignment &

limited stresses through PSA .

c.Poor Service/ Unnecessary looping

etc .

a.Good but Costly due to heavy

design .

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 Calculation of Pipe Expansion
A pipe will expand when heated up and contract when cooled.
This can be expressed through the expansion formula.

The temperature expansion of pipes depends on the start and final

temperature and the thermal coefficient of expansion of the piping
material. The general expansion formula can be expressed as:
dl = ∝ x Lo x dt
where:
dl = expansion (inches)
Lo = length of pipe (inch)
dt = temperature difference (oF)
∝ = linear expansion coefficient (inch/inchoF) (available in 31.1,
31.3,etc)
Example: Thermal expansion for 1 meter Carbon steel pipe at 100ºC.
dl = 6.38/10 x 1000 x (212 – 93) = 0.76 mm/meter
For Carbon Steel ∝ = linear expansion coefficient (inch/inchoF) = 6.38/10
Remember
Expansion in SS pipe will be approx. 30- 50% more than in a carbon steel pipe.
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 CTE OF PIPING MATERIALS
(Total linear Thermal Expansion in / 100’)

c -300 °F -100 °F - 25 °F 70 °F 200 °F 400 °F

(ambient)
A 106 (CS) - 2.24 - 1.15 -0.32 0 0.99 2.70

A 312 – 304 - 3.63 - 1.75 -0.46 0 1.46 3.80

(SS)

CTE (At 1000F)

CS 6.13 micro in./In./ °F
SS 9.16 micro in./In./ °F

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 PIPE UNDER STRESS

There are two types of loads which put a pipe under stress:

1. Primary Loads: These loads are typical loads such as internal

pressure, external pressure, gravitational forces like the weight of
pipe and fluid. These loads are generally called as sustained loads.
Failure of the pipe due to any of the mentioned loads are called as
catastrophic failures.

2. Secondary Loads: Just as primary loads have origin in some force,

secondary loads are caused by displacement of some kind. e.g the
pipe may be under load if the tank nozzle moves up or down. A
pipe subjected to a cycle of hot and cold fluid similarly undergoes
cyclic loads and deformation.

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 PSA OBJECTIVE

Pipe Stress analysis is carried out to ensure safety against failure of the
PIPING SYSTEM by verifying the structural integrity against the
loading conditions, both external and internal during the life time of
the system in the plant.

Hence the objectives can be stated as :

1. Ensure that the stresses in the piping components in the system are
within the allowable limits.
2. Solve dynamic problems developed due to mechanical vibration,
fluid hammer, pulsation, etc.
3. Solve the problems associated due to higher or lower temperatures.

When piping is connected to strain sensitive equipment, the flexibility

required to satisfy the acceptable limits of nozzle loading on the
connected equipment overrides all other considerations.

The piping systems are mainly classified into 3 main categories and then
again sub-categories. The main categories are HOT Systems, COLD
Systems and CRYOGENIC Systems. In this the hot and cryogenic
lines must undergo FLEXIBILTY ANALYSIS.
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• REQUIREMENT OF STRESS ANALYSIS

No formal stress analysis is required if:

• The piping system is duplicate of successfully operating installations or
replacements.
• Can be readily adjudged adequately by comparison with previously
analysed systems.
• Satisfy equation Specified in the clause 119.7.1(A3) / 319.4.1(c).

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 BASIC INFORMATION

¾ A set of piping general (GAD)

¾ A Complete set of steel & structural drgs including the equipment
foundation.
¾ A set of drgs showing the location of ventilating ducts, electrical trays,
instrument trays etc.
¾ A set of piping spec and line list, which includes pipe sizes, M.O.C.,
thickness of insulation, operating temperatures etc.
¾ A copy of insulation spec. With densities.
¾ A copy of valve and specially list indicating weights.
¾ The movement of all critical equipment connections such as turbines,
compressors, boilers etc.

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 ON COLLECTION OF THE ABOVE DATA, THE STEPS IN
WHICH THE PIPE STRESS ENGINEER WILL APPLY
THIS BASICS TO DESIGN THE PIPING SUPPORT
SYSTEM .

¾ The determation of support location.

¾ The determination of thermal movement of the piping at each
support location.
¾ The calculation of load at each support location.
¾ The selection of load at each support location.
¾ The selection of type of support i.e. Anchor, Guide, Rest,
Constant or Variable Spring etc.
¾ Checking physical interference of the support with structures,
trays, ducts eqpts etc

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 • Excessive distortion subject to creep under conditions of
repeated thermal cycling.
• Excessive heat flow, exposing supporting elements to
temperature extremes outside their design limits.

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 Support Drawing Samples

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 Thank you

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