Dipesh H Dahanuwala

Date : 25-June-2013

Agenda
Aim
Key Objectives Aspects of Pipe racks

Optimization Idea
Summary

Aim
To present different aspects of pipe rack

Key Objective
Purpose of Pipe rack
Materials of Construction Execution Stages

Analysis and Design Concepts

Purpose of Pipe rack

To support group of parallel pipes running at different elevations with emerging or merging branches

Materials of Construction
Concrete
Cast-in-situ Precast

Application : Concrete Pipe racks are made in case of corrosive environment

Materials of Construction
Structural Steel
Structural Steel has been used for pipe rack in all projects executed by NPCC

Reason :
FEED requirements Other advantages are :
Speed of Construction
Better Quality Control

Execution Stages
Preliminary sizing of Pipe rack based on geometry and loading firmed up by Piping
Raise PR for procurement of items

Detailed Engineering
Construction Engineering Fabrication / Painting

Erection of Pipe rack at site

Analysis and Design Concepts

Geometrical Planning
Loading Structural Design End Connection Base Plate and Anchor Bolt Design

Foundation Design

Analysis and Design Concepts

Geometrical Planning
Grid Location Tier Elevation

Planning of Beams
Planning of Elevation Bracings Planning of Plan Bracings Expansion Joint

Geometrical Planning
Grid Location : by Piping Discipline
Basis :

Width of pipe rack : No. of pipes to be routed with future allowance. Grid distance :

Based on Piping Support requirements. Road crossing horizontal clearance

Geometrical Planning
Grid Location

Geometrical Planning

Geometrical Planning
Tier Elevations : by Piping Discipline
Basis :

To maintain the minimum headroom for the pipes crossing the roads Tie-in elevation Sloping lines

Geometrical Planning
Tier Elevation

Geometrical Planning
Planning of Beams :
Location of main beam as per Main Grid distances

provided by Piping
Location of secondary beam between Main Grid beams

depends on support for small bore pipes provided by Piping

Longitudinal beams to stabilize the Grid Frames,

transfer longitudinal forces to vertical braced bay and support secondary beam.

LARGE BORE PIPES

SMALL BORE PIPES

Geometrical Planning
Planning of Elevation Bracings
In the middle of pipe rack to allow thermal expansion of

pipe rack on either side thus minimizing thermal restraint in longitudinal direction
To transfer longitudinal forces to foundation To provide stability to pipe rack in longitudinal direction

Avoid multiple braced bay on same pipe rack to avoid thermal forces in longitudinal beams and braces

Geometrical Planning
Planning of Plan Bracings
Purpose :
To effectively transfer horizontal forces to column

Make better use of structure by introducing truss action

instead of bending.

Geometrical Planning
Expansion Joint
Purpose :

To account for thermal expansion of structure

Basis :

As per Company requirement

Methods :

Provide slotted hole connection in the longitudinal beam at all levels at identified location

Pipe rack with slotted joint as expansion joint

Loading
Loads Generated by Civil Discipline
Dead Load (DL) Live Load (LL)

Temperature Load on Structure (TL)

Earthquake Load (EQ) Wind Load (WL) Contingency Load (CL) Miscellaneous Load (ML)

Loading
Loads Furnished by Piping Discipline
Pipe Empty Load (PE) Pipe Operating Load (PO)

Pipe Hydro test Load (PT)

Pipe Anchor / Guide Load (PA) Pipe Friction Load (PF)

Loading
Dead Load (DL)
Weight of Structure Weight of Fireproofing

Weight of Grating and Handrail in case of

platforms on pipe rack

Loading
Live Load (LL)
Applicable in case platform on pipe rack Normally LL = 5 kPa, but depends on platform

use defined by Piping.

Loading
Temperature (Thermal) Load on structure

(TL)
Due to difference between highest and lowest mean

temperature and based on Design Basis. Typical value for UAE is taken as 60 deg C.
Thermal loads can be minimized by providing Flexible

Structure i.e. reduce structural redundancy.

Note : Length of slotted hole connection is based on deflection due to thermal expansion / contraction of structure.

Loading
Thermal Load

Good Design

Release of thermal stresses (free to move in both directions)

Loading
Thermal Load

Bad Design

Thermal stresses are arrested (restrained by bracings at ends)

Loading
Pipe Empty & Cable Tray Load (PE)
< 12 Pipes : ~ 1.2 kPa >=12 Pipes : concentrated load (as per Pipe

Stress Analysis) Empty Equipment Load, if any Cable Tray Load : 1 kPa for each level of cable tray

Critical for checking uplift on foundation

Loading
Pipe Operating Load (PO)
< 12 Pipes : ~ 2 kPa >=12 Pipes : concentrated load (as per Pipe

Stress Analysis)
Operating Equipment Load, if any

Loading
Pipe Hydro Test Load (PT)
To account for pressure testing of pipes As per Pipe Stress Analysis

Hydro-test weight of equipment

For larger dia pipes (>12) only one pipe hydro

tested and other pipes empty (To be confirmed by Piping Discipline and reflected in piping isometric and hydro-test specification)

Loading
Pipe Anchor / Guide Load (PA)
Load to be defined by Piping Discipline Anchoring lug configuration to be confirmed by

Civil in case of high anchor loads

Anchor Lug

Only Top flange effective

Both Flanges effective

Loading
Pipe Friction Load (PF)
Cause : Hot lines sliding across beam

Loading
Pipe Friction (PF)

For Global Check

Longitudinal direction = 5% of Pipe operating Load Transverse direction = 5% of Pipe operating Load
0.05 P

0.05 P

P = Piping Operating Load

Loading
Pipe Friction Load
For Local beam check
0.1 P 1 5 0.1 0.3 P 0.2 P

7
3 8 4 6 2 P = Piping Operating Load

Loading
Pipe Friction Load

For Local beam check

In

Longitudinal direction :

of the operating weight (no of pipes >= 7) 20% of the operating weight (no of pipes = 4 to 6) 30% of the operating weight (no of pipes <= 3) Note : Most critical load from above combination shall be considered for design
In

10%

Transverse direction :
of the operating weight

10%

Loading
Earthquake Load (EQ)
As per project geotechnical investigation and

design basis
Earthquake load to be generated for following

conditions
a) b)

Erection : DL + PE

Operating Case : DL + PO + LL

Loading
Earthquake Load (EQ)
As per IBC 2009 & ASCE-7-10, typical

parameters for ZADCO site is as follows :

Site Class = D Ss (Short period Spectral Acceleration) = 0.32 S1 (1 sec Spectral Acceleration) = 1.32 I (Importance Factor) = 1 (depends on occupancy category) R (Response Reduction Factor) = 3.5 (for ordinary moment resisting frames) = 7.0 (for special truss frames) Earthquake Load is generated in STAAD-Pro as per parameters defined in Design Basis.

Loading
Wind Load (WL)
As per project design basis
As per ASCE-7-10, typical parameters for ADCO site is as

follows :

Basic wind speed (V) = 44.7 m/sec Importance factor (I) = 1.15 Exposure Category = C Wind Directionality Factor (Kd) = 0.85

Topographic factor (Kzt) = 1.0

Velocity Pressure Coefficient (Kz) = depends on height of structure Velocity Pressure (qz) = 0.613 x Kz x Kzt xKd x V2 x I

Loading
Wind Load

Gust effect factor (G) = 0.85 Force coefficient Cf = 2 for flat surface members Cf = 0.8 for tubular members

Wind Force on members = qz x G x Cf x size of member

Wind Load on Pipes = qz x G x Cf x (Pipe Dia)

Pipe Dia = D1+D2+D3 for pipe rack width <=4m Pipe Dia = D1+D2+D3+D4 for pipe rack width > 4m

D1, D2, D3 and D4 are largest pipe dia in descending order.

Loading
Contingency Load (CL)
To account for accidental load on members (e.g.

maintenance load)
Shall be considered for the design of local member For Beam Design = 10 kN at midspan

Loading
Miscellaneous Load, if applicable (ML)
Crane Load Dynamic Load (considered as equivalent static load) Blast Load

Structural Design
Member end releases
Support Condition at base plate level Load Combinations

Design Parameters
Support reactions

Structural Design
Member end releases
Main Grid members transverse direction : fixed Main Grid members longitudinal direction : pinned Vertical bracings : pinned (to account for local bending

due to fireproofing load)

Secondary beams : pinned Plan Bracings : Truss

Structural Design
Member end release

Fixed Pinned Truss

Structural Design
Member end release
Pinned Connection Fixed Connection
Truss Connection

Structural Design
Support Condition at base plate level

Fixed Base

Pinned Base

Structural Design
Support Condition at base plate level
Fixed in transverse and pinned in longitudinal

Reduce main frame column and beam size Reduce lateral deflection

Increase base plate size, anchor bolt, pedestal and footing size

Reduction in structural steel Increase in foundation concrete

Structural Design
Support Condition at base plate level

Pinned in both direction

Increase main frame column and beam size Increase lateral deflection Decrease base plate size, anchor bolt, pedestal and footing size Reduction in foundation concrete Increase in structural steel

Choose support condition to maintain balance between structural and foundation system

Structural Design
Load Combinations
Erection Case :

0.6 (DL+PE) + WL (or 0.7EQ)

Operating Case :

DL+TL+LL+PO+PA+PF+CL
DL+TL+PO+PA+PF+0.75(LL+WL) DL+TL+PO+PA+PF+0.75(LL+0.7EQ)

DL+TL+PO+PA+PF+WL
DL+TL+PO+PA+PF+0.7EQ

Structural Design
Load Combinations
Test Case :

DL+TL+PT+LL DL+TL+PT+0.75(LL+0.5WL)

DL+TL+PT+0.5WL
DL+TL+PO+PA+PF+ML

Maintenance Case :

DL+TL+PO+PA+PF+0.75(LL+ML)
DL+TL+PO+PA+PF (Full)+CL

Local member Case :

Structural Design
Design Parameters
Design code and method of analysis Yield strength of steel

Slenderness ratio limit

Unsupported length of member in major and minor axis

(Ly & Lz)

Unsupported length of compression flange (UNB, UNT) Deflection limit (DFF) Deflection parameters (DJ1, DJ2)

Structural Design
Support Reaction
Obtained from STAAD-Pro For base plate and anchor bolt sizing For pedestal and foundation design

End Connection
Welded Type
For onshore projects, complete welded pipe rack

modules is not feasible due to :

Size restrictions

imposed by Local Transport

Authority
Hindrances

at site due to existing facilities

End Connection
Shop Weld :

Used for gusset plate, base plate welding

Field Weld :

Limited to few location

FEED requirement

Expensive and poor quality control

End Connection
Bolted Type
FEED requirement Easy to install and remove Easy to transport at site in small assembly

Base Plate and Anchor Bolt Design

Base Plate and Anchor Bolt Design

Base Plate
Design based on support reaction from STAAD-Pro Size depends on

Allowable bearing stress on grout due to Compression + Bending from superstructure Anchor bolt spacing on base plate Bearing stress in grout Tensile force in anchor bolt

Thickness depends on bending stress caused due to

Thickness can be reduced by providing stiffeners

Base Plate and Anchor Bolt Design

Anchor Bolt

Design is based on support reactions from STAAD-Pro Size and arrangement depends on Tension + Bending from superstructure Designed to carry on tension force Shear from superstructure to be carried by shear key Minimum spacing >= 7 x dia of bolt Minimum edge distance from concrete >= 4 x dia of bolt

Foundation Design
Type of foundation

Depends on bearing capacity and settlement criteria Generally shallow isolated foundation

Deep foundations (pile) in case of unusual foundation loads

For isolated footing, foundation depth preferred 1.5 m below grade to allow space for utilities (e.g. cable trenches, UG pipes etc)

Foundation Design
Stability Checks

Bearing capacity for individual footing design Overturning and Sliding for overall pipe rack structure with foundation.

Optimization Idea
Reduce the piping load on pipe rack by using loads from

Stress analysis output

Place heavy Loads on lower tier and near support Reduce thermal load on pipe rack (long stretches) by

introduction of loops
Use of high yield strength steel to reduce usage of

structural steel --> reduction in foundation --> Ultimately reduction in overall cost.

Summary
Planning of beams & bracings : It plays a key role in the

overall economy of pipe rack structure and foundation

Understanding of loading application Various design aspects such as member releases, support at

base plate level, load combinations, design parameters, end connection type, base plate and foundation design
Optimization Idea

Acknowledgement
Mr. Rachid Younis (EM-Civil)

Thank You