The Designer, Stress Problems and

Stress Training
Stress related technical and execution problems in the design of process plant piping are
complex and must be addressed properly. There will be some Piping Designers, Stress
Engineers and others who read this and say that they agree. Others may say that they
do not agree. Others will just not know one way or the other. This discussion, while not
covering solutions to every potential problem, is intended only to highlight some of the
most common stress related factors and designer training needs

There are five basic factors that influence piping and therefore piping
stress in the process plant. There is temperature, pressure, weight, force and
vibration. These factors will come in many forms and at different times.
Stress problems become all the more complex because two or more of these
will exist at the same time in the same piping system. The main objective of
the focus when dealing with problems related to piping systems is not
normally the pipe itself. In a very high percentage of the time it is not the
pipe that is the weakest link. Note this: the pipe is normally stronger and/or
less vulnerable to damage than what the pipe is connected to. Pumps are
just one examples of equipment to which pipes are routinely connected.
Misalignment problems caused by expansion (or contraction) in a poorly
designed system can result in major equipment failure. Equipment failures
can lead to the potential for fire, plant shutdown and loss of revenue. At this
point it should be emphasized that the success (or failure) of the plants
operation, years down the road can and will depend on what is done up front
by all the members of the design team during the design stage. An important
point to remember, While analysis cannot create a good design, it can
confirm a good design (Improved Pump Load Evaluation, Hydrocarbon
Processing, April 1998, By: David W. Diehl, COADE Engineering Software,
Inc Houston, TX). On the other hand, proper analysis will identify bad design
and potential problems in a piping system design.

Stress Related Design Factors

Temperatures in piping systems may range from well over 1000o F
(537.8 C) on the high side to below -200 o F (-128.8 C) on the low side. Each
extreme on the temperature scale and everything in between brings its own
problems. There will also be times when both high and low temperatures
can occur in the same piping system. An example of this would be in piping
that is installed in an arctic environment. The piping is installed outdoors
where it is subjected to -100 o F (-73.3 C) over the arctic winter. Six to nine
months later it is finally commissioned started up and may operate at five or
six hundred degrees.
The problems that temperature causes is expansion (or contraction)
in the piping system. Expansion or contraction in a piping system is an
absolute. No matter what the designer or the stress engineer does they
cannot prevent the action caused by heat or cold. Expansion or contraction
in a piping system it self is not so much a problem. As we all know if a bare

pipe was just lying on the ground in the middle of a dry barren desert it will
absorb a lot of heat from just solar radiation. In the hot sun piece of pipe can
reached 150 o F (65.5 C). The pipe will expand and with both ends loose it
would not be a problem. However, when you connect the pipe to something,
even if only one end is connected you may begin to have expansion related
problems. When the pipe is anchored or connected to something at both
ends you absolutely will have expansion induced problems. Expansion
induced problems in a piping system is stress. There are a number of ways
to handle expansion in piping systems. Flexible routing is the first and by far
the cheapest and safest method for handling expansion in piping systems.
The other way is the use of higher cost and less reliable flexible elements
such as expansion joints.
Stress will exist in every piping system. If not identified and the
proper action taken, stress will cause failure to equipment or elements in the
piping system itself. Stress results in forces at equipment nozzles and at
anchor pipe supports. Two piping configurations with the same pipe size,
shape, dimensions, temperature and material but with different wall
schedules (sch. 40 vs. sch. 160) will not generate the same stress.
Force in piping systems is not independent of the other factors.
Primarily, force (as related to piping systems) is the result of expansion
(temperature) and/or pressure acting on a piping configuration that is too
stiff. This may cause the failure of a pipe support system or it may cause the
damage or failure of a piece of equipment. Force, and the expansion that
causes it, is best handled by a more flexible routing of the piping. Some
people suggest that force can be reduced by the use of expansion joints.
However we must remember that for an expansion joint to work there must
be an opposite and equal force at both ends to make the element work. This
tends to compound the problem rather than lessen it.
Pressure in piping systems also range from the very high to the very
low. Piping systems with pressure as high as 35,000 psi in some plants are
not unusual. On the other hand piping systems with pressures approaching
full vacuum are also not unusual. The pressure (or lack of) in a piping
system effects the wall thickness of the pipe. When you increase the wall
thickness of the pipe you do two things. First, you increase the weight of the
pipe. Second, you increase the stiffness of the pipe thus the stress
intensification affecting forces. Increasing the wall thickness of the pipe is
the primary method of compensating for increases in pressure. Other ways,
depending on many factors include changing to a different material. With low
or vacuum systems there are also other ways to prevent the collapse of the
pipe wall. Among these the primary method is the addition of stiffening rings.
Stiffing rings may be added internally or externally depending on the
commodity type and the conditions.
Weight in a piping system is expressed normally as dead load. The weight of a piping
system at any given point is made up of many elements. These include the weight of the
pipe, the fittings, the valves, any attachments, and the insulation. There is also the test
media (e. g. hydrotest water) or the process commodity whichever has the greater

specific gravity. Piping systems are heavy, period. Everybody involved in the project
needs to understand this and be aware that this weight exists and it needs to be
supported. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred this weight will be supported from a
structural pipe support (primary pipe support system) of some kind. However there are
times when the piping (weight) is supported from a vessel or other type of equipment.

Vibrations will also occur in piping systems and come in two types.
There is the basic mechanical vibration caused by the machines that the
piping is connected to. Then, there is acoustic (or harmonic) vibration
caused by the characteristics of the system itself. Typically the only place
severe vibrations will be found is in piping connected to equipment such as
positive displacement reciprocating pumps or high pressure multi-stage
reciprocating compressors and where there is very high velocity gas flows.

All of the issues listed above that a piping system is exposed to need
to be covered in a company specific or company sponsored piping designer,
stress-related training program. This piping designer, stress-related training
should be done at the department level, early in the designers career and
prior to the start of the project. Unfortunately however this is not always the
case.
By definition, the role of the piping designer is to design the plant
piping systems. This means design all of the system. Design all of the
system means that the piping designer shall define the proper routing of
each and every pipeline required for the project. This includes each and
every inline component (pipe, valves, fittings, flanges, instruments, etc.),
every online component (anchors, guides, hangers, etc.). It includes the
definition of any attached piece of equipment and the definition of every
support point. To do this and do it properly the designer must know about
piping stress issues and know what to do about them. The designer is
responsible for a lot and so they need to know a lot.
Is there any risk involved to the company or the project in not doing
this stress related designer training? Yes! First, a designer who is nave
about the cause and effect of stress related problems would not be able to
recognize the symptoms and will burn a lot of budget hours and create bad
designs. Second, bad designs are subject to the domino effect when the
need for corrective action is finally identified and taken then other lines get
pushed and then modifications to them are required. Third, when the bad
design does get to the stress engineer for analysis there is the potential for
repeated recycle and a serious delay in the design issue schedule.

Designer Stress Training

What does the piping designer need to know? Piping design is more
than just knowing how to turn on the computer, how to find the piping menus
and the difference between paper space and model space. So, appropriately,

what else does the designer need to know about piping design besides how
to connect a piece of pipe to a fitting?

Here is a list of some of the most basic of things that a good piping
designer should know. Thinking about every one of these items should be as
natural as breathing for a good piping designer.

Allowable pipe spans All designer need to know and understand the
span capabilities of pipe in the different schedules for a wide variety of
common piping materials. When a new project introduces a new material
with severely reduced span capabilities; supplemental training may be
required.
Expansion of pipe All designers must understand that they need to
treat a piping system as though it is alive. It has a temperature and that
temperature causes it to grow and move. That growth and movement
must be allowed for and incorporated in the overall design. Not just of
that specific line but for all other lines close by. The process of
expansion in a pipe or group of pipes will also exert frictional forces or
anchor forces on the pipe supports they come in contact with.
Routing for flexibility The piping designer must understand how to
route pipe for flexibility. Routing for flexibility can normally be achieved in
the most natural routing of the pipeline from its origin to its terminus.
Routing for flexibility means (a) do not run a pipe in a straight line from
origin to terminus and (b) building flexibility into the pipe routing is far
cheaper and more reliable than expansion joints.
Weight and loads (live loads and dead loads) The piping designer
needs to understand the effects of weight and loading. They need to
know and understand that everything has a weight. They need to be
able recognize when there is going to be a concentrated load. They
need to have access to basic weight tables for all the standard pipe
schedules, pipe fittings, flanges, valves for steel pipe. They also need to
have the weight tables for other materials or a table of correction factors
for these other materials vs. carbon steel. They need to be able to
recognize when downward expansion in a piping system is present and
is adding live loads to a support or equipment nozzle.
Equipment piping The piping designer needs to know the right and
the wrong way to pipe up (connect pipe to) different kinds of equipment.
This includes pumps, compressors, exchangers, filters or any special
equipment to be used on a specific project.
Vessel piping The piping designer also needs to understand about
the connecting, supporting and guiding of piping attached to vessels
(horizontal or vertical) and tanks. They need to know that nozzle loading
is important and does have limitations.
Rack piping The designer needs to understand that there is a logical
approach to the placement of piping in (or on) a pipe rack. It does not
matter how wide or how high the rack or what kind of plant, the logic still

applies. Starting from one or both outside edges the largest and hottest
lines are sequenced in such a manner that allows for the nesting of any
required expansion loops. The spacing of the lines must also allow for
the bowing effect at the loops caused by the expansion.
Expansion loops The designer needs to understand and be able to
use simple rules and methods for sizing loops in rack piping. This should
include the most common sizes, schedules and materials.
Cold spring/Pre-spring Designers should understand the basics rules
of cold spring and pre-spring. They need to understand what each one is
along with when to and when not to use each.

Piping Designer or Piping Drafter

Any piping designer that has this type of training, this type of knowledge and then
consistently applies is indeed a piping designer. He or she will also be a more valuable
asset to their company and to themselves in the market place. On the other hand anyone
who does not know or does not apply the knowledge about these issues while doing piping
work is nothing more than a piping drafter or a CAD operator.
James O. Pennock is a former Piper with more than 45 years experience covering
process plant engineering, design, training, pipe fabrication and construction. He is now
retired and lives in Florida, USA.