9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.

3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping

http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 1/14
ASME B 31.3 is the bible of process piping engineering
and every piping engineer should frequently use this
code for his knowledge enhancement. But to study a
code similar to B 31.3 is time consuming and also
difficult because the contents are not at all interesting.
Also every now and then it will say to refer to some
other point of the code which will irritate you. But still
every piping engineer should learn few basic points
from it. The following literature will try to point out 11
basic and useful points from the code about which
every piping engineer must be aware.
1. What is the scope of ASME B 31.3? What does it
covers and what does not?

Ans: Refer to the ASME B 31.3-Process Piping section from my earlier post.
Link: http://www.whatispiping.com/?p=44
Alternatively refer the below attached figure ( Figure 300.1.1 from code ASME B 31.3)
What is Piping
An attempt to explain process piping engineering basics in detail to help all the process piping engineering
professionals around the world.
HOME ABOUT US PIPING STRESS PIPING SUPPORTS PIPING DESIGN FORUM
PRIVACY POLICY CONTACT US MISC.
14th August 2013 Anup ANSI B 31.3 14 Comments
11 most important questions & answers from
ASME B 31.3 which a Piping stress engineer
must know
Learn More
Highest Possible Weld Energy --
Lowest Possible Weld Heat
TiP TiG USA
44 1 1
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 2/14
2. What are the disturbing parameters against which the piping system must be designed?
Ans: The piping system must stand strong (should not fail) against the following major effects:
Design Pressure and Temperature: Each component thickness must be sufficient to withstand most severe
combination of temperature and pressure.
Ambient effects like pressure reduction due to cooling, fluid expansion effect, possibility of moisture
condensation and build up of ice due to atmospheric icing, low ambient temperature etc.
Dynamic effects like impact force due to external or internal unexpected conditions, Wind force, Earthquake
force, Vibration and discharge (Relief valve) reaction forces, cyclic effects etc.
Component self weight including insulation, rigid body weights along with the medium it transport.
Thermal expansion and contraction effects due to resistance from free displacement or due to thermal gradients
(thermal bowing effect) etc.
Movement of pipe supports or connected equipments etc.
3. How to calculate the allowable stress for a carbon steel pipe?
Ans: The material allowable stress for any material other than bolting material, cast iron and malleable iron are the
minimum of the following:
1. one-third of tensile strength at maximum temperature.
2. two-thirds of yield strength at maximum temperature.
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 3/14
3. for austenitic stainless steels and nickel alloys having similar stressstrain behavior, the lower of two thirds of
yield strength and 90% of yield strength at temperature.
4. 100% of the average stress for a creep rate of 0.01% per 1 000 h
5. 67% of the average stress for rupture at the end of 100 000 h
6. 80% of the minimum stress for rupture at the end of 100 000 h
7. for structural grade materials, the basic allowable stress shall be 0.92 times the lowest value determined (1)
through (6) above.
4. What is the allowable for Sustained, Occasional and Expansion Stress as per ASME B 31.3?
Ans: Calculated sustained stress (SL)< Sh (Basic allowable stress at maximum temperature)
Calculated occasional stress including sustained stress< 1.33 Sh
Calculated expansion stress< SA = f [ 1.25( Sc + Sh) SL]
Here f =stress range factor, Sc =basic allowable stress at minimum metal temperature and SL=calculated sustained
stress. The sustained stress (SL) is calculated using the following code formulas:

Here,
Ii = sustained in-plane moment index. In the absence of more applicable data, Ii is taken asthe greater of 0.75ii or
1.00.
Io = sustained out-plane moment index. In the absence of more applicable data, Io is taken as the greater of 0.75io
or 1.00.
Mi = in-plane moment due to sustained loads, e.g.,pressure and weight
Mo = out-plane moment due to sustained loads, e.g.,pressure and weight
Z = sustained section modulus
It = sustained torsional moment index. In the absence of more applicable data, It is taken
as 1.00.
Mt = torsional moment due to sustained loads, e.g.,pressure and weight
Ap = cross-sectional area of the pipe, considering nominal pipe dimensions less allowances;
Fa = longitudinal force due to sustained loads, e.g.,pressure and weight
Ia = sustained longitudinal force index. In the absence of more applicable data, Ia is taken as 1.00.
5. What are steps for calculating the pipe thickness for a 10 inch carbon steel (A 106-Grade B) pipe carrying a fluid
with design pressure 15 bar and design temperatre of 250 degree centigrade?
Ans: The pipe thickness (t) for internal design pressure (P) is calculated from the following equation.
Here, D=Outside diameter of pipe, obtain the diameter from pipe manufacturer standard.
S=stress value at design temperature from code Table A-1
E=quality factor from code Table A-1A or A-1B
W=weld joint strength reduction factor from code
Y=coefficient from code Table 304.1.1
Using the above formula calculate the pressure design thickness, t.
Now add the sum of the mechanical allowances (thread or groove depth) plus corrosion and erosion allowances if
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 4/14
any with t to get minimum required thickness, tm.
Next add the mill tolerance with this value to get calculated pipe thickness. For seamless pipe the mill tolerance is
12.5% under tolerance. So calculated pipe thickness will be tm/(1-0.125)=tm/0.875.
Now accept the available pipe thickness (based on next nearest higher pipe schedule) just higher than the calculated
value from manufacturer standard thickness tables.
6. How many types of fluid services are available for process piping?
Ans: In process piping industry following fluid services are available..
Category D Fluid Service: nonflammable, nontoxic, and not damaging to human tissues, the design pressure
does not exceed 150 psig, the design temperature is from -20 degree F to 366 degree F.
Category M Fluid Service: a fluid service in which the potential for personnel exposure is judged to be significant
and in which a single exposure to a very small quantity of a toxic fluid, caused by leakage, can produce serious
irreversible harm to persons on breathing or bodily contact, even when prompt restorative measures are taken.
Elavated Temperature Fluid service: a fluid service in which the piping metal temperature is sustained equal to
or greater than Tcr (Tcr=temperature 25C (50F) below the temperature identifying the start of time-
dependent properties).
Normal Fluid Service: a fluid service pertaining to most piping covered by this Code, i.e., not subject to the rules
for Category D, Category M, Elevated Temperature, High Pressure, or High Purity Fluid Service.
High Pressure Fluid Service: a fluid service for which the owner specifies the use of Chapter IX for piping design
and construction. High pressure is considered herein to be pressure in excess of that allowed by the ASME B16.5
Class 2500 rating for the specified design temperature and material group.
High Purity Fluid Service: a fluid service that requires alternative methods of fabrication, inspection,
examination, and testing not covered elsewhere in the Code, with the intent to produce a controlled level of
cleanness. The term thus applies to piping systems defined for other purposes as high purity, ultra high purity,
hygienic, or aseptic.
7. What do you mean by the term SIF?
Ans: The stress intensification factor or SIF is an intensifier of bending or torsional stress local to a piping
component such as tees, elbows and has a value great than or equal to 1.0. Its value depends on component
geometry. Code B 31.3 Appendix D (shown in below figure) provides formulas to calculate the SIF values.
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 5/14

8. When do you feel that a piping system is not required formal stress analysis?
Ans: Formal pipe stress analysis will not be required if any of the following 3 mentioned criteria are satisfied:
1. if the system duplicates, or replaces without significant change, a system operating with a successful service
record (operating successfully for more than 10 years without major failure).
2. if the system can readily be judged adequate by comparison with previously analyzed systems.
3. if the system is of uniform size, has no more than two points of fixation, no intermediate restraints, and falls
within the limitations of empirical equation mentioned below:
Here,
D = outside diameter of pipe, mm (in.)
Ea = reference modulus of elasticity at 21C (70F),MPa (ksi)
K1 = 208 000 SA/Ea, (mm/m)2 = 30 SA/Ea, (in./ft)2
L = developed length of piping between anchors,m (ft)
SA = allowable displacement stress range
U = anchor distance, straight line between anchors,m (ft)
y = resultant of total displacement strains, mm (in.), to be absorbed by the piping system
9. How will you calculate the displacement (Expansion) stress range for a piping system?
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 6/14
Ans: Expansion stress range (SE) for a complex piping system is normally calculated using softwares like Caesar II
or AutoPipe. However, the same can be calculated using the following code equations:

here
Ap = cross-sectional area of pipe
Fa = range of axial forces due to displacement strains between any two conditions being evaluated
ia = axial stress intensification factor. In the absence of more applicable data, ia p 1.0 for elbows, pipe bends, and
miter bends (single, closely spaced, and widely spaced), and ia =io (or i when listed) in Appendix D for other
components;
it = torsional stress intensification factor. In the absence of more applicable data, it=1.0;
Mt = torsional moment
Sa = axial stress range due to displacement strains= iaXFa/Ap
Sb = resultant bending stress
St = torsional stress= itXMt/2Z
Z = section modulus of pipe
ii = in-plane stress intensification factor from Appendix D
io = out-plane stress intensification factor from Appendix D
Mi = in-plane bending moment
Mo = out-plane bending moment
Sb = resultant bending stress
10. What do you mean by the term Cold Spring?
Ans: Cold spring is the intentional initial deformation applied to a piping system during assembly to produce a
desired initial displacement and stress. Cold spring is beneficial in that it serves to balance the magnitude of stress
under initial and extreme displacement conditions.
When cold spring is properly applied there is less likelihood of overstrain during initial operation; hence, it is
recommended especially for piping materials of limited ductility. There is also less deviation from as installed
dimensions during initial operation, so that hangers will not be displaced as far from their original settings.
However now a days most of the EPC organizations does not prefer the use of Cold Spring while analysis any
system.
11. How to decide whether Reinforcement is required for a piping branch connection or not?
Ans: When a branch connection is made in any parent pipe the pipe connection is weakened by the opening that is
made in it. So it is required that the wall thickness after the opening must be sufficiently in excess of the required
thickness to sustain the pressure. This requirement is checked by calculating the required reinforcement area (A1)
and available reinforcement area (A2+A3+A4) and if available area is more than the required area then no
reinforcement is required. Otherwise additional reinforcement need to be added. The equations for calculating the
required and available area are listed below for your information from the code. Please refer the code for notations
used:
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 7/14


Related Posts:
1. Major Stress related differences in Between 2012 edition and 2010 edition of ASME B 31.3
2. Centrifugal Pumps: Interview questions for a Piping stress engineer
3. Piping Stress Job Interview Questions: Part 7
4. Piping Stress Job Interview Questions: Part 5
5. STORAGE TANK PIPING STRESS ANALYSIS AS PER API 650 USING CAESAR II
6. Piping Stress Job Interview questions: Part 3
7. Piping Stress Job Interview questions
More In ANSI B 31.3
Piping Engineer required for Saudi Arabia for Al Suroor United Group.
Piping Engineer required for Saudi Arabia for Al Suroor United Group. Job Responsibilities: The probable
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 8/14
candidate should Perform stress analysis of piping systems using
CAESARread more
Few Important points for Stress Analysis based on ASME B
31.4
All my previous articles in this website describe stress analysis methodology using
Caesar II based on ASME B 31.3. But I received requests from fewread more
Routing Of Flare And Relief Valve Piping: An article-Part 1
The purpose of this article is to provide a brief idea of Flare and Relief Valve piping
highlighting the important points. Due to long lengthread more
This article has 14 comments
arun
Wednesday 11 December 2013, 4:05 pm
Please clarify my following doubts
1) the equation provided for the sustain is bit different what i learned ( PD/4t+M/Z+F/A) ..but in your
equation u havent consiederd longitunal stress but considered torsioanl stress.please clarify me?
2) in the equation for expansion stress tosional stress is to be corrected
please correct me if iam wrong
Regards
arun
Reply
Anup
Wednesday 11 December 2013, 6:57 pm
Regarding your confusion:
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 9/14
I suggest you to read the latest version of the ASME B 31.3 code. Caesar used to calculate
the stress following your equation as no code equation was available in earlier versions of
the code. But now B 31.3 provides equations for calculating sustained stress.
The torsional term is also included in expansion stress calculation in latest version of the
code.
Thanks for reading my blog. Request you to subscribe with your email to get instant
updation about any of my posts.
Reply
arun
Wednesday 11 December 2013, 9:10 pm
Thanks for your quick reply .and clarify my doubts
iam satisfied with your reply ..
1) still iam confused that why did they ddint use Longitudinal stress Pd/4t in new
equation?
2) In previous version was also considered torsional stress in expansion stress
as
Sqrt of Sb2 +4St2..in your equation 4st2 have changed to 2st2
.,..this also new changes in new version?
thankx in advance
arun
Reply
Abba
Wednesday 11 December 2013, 8:59 pm
I find this site very informative. I have just attended an Intergraph C2 training for both statics and
dynamic.
thank you for sharing
Reply
rahul sapra
Tuesday 18 March 2014, 3:20 pm
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 10/14
Dear Admin,
Please send basic material for learning CAESAR II software which you got during your
training since i am new to this.
Reply
pjs Doudoune Homme
Friday 20 December 2013, 3:09 am
Hi there, I enjoy reading all of your article. I wanted to write a little comment to support you.
Reply
ralph lauren sweden
Friday 20 December 2013, 12:21 pm
Good day! I simply want to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent
information you have got here on this post.
I will be coming back to your site for more soon.
Reply
vest
Saturday 21 December 2013, 6:42 pm
Heya im for the first time here. I found this board and I
find It really useful & it helped me out much.
I hope to give something back and help others like you aided me.
Reply
pjs jakker
Sunday 22 December 2013, 2:06 am
I like it when individuals come together and share thoughts.
Great website, stick with it!
Reply
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 11/14
woolrich store
Sunday 22 December 2013, 11:12 pm
Wow, this paragraph is nice, my younger sister is analyzing these things,
therefore I am going to let know her.
Reply
billig parajumpers
Monday 23 December 2013, 12:53 pm
I couldnt refrain from commenting. Very well
written!
Reply
Bart
Tuesday 24 December 2013, 3:58 am
Hi there! I could have sworn Ive visited this web site before
but after looking at many of the posts I realized its new to me.
Regardless, Im definitely delighted I came across it and Ill be book-marking it
and checking back often!
Reply
chaussures de football
Tuesday 24 December 2013, 4:51 pm
Hi there, just wnted to mention, I liked this blog post.
Keep on poting!
Reply
KK
Saturday 7 June 2014, 11:57 am
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 12/14
Previous Next
Leave a Reply
Name*
Email*
Website
Submit Comment
Search this Website
My Engineer advice me cut the dummy support 150mm which is suppose to be sit in the platform frame
after cutting the grating as per design and welded in a pad for a fire water 250mm line .due to elevation
difference of 25~ 40 mm they want don.t want to cut the grating rather than cut the horizontal dummy
leg and weld it 25~40 mm below without shifting the pad or not weld addition pad. I cant agree .Please
suggest whether pad can be eccentric i.e on the top maximum 70 mm and on bottom 5mm from the OD
of dummy leg.
Reply
Search

9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 13/14
Popular posts
Step by Step Methods for WRC 107 and WRC 297 Checking in Caesar II
11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 which a Piping stress engineer must know
Stess Analysis of PSV connected Piping systems using Caesar II
Stress Analysis of Pump Piping (Centrifugal) System using Caesar II
STORAGE TANK PIPING STRESS ANALYSIS AS PER API 650 USING CAESAR II
Methods for flange leakage checking by Pressure Equivalent Method using Caesar II
Must have Load cases for stress analysis of a typical piping system using Caesar II
Spring hanger selection and design guidelines for a Piping engineer using Caesar II
Trunnion Checking or Dummy Checking during stress analysis of a piping system
Top 12 must have Piping books for a begineer into Piping industry
Stress Analysis of Column piping system using Caesar II
Piping Stress Job Interview questions for you: Part 1
Flange Leakage checking in Caesar II using ASME Section VIII method
Nozzle Loading of Various Equipments and means for reducing them
Centrifugal Pumps: Interview questions for a Piping stress engineer
9/17/2014 11 most important questions & answers from ASME B 31.3 for a Piping stress engineer | What is Piping
http://www.whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3 14/14
Subscribe by Email to get updates
Enter your email address:
Subscribe
Delivered by FeedBurner
Archives
Select Month
Categories
Select Category
Sitemap
SiteMap
WordPress Theme Theme by WPExplorer