DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

CONTENTS
1.0

2.0

OBJECTIVE

1.1

Design Objective as a Civil/Structural Engineer

1.2

PIPE SUPPORT OBJECTIVE

CODES, STANDARDS AND REFERENCE BOOKS, DOCUMENTS IN

THIS GUIDE

3.0

ABBREVIATION

4.0

PIPE SUPPORTS DUTY

5.0

PIPE SUPPORTS LOCATION

6.0

TYPES OF PIPE SUPPORTS

6.1

Rigid Support

6.2

Spring support (BY PIPING)

6.3

Snubber /shock absorber (BY PIPING)

10

6.4

SUPPLEMENTARY STEEL

10

7.0

RESPONSIBILITY

11

7.1

BY PIPING

11

7.2

BY CIVIL

11

7.3

PIPE SUPPORT ON PIPERACK

11

8.0

SUPPORTS (RESTRAINT)

12

9.0

INPUT PIPING DESIGN LOADS TO STAAD-PRO

12

9.1

LOADS ON PIPE SUPPORT MODEL

12

9.2

HYDROSTATIC TEST LOAD

12

9.3

SUSTAINED LOAD

12

9.4

OPERATION LOAD

13

9.5

OPERATION AND WIND LOAD

13

9.6

FRICTION LOAD

13

10.0

TYPES OF SUPPORTS (IMAGE)

15

11.0

AXIS OF DIFFERENT BETWEEN PIPING & CIVIL (STAAD-PRO)

17

12.0

INPUT AND OUTPUT SIGN

18

13.0

DESIGN PARARMETER

18

14.0

CLIPS LOADING TO VENDOR

19

14.1

CONSTRUCTABILITY EXAMPLE

19

15.0

SCOPE OF WORKING RESPONSIBILITY

19

16.0

CONNECTION OF PIPE SUPPORT

19

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

1.0

OBJECTIVE
The design guide for pipe support is to provide the Civil Engineer to consider the
design and construction of the design processes.
(The specification mainly described as on pipe rack and attached on the vessel)*

1.1

Design Objective as a Civil/Structural Engineer

Civil/Structural Engineers need to know how difficult to design pipe support with a safe
& economical design to support the piping loads, especially when final piping drawings
are not available. Civil/Structural Engineers are last to get all the information but the
first group required to produce construction drawings to meet the specifications and
schedules.

1.2

PIPE SUPPORT OBJECTIVE

The layout and design of piping and its supporting elements shall be directed toward
preventing the following:
a) piping stresses in excess of those permitted in this Code
b) leakage at joints
c) excessive thrusts and moments on connected equipment (such as pumps and
turbines)
d) excessive stresses in the supporting (or restraining) elements
e) resonance with imposed or fluid-induced vibrations
f)

excessive interference with thermal expansion and contraction in piping which is

otherwise adequately flexible

g) unintentional disengagement of piping from its supports

h) excessive piping sag in piping requiring drainage slope
i)

excessive distortion or sag of piping (e.g., thermoplastics) subject to creep

under conditions of repeated thermal cycling

j)

excessive heat flow, exposing supporting elements to temperature extremes

outside their design limits

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

2.0

CODES, STANDARDS AND REFERENCE BOOKS, DOCUMENTS IN THIS GUIDE

ASME 31.1 & 31.3 Power Piping & Process Piping
MSS SP-58 Pipe Hangers and Supports - Materials, Design, and Manufacture
MSS SP-69 ANSI/MSS Edition Pipe Hangers and Supports - Selection and Application
MSS SP-77 Guidelines for Pipe Support Contractual Relationships
MSS SP-89 Pipe Hangers and Supports -Fabrication and Installation Practices
MSS SP-90 Guidelines on Terminology for Pipe Hangers and Supports
PIPING AND PIPE SUPPORT SYSTEMS
(Paul R.Smith, P.E & Thomas J. Van Lann, P.E)

3.0

ABBREVIATION
SPS

Special Pipe Support

HYD

Hydro test

SUS

Suspension

OPE

Operation

OPE+Wind -

Operation with Wind

FRIC

Friction

SW

Self-Weight

DL

Dead Load

LL

Live Load

VDB

Vendor Data Base

VDBC

Vendor Data Base Comment

IDC

Internal Discipline Check

IFR

Issued For Review

IFC

Issued For Construction

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

4.0

5.0

6.0

PIPE SUPPORTS DUTY

Support piping system loads

Restrain or guide piping system elements

Permit movement of our piping system

Transmit pipe loads to structural members

Prevent heat transfer to the surrounding structure

To carry load

To ensure that material is not stressed beyond a safe limit

Holdup of liquid can occurred due to pipe sagging (allow draining)

To permit thermal expansion

To withstand and dampen vibrational forces applied to the piping

PIPE SUPPORTS LOCATION

(On pipe racks & vessel)*

Near grade on sleeper

In trench

Near steelwork or equipment

TYPES OF PIPE SUPPORTS

1.
2.
3.
4.

6.1

Rigid Support
Spring Support
Snubber /shock absorber
Supplementary steel

Rigid Support
Rigid supports are used to restrict pipe in certain direction(s) without any flexibility (in
that direction).
Main function of a rigid support can be Anchor, Rest, Guide or both Rest & Guide.
For supporting elements shall be based on the loadings: including the weight of the
fluid transported or the fluid used for testing, whichever is heavier.
Exceptions may be made in the case of supporting elements for large size gas or air
piping, exhaust steam, relief or safety valve relief piping, but only under the conditions
where the possibility of the line becoming full of water or other liquid is very remote.

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

Stanchion/Pipe Shoe
Rigid support can be provided either from bottom or top.
In case of bottom supports generally a stanchion or Pipe Clamp Base is used.
It can be simply kept on steel structure for only rest type supports. To simultaneously
restrict in another direction separate plate or Lift up Lug can be used.
A pipe anchor is a rigid support that restricts movement in all three orthogonal
directions and all three rotational directions, i.e. restricting all the 6 degrees of
freedom. This usually is a welded stanchion that is welded or bolted to steel or
concrete.
(In case of anchor which is bolted to concrete, a special type of bolt is required called
Anchor Bolt, which is used to hold the support with concrete.)
Resting

To support the pipe weight & is generally used where little or no pipe
movement is anticipated.

Guides

Pipe lines containing expansion joints or other where lateral pipe movement
needs to be controlled.

Permits movement along pipe axis

Prevents lateral movement

May permit pipe rotation

Where guides are provided to restrain, direct, or absorb piping movements, their
design shall take into account the forces and moments at these elements
caused by internal pressure and thermal expansion.

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

Stopper

For pressure testing and stopping all pipework.

Anchor

Full fixation

Permits very limited (if any) translation or rotation

Where anchors are provided to restrain, direct, or absorb piping movements,

their design shall take into account the forces and moments at these elements
caused by internal pressure and thermal expansion.

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

Other types of support

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

Rod Hanger(By Piping)
It is a static restraint i.e. it is designed to withstand tensile load only (no compression
load should be exerted on it; in such case buckling may take place). It is rigid vertical
type support provide from top only. As it comes with hinge and clamp, no
substantial frictional force comes into play.

Rigid Strut(By Piping)

It is a dynamic component i.e. is designed to withstand both tensile and compression
load. Strut can be providing in vertical as well as horizontal direction. V-type Strut
can be used to restrict 2 degrees of freedom. It consists of stiff clamp, rigid strut,
welding clevis. Selection depends on pipe size, load, temperature, insulation, assembly
length. As it comes with hinge and clamp, no substantial frictional force comes into
play.

6.2

Spring support (BY PIPING)

1. Variable Spring Hanger or Variable Effort Support.
2. Constant Spring Hanger or Constant Effort Support.
Load calculations for variable and constant supports, such as springs or
counterweights, shall be based on the design operating conditions of the piping.
They shall not include the weight of the hydrostatic test fluid. However, the support

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

shall be capable of carrying the total load under test conditions, unless additional
support is provided during the test period.

6.3

Snubber /shock absorber (BY PIPING)

Dynamic restraint: earthquake, fluid, certain system functions, environmental
influences.

6.4

SUPPLEMENTARY STEEL
Where it is necessary to frame structural members between existing steel members,
such supplementary steel shall be designed in accordance with AISC specifications, or
similar recognized structural design standards. Increases of allowable stress values
shall be in accordance with the structural design standard being used. Additional
increases of allowable stress values, such as allowed stress values are not permitted.

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

7.0

RESPONSIBILITY

7.1

BY PIPING
Anchors, guide and restraints shall be designed for imposed loading as determined by
the Piping Design Engineer.
For guided systems, in the absence of specified lateral loads, the guide shall be
designed for 20% of the dead weight load based on the spans, with a design load of
50lbs (0.22 kN) as a minimum.
For pressure piping with joints not having a restraining design, other positive restraining
such as clamps, rods and/or thrust blocking shall be used to maintain the integrity of
the joints.
The necessity for, and the location of, shock suppressors and seismic control
devices shall be as determined by the Piping Design Engineers scope.

7.2

BY CIVIL
Pipe support is classified as a special pipe support and under the civils responsibility to
design the pipe support when one or more of following criteria are met.
Total vertical load transmitting by piping 3.0MT.
Total lateral load transmitting by piping

1.0MT.

Height of support

3.0M.

All reactions applied to SPS will be provided as a sketch by the Pipe Stress Engineer.
7.3

PIPE SUPPORT ON PIPERACK

A pipe may be supported to resist gravity only, or may have varying degrees of restraint
from guided in a single direction to fully anchored supports.
Pipe stress analysis can be completed for all the pipes located in the pipe rack. This
stress analysis takes into account the support type and location for each support and
provides individual design forces for each pipe at that specific location. These resultant
pipe loads can be used for design. However, application of loads in this manner does
not include additional loads for futures expansion. Therefore, a uniform load at each
level of the rack is typically applied in lieu of actual pipe forces. Local support condition
should also be verified where large anchor forces are present.

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

8.0

SUPPORTS (RESTRAINT)
Vertical (gravity direction)
Axial (parallel to pipe run (longitudinal axis)
Lateral (perpendicular to both the vertical & the axial axes(transverse axis)

9.0

INPUT PIPING DESIGN LOADS TO STAAD-PRO

9.1

LOADS ON PIPE SUPPORT MODEL

9.2

Dead load
(Structure dead load (self-weight)
Live Load
(Usually no Live Load on pipe support)
Piping
HYD
Hydro test load
SUS

Suspension

OPE

Operation

OPE +Wind

Operation with Wind

HYDROSTATIC TEST LOAD

The sustained load due to the weight of water required for hydrostatic testing
(especially on large diameter pipes) shall be accounted for in the pipe support and
structural steel designs.
Hydrostatic test loads and stresses are considered short term design conditions. An
extended allowable test stress is permissible unless otherwise noted.

9.3

SUSTAINED LOAD
Sustained load is caused by mechanical forces which are present throughout the
abnormal operation of the piping system. Include both weight & pressure loadings.
(All piping systems must be designed for weight loading)
Many piping systems are under internal pressure loadings from the fluid they transport.
Calculated stresses are due to sustained load by
(a) Internal Pressure Stresses.
(b) External Pressure Stresses.
(c) External Loading Stresses.

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

9.4

OPERATION LOAD
The sum of the stresses produced by internal and external pressure, live and dead
loads during operation.

9.5

OPERATION AND WIND LOAD

The sum of the stresses produced by internal and external pressure, live and dead
loads during operation and wind.

9.6

FRICTION LOAD
Caused by hot lines sliding across the pipe support are assumed to be partially resisted
by nearby cold lines.
Friction forces can be estimated based on the coefficient of friction between the pipe
shoe and support beam.
Friction loads are cause by expansion and contraction of pipes.
Based on the expansion and contraction of pipes, friction loads are typically seen in the
longitudinal direction of the pipe support.
(When a pipe expands due to increase in temperature from the installed condition,
some friction forces will be transferred to the line-stops and rest supports tending to
move them in the same or opposite direction of the thermal expansion. It is advisable
that the pipe stress analyst do not list the friction forces in the load table on the
stress isometric.
The reason is that this has led to that the friction load has been misunderstood by the
pipe supporter or structural department, and hence a line-stop has been installed
where the pipes were to move freely in the axial direction.
Guidance should be given to the pipe support department on how to handle friction
forces not listed on the stress isometric. Typical is to add an axial friction load of 1/3
of the reported vertical loads.)1
Note1

RECOMMENDED PRACTICE DET NORSKE VERITAS DNV-RP-D101

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF PIPING SYSTEMS

So, we have to consider additional friction load which is need to consider for local
strength check and this load is acting along longitudinal axis of the pipe.
Friction load need to consider when pipe support is rest, or guide or rest +guide.
Friction load is calculated as:
Friction Load (FRIC) = Static Friction Coefficient x Operating Load (OPE)

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

Where static friction coefficient =

0.3 and Operating load acting

between steel to steel

vertically (gravity direction).

Friction has been described from each. Detailed Engineering Design Data for Civil and
Structure" Project specification

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

10.0

TYPES OF SUPPORTS (IMAGE)

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

11.0

AXIS OF DIFFERENT BETWEEN PIPING & CIVIL (STAAD-PRO)

Axis from Pipe Stress Engineer

Designing from Civil Engineer

Note
So there need to convert the load axis when putting the piping load to pipe support
model.
And then we need to change axis for giving the clip loading to the Vendor.

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

12.0

INPUT AND OUTPUT SIGN

There need to do the model for of horizontal loadings to be safe side.

There also need to give the result of horizontal clip loadings to be safe side.

13.0

DESIGN PARARMETER
Actually need to design parameter as the project specification.
Generally the basic of design parameter are as under described.
CODE

CODE as under project

ALPHA

Factor for combined bending and axial force checks

BEAM

Number of selections to be checked per beam

BETA

Factor for combined bending and axial force checks

CMM

Loading Type

CMN

End Restraint

FU

Ultimate tensile strength of steel

PY

Yield stress of steel

SBLT

Select type of section

TORSION

Method to be used for a specific member or group of

members

RATIO

Permissible ratio of applied loading to section capacity

KY

K value in local Y axis for slenderness value KL/r

KZ

K value in local Z axis for slenderness value KL/r

LY

Length in local Y axis for slenderness value KL/r

LZ

Length in local Z axis for slenderness value KL/r

UNL

Unrestrained member length in lateral torsion buckling

checks

DESIGN GUIDE FOR PIPE SUPPORT

14.0

CLIPS LOADING TO VENDOR

14.1

CONSTRUCTABILITY EXAMPLE

Especially difference of beam depth is less than 100mm, it will bring narrow
space not be able to able to work welding grinding coating and inspection.

Same depth could be selected provided that;

The difference of depth (h) shall be kept over minimum 100mm for ease
connection from constructability point of view.

15.0

Any narrow spaces shall be avoided as much as possible.

SCOPE OF WORKING RESPONSIBILITY

Only beam and bracing from Vessel and Pipe rack are under Civil Scope.
Unless noted otherwise, other parts are under Piping Scope.

16.0

CONNECTION OF PIPE SUPPORT

The connection of pipe-support to Vessel is under vendor responsibility.
We need to give the clips loading to Vendor by VDB.
And after checking the clip load and give us comment from VDB.