Discussion on the principles for which discipline designs pipe supports

According to Chengda’s pipe rack specifications, there are many cases where the piping support specialty is not sufficient to handle the requirements; for loads exceeding a certain threshold, the responsibility falls to the structural engineering team.

(1) Pipe supports and hangers should be installed within the allowable span of the pipes, and shall meet the following requirements: A. Near the equipment； B、Located near a concentrated load ； C. Located near elbow pipes and large-diameter tee branch pipes ； D. It is advisable to use beams, columns, etc. of buildings and structures as anchoring elements for support brackets ； E. Installed in a location that does not interfere with the connection and maintenance of pipelines and equipment. (2) Rigid supports and hangers can be used when the support points of the pipeline exhibit no vertical displacement ； Variable spring supports should be used when there is displacement. Constant-force spring supports should be used when the displacement is large. (3) Piping with insulation laid horizontally on supports should be equipped with pipe supports; when the thermal expansion of the piping exceeds 100 mm, extended pipe supports should be used. (4) Welded type pipe supports and pipe hangers shall be used, except in the following cases: A. Pipelines made of carbon steel with a medium temperature inside the pipeline equal to or higher than 400°C ； B. Pipes for transporting the cryogenic medium ； C. Pipes for transporting concentrated alkaline solutions ； D. Pipes made of alloy steel ； E. Pipes that need to be frequently disassembled for maintenance during production ； F. Pipes that are difficult to weld during construction, and pipes that cannot be directly welded to pipe supports or pipe hangers. (5) When axial displacement of the pipeline is allowed while lateral displacement must be restricted, guide supports should be installed in the following cases: A. High-speed vent pipes at the outlet of safety valves and two-phase flow pipes that may experience vibration ； B. When excessive lateral displacement may affect adjacent pipes, or when the distance between fixed supports is too large, lateral instability may occur ； C. To prevent leaks at the flanges and unions, it is required that the pipeline should not experience excessive lateral displacement ； D. Guiding supports should be installed on the pipes on both sides of the “Π”-type compensator, with their position being approximately 40 times the nominal diameter of the pipe from the elbow of the compensator ； E. Guide brackets should not be placed near the connection points of elbows and branch pipes. (6) For supports and hangers rooted to buildings and structures, their fixing points should be located on load-bearing components such as columns or main beams. When the fixing elements of the supports are welded to equipment that requires overall heat treatment, the requirements regarding the gaskets to be used should be submitted to the equipment specialist. (7) When it is necessary to limit the displacement of the pipeline, limit brackets should be installed. (8) Other pipes shall not be supported by high-temperature pipes, low-temperature pipes, vibrating pipes, or steam pipes. (9) Support should be considered for horizontally installed valves that are directly connected to or adjacent to equipment nozzles, with a nominal diameter of 150 mm or greater. (10) Vertical pipes arranged along vertical equipment shall be provided with load-bearing supports and guiding supports. The maximum spacing between riser supports shall comply with the provisions of Table 6-1-3. The load-bearing support should be placed near the equipment outlet to reduce the stress on the outlet. If the weight of the pipeline is too great and it is difficult for a single support to bear the load, variable spring-loaded supports can be added.

I’ve always had this doubt: which field of engineering is responsible for its design, plumbing or structural engineering? In my opinion, for those designs that are standard, simple, it’s sufficient to use the existing standard catalogs; for more complex cases, it’s still the structural engineering field that needs to handle the design

This post was last edited by Mechanics 03124121 on 2010-5-14 09:58. Generally, the piping specialty sets the requirements, while the structural engineering specialty is responsible for the design