DESIGN OF EQUIPMENT

FOUNDATIONS

WAQAS RIAZ
08-NOV-2007

INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENTS:

HORIZONTAL VESSELS
VERTICAL VESSELS
PACKAGE EQUIPMENTS
MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:

General Overview
Foundation Type & Shape
Design Data
Loads Applied to Pedestal

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
General Overview: Horizontal Vessels mainly Includes Heat Exchangers &
Drums. Foundation Type is similar for both of them.
A heat exchanger is a device used to transfer heat from one
fluid to another while preventing the two from intermingling.
The three main types are
Shell & Tube HEs
Air-cooled HEs
Plate HEs

Plate HEs

Air-cooled HEs

S/T HE

Plate HE

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Foundation Type & Shape: Reinforced spread foundations or pile foundations shall be used.
The plane shape of foundation footings and pedestals shall be generally
rectangular.
A foundation shall have footings equivalent to the number of saddles of
each equipment and will be connected to each other as necessary using
a footing (grade) beam.

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
The widths (a &b) of a
pedestals shall, in principle,
be greater than:
250 mm
125 mm from the center of
an equipment anchor bolt
25 mm from each side of a
equipment base plate.

With regard to the relation

between the footing beam
and pedestals:
60o
If > 60o, Two tie-beams
shall be provided.
Minimum Edge Distance
i.e. lp, should be 100 mm.
Stacked HE's

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Where the height (hp) of the pedestal is
1500 mm or larger, corbels shall de
considered.

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:

Regarding Pile Arrangement, for the number and layout of piles, one of the cases shown in figure shall be applied.

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

CASE 4

xZp

2L

3L

4L

5L

yZp

4F

4F

8F

8F

No. Of Piles (n)

Section Modulus
of Pile group

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Design Data:1.

2.

WEIGHT:
The following weights given in the loading data shall be used as equipment weight:
Empty weight
Wem
Operating weight
Wop
Test Weight
Wt
Tube bundle weight
Wb
DIMENSIONS:
Equipment Data
Sheet

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Loads Applied to the Pedestal:1.

VERTICAL LOAD (P):

Equipment weight applied to pedestal shall be allocated to
each pedestal in proportion to the amount of eccentricity (e)
in the axial direction.

Empty Load
: Pem = Wem (1/2+e/L)
Operation Load
: Pop = Wop (1/2+e/L)
Test Load : Pt = Wt (1/2+e/L)

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Loads Applied to the Pedestal:2.

HORIZONTAL LOAD IN AXIAL DIRECTION (Hx):

a)

EARTHQUAKE FORCE (Ex)

Earthquakes shall be assumed to take place during only
operation. Earthquake force shall be calculated by
multiplying weight by an earthquake coefficient (k).

Ex = k/2 Wop
If thermal resistance force i.e. Wop is less than Ex, then all
the Earthquake force equal to kWop shall be applied to fix
side only.
Where is the friction coefficient.
kWop
Ex
FE

kWop

Ex
SE

Thermal Force > Ex

kWop
FE

SE

Thermal Force < Ex

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Loads Applied to the Pedestal:b) TUBE BUNDLE PULLING FORCE (Fb)
Tube bundle pulling forces are loads occurring solely in the
case of heat exchangers. Under the empty weight,
maintenance of tube bundles is carried out.

Fb = 1/2 Wb (JGC recommendation)

Fb = 1.5/2 Wb (Aramco recommendation)
If frictional resistance force i.e. Wem is less than Fb, then
all the bundle pulling force equal to Wb/1.5Wb shall be
applied to fix side only.
Where is the friction coefficient.
Wb
Fb
FE

Wb

Fb
SE

Frictional Force > Ex

Wb
FE

SE

Frictional Force < Ex

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Loads Applied to the Pedestal:c)

THERMAL STRESS (Th)

Thermal stress occurs during operation and is applied to
pedestal surface. Thermal stress shall be obtained by
multiplying vertical operation weight by a friction coefficient
().

Th = Pop
Typical Coefficients of friction are as follows:

No Slide plate (Steel support on concrete)

Steel Slide Plate (Steel on steel)
0.30
Teflon Slide Plate*

0.50

Bearing Pressure 100 psi and below0.10

Bearing Pressure above 100 psi
0.06

Laborite Slide Plate*

0.10
* Values should be verified against Project specifications.

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Loads Applied to the Pedestal:3.

HORIZONTAL LOAD IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTION

(Hy):
Horizontal force applied in the direction perpendicular to the axis
of equipment shall be horizontal loads during occurrence of
Earthquakes/Wind. These loads shall be allocated to each
pedestal in proportion to the amount of eccentricity in the
Axial direction.

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Loads Applied to the Pedestal:4.

MOMENTS
Moment arm for moments
working on pedestal surfaces
due to horizontal forces
applied in axial and transverse
direction is h .
However, for bundle pulling
force, moment arm is the
hmax.

HORIZONTAL VESSELS:
Foundation Design:

Using the Loads on the Pedestal, foundation stability and

foundation design can be performed using general
understanding of the foundations.
Stability checks includes :

Soil/Pile Bearing
Sliding Check
Overturning Check

VERTICAL VESSELS:
Vertical Vessels mainly includes:
Process Columns
Vertical Drums (3-Legged Vessels)
Reinforced Concrete foundations with a
spread footing or piling.
Mostly for Vertical Drums block type
foundations are preferred.
For Process Columns, configuration of the
pedestal and footing shall be as follows:
dp or l 2.0 m
: Rectangular
dp or l > 2.0 m
: Octagonal

VERTICAL VESSELS:

Following loads on the foundation shall be

considered based on the loading data:
Weight during Operation
Wop
Weight during water test
Wt
Empty Weight
Wem
Horizontal Load
H
Overturning Moment
M
M=H.h

Data Sheet

PACKAGE EQUIPMENTS:

Package Equipments are the one in which only governing load is the DEAD LOAD. No significant vibrations are imparted.
Foundations for Package Equipment are referred as SKID FOUNDATIONS.
Skid Foundations are only checked for the Stability.
Weight Check, rebar volume check and thickness check is not required for package equipments.

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:

General Overview
Foundation Type & Shape
Static Design Loads
Static Design

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:
General Overview:

Reciprocating Machinery
Machinery with reciprocating masses as major moving parts. This machinery
should be supported as close to grade elevation as possible directly on rigid block.

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:
General Overview: Rotating Machinery
Machinery with rotating masses as major parts. This machinery may be supported on a rigid block
or on an elevated structure.

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:
Foundation Type & Shape:1. Foundation Type

Foundations for these equipments are referred as Machine Foundations.

Reinforced Concrete Spread or Pile Foundations are recommended.
Machine Foundations are grouped as follows:

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:
Foundation Type & Shape:2.

Foundation Shape

Block foundations should be rectangular.

Thickness of the rigid block for machinery shall not be less than:0.60 + L/30 where L (in meters) is the length or breadth.
Where two or more machines are on a common foundation, L shall be the
greater of :
The breadth of the common foundation.
Then length of the longest segment assigned to any one machine.

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:
Static Design Loads: In addition to the Dead Load of Machine following loads
should be considered for static design: Vertical impact of 50% of the dead weight of the machine and base
plate.
A lateral force of 25% of the weight of each machine including its base
plate applied normal to its shaft at a point midway between its end
supports.
A longitudinal force of 25% of the weight of each machine and its base
plate applied along the shaft axis.
Lateral and longitudinal forces shall not be considered to act
concurrently.
Seismic Loads should also be considered in accordance with project
specifications.

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:
Static Design: Weight Check
For Reciprocating Machines:
Weight of Rigid Block should be 3 - 5 times the weight of Machine.
Weight of Pile Cap should be 2.5 4 times the weight of Machine.
For Rotating Machines:
Weight of Rigid Block should be 2 - 3 times the weight of Machine.
Weight of Pile Cap should be 1.5 2.5 times the weight of Machine.

Stability Check
Rigid block should be check against Soil Bearing, Sliding & Overturning.
However, for spread footings 50% reduction in allowable soil pressure
should be considered.

MACHINERY EQUIPMENTS:
Static Design: Rebar Volume Check
The effects of shrinkage and thermal expansion shall be taken into
account to prevent cracking. The minimum quantity of reinforcement
in concrete shall be 30 kg/m3 for rigid blocks.

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR KIND
ATTENTION