Maximum Pipe Span

It is obvious that piping needs to be supported, the question is, what is the maximum
span between supports for a particular sized pipe with carrying a fluid of a given
density.

The important considerations are:

The maximum deflection of the pipe

The maximum bending stress in the pipe

It is usual to limit the maximum deflection between spans to about 2 mm and the
maximum stress should not exceed about 50MPa. The allowable stress will depend
on a number of factors including:

The design code applicable

The piping material
The design temperature
The presence of other forces and moments
Any stress intensifiers in the region.