Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MANUAL
PIPE SUPPORTS
PTS 31.38.01.29
SEPTEMBER 2012
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 2
PTS Circular
2012-1
Revision History
Date Version Description of Updates Author
7/01/09 1 PTS reviewed and updated. Amir Ahmad
27/08/12 2 PTS review and update. Tan Ken Ny / M
Ikhwan Nawawi
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 3
PREFACE
PETRONAS Technical Standards (PTS) publications reflect the views, at the time of publication, of
PETRONAS OPUs/Divisions.
They are based on the experience acquired during the involvement with the design, construction,
operation and maintenance of processing units and facilities. Where appropriate they are based on,
or reference is made to, national and international standards and codes of practice.
The objective is to set the recommended standard for good technical practice to be applied by
PETRONAS' OPUs in oil and gas production facilities, refineries, gas processing plants, chemical
plants, marketing facilities or any other such facility, and thereby to achieve maximum technical and
economic benefit from standardization.
The information set forth in these publications is provided to users for their consideration and
decision to implement. This is of particular importance where PTS may not cover every requirement
or diversity of condition at each locality. The system of PTS is expected to be sufficiently flexible to
allow individual operating units to adapt the information set forth in PTS to their own environment and
requirements.
When Contractors or Manufacturers/Suppliers use PTS they shall be solely responsible for the
quality of work and the attainment of the required design and engineering standards. In particular, for
those requirements not specifically covered, it is expected of them to follow those design and
engineering practices which will achieve the same level of integrity as reflected in the PTS. If in
doubt, the Contractor or Manufacturer/Supplier shall, without detracting from his own responsibility,
consult the owner.
Subject to any particular terms and conditions as may be set forth in specific agreements with users,
PETRONAS disclaims any liability of whatsoever nature for any damage (including injury or death)
suffered by any company or person whomsoever as a result of or in connection with the use,
application or implementation of any PTS, combination of PTS or any part thereof. The benefit of this
disclaimer shall inure in all respects to PETRONAS and/or any company affiliated to PETRONAS
that may issue PTS or require the use of PTS.
Without prejudice to any specific terms in respect of confidentiality under relevant contractual
arrangements, PTS shall not, without the prior written consent of PETRONAS, be disclosed by users
to any company or person whomsoever and the PTS shall be used exclusively for the purpose they
have been provided to the user. They shall be returned after use, including any copies which shall
only be made by users with the express prior written consent of PETRONAS.
The copyright of PTS vests in PETRONAS. Users shall arrange for PTS to be held in safe custody
and PETRONAS may at any time require information satisfactory to PETRONAS in order to ascertain
how users implement this requirement.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 5
1.1 SCOPE........................................................................................................................ 5
1.2 DISTRIBUTION, INTENDED USE AND REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS ......... 5
1.3 DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................. 5
1.4 CROSS REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 8
1.5 SUMMARY OF CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS EDITION ......................................... 8
2. GENERAL ................................................................................................................. 16
3. DESIGN .................................................................................................................... 18
3.1 CLAMPED SUPPORTS ............................................................................................ 18
3.2 WELDED SUPPORTS .............................................................................................. 18
3.3 HANGER ROD .......................................................................................................... 19
3.4 SLIDING SUPPORTS ............................................................................................... 19
3.5 SUPPORTING OF INSULATED PIPES ................................................................... 19
3.6 SUPPORTING COLD-INSULATED PIPES .............................................................. 20
3.7 NON-INSULATED PIPES ......................................................................................... 20
3.8 PIPE SADDLES AND REINFORCING PADS .......................................................... 21
3.9 SUPPORTING OF SMALL BORE PIPING ............................................................... 21
3.10 SUPPORTING OF VERTICAL PIPES ...................................................................... 21
3.11 PIPE SLEEPERS ...................................................................................................... 22
3.12 SPRING SUPPORTS ............................................................................................... 22
3.13 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LINES CONNECTED TO EQUIPMENT ...... 22
4. FABRICATION, MATERIALS AND WELDING ......................................................... 23
6. INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................ 24
7. REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 26
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 PIPE SHOES - SELECTION CHART .............................................................. 28
APPENDIX 2 GUIDES - SELECTION CHART ...................................................................... 29
APPENDIX 3 ANCHORS AND DIRECTIONAL ANCHORS - SELECTION CHART............. 30
APPENDIX 4A BASE SUPPORTS - SELECTION CHART Standard Base Support .............. 31
APPENDIX 4B BASE SUPPORTS - SELECTION CHART Standard Adjustable Base
Support ............................................................................................................ 32
APPENDIX 5 CLAMPED BASE SUPPORTS - SELECTION CHART ................................... 33
APPENDIX 6 BASE ANCHORS AND BASE PLATES - SELECTION CHART ..................... 34
APPENDIX 7 DUMMY LEGS - SELECTION CHART ........................................................... 35
APPENDIX 8 TYPICAL DETAILS .......................................................................................... 36
APPENDIX 9 PIPE SUPPORT SELECTION FLOWCHART ................................................. 37
APPENDIX 10 CALCULATION PROCEDURE FOR SHOE-TYPE FULL ANCHOR
SUPPORTS ..................................................................................................... 38
APPENDIX 11 CALCULATION PROCEDURE FOR TRUNNION-TYPE FULL ANCHOR
SUPPORTS ..................................................................................................... 39
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 5
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 SCOPE
This PTS shall form the minimum requirement for the design and application of pipe supports
in piping systems for PETRONAS facilities.
This PTS is a revision of the PTS of the same title and number dated August 2009; a
summary of the main changes from that edition is given in (1.5). A set of Standard Drawings
is available which includes the most commonly applied pipe supports, giving their allowable
loads and identification. For support selection charts, see Appendices 1 to 7.
This PTS is intended for use in oil refineries, chemical plants, gas plants, exploration and
production facilities and supply/marketing installations.
When PTS are applied, a Management of Change (MOC) process should be implemented.
This is of particular importance when existing facilities are to be modified.
If national and/or local regulations exist in which some of the requirements may be more
stringent than in this PTS, the Contractor shall determine by careful scrutiny which of the
requirements are the more stringent and which combination of requirements will be
acceptable as regards safety, economic and legal aspects. In all cases the Contractor shall
inform the Principal of any deviation from the requirements of this document which is
considered to be necessary in order to comply with national and/or local regulations. The
Principal may then negotiate with the Authorities concerned with the object of obtaining
agreement to follow this document as closely as possible.
1.3 DEFINITIONS
The Contractor is the party which carries out all or part of the design, engineering,
procurement, construction, commissioning or management of a project or operation of a
facility. The Principal may sometimes undertake all or part of the duties of the Contractor.
The Owner is the party which initiates the project and ultimately pays for its design and
construction. The Principal will generally specify the technical requirements. The Principal
may also include an agent or consultant, authorized to act for, and on behalf of, the Principal.
Where applicable, reference is made to the sections or appendices of this PTS, and/or to the
relevant standard, where further details can be found.
Where cross-references to other parts of this PTS are made, the referenced section number
is shown in brackets. Other documents referenced by this PTS are listed in (7).
The previous edition of this PTS was dated August 2009. A summary of the main changes
since the last amended edition is given below.
Section Subject
1.1 1. Sentence
“This PTS specifies requirements and gives recommendations”
Changed to
“This PTS shall form the minimum requirement for the design”
Reworded statement
“This PTS is a revision of the PTS of the same title and number dated
August 2009; a summary of the main changes from that edition is
given in (1.5)... A set of Standard Drawings is available which includes
the most commonly applied pipe supports, giving their allowable loads
and identification” is removed
To
“A pipe support type that restrains the pipe from movement in all
directions. This can be achieved by welding or bolting the
welded pipe shoe (welded to the pipe) to the structural beam.”
- “A device bolted around a pipe or, for cold insulation, around the
insulation.”
To
Remove/Renamed:
Reword:
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 9
To
Guide:
Reword:
To
Hanger Rod:
Reword:
- “A support suspended from concrete floors, beams etc.”
To
Pipe Stop:
Reword:
- “a device preventing the pipe from displacement in one direction
may be applied in combination with a guide in another direction”
To
To
“distribute load from the pipe shoes and to prevent direct contact
of pipe shoes to the pressure retaining part of the pipe”
Snubber:
Reword:
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 10
To
Trunnion is removed.
2.0 Added :
“As a general rule, all piping systems on horizontal and vertical runs
shall be supported with a pipe shoe and placing of piping directly on
structural beams or metallic tubular rods on fixed structure, is
prohibited.”
Reword:
- “PTS 31.38.01.11 is applicable for the piping and specifies the
required positioning of pipe supports.”
To
To
To
To
To
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 11
To
Removed:
- “Standard pipe support details are given in the Standard
Drawings listed in (7).”
To
To
To
This clamped pipe shoe method can only be applied for hot
piping without insulation to allow for online visual inspection of
the clamped supports during plant operations for corrosion
damage to the external piping. For hot piping with insulation,
welded pipe shoes shall be the only choice.”
To
Removed:
- “e.g. by avoiding the ingress of water under insulated pipes”
Added:
“Welded pipe shoes for piping under thermal displacement shall be
designed to ensure that the center line of the pipe shoe is on the center
line of the structural beam after the piping has undergone full thermal
displacement, with or without slide bearing plates. Specific instruction
on the location of the welded pipe shoe during installation shall be
prepared by engineering for construction to execute to ensure the above
requirement is met.”
Reword:
- “Fire protecting of a rod is not reliable protection by e.g. a catch
beam should be considered.”
To
Removed:
“with two-phase flow” removed”
“Suspending a pipe from another pipe should be avoided.”
Added:
3.4 Reword:
- “To reduce the friction forces of sliding supports, low friction
elements such as PTFE/graphite sliding plates or roller-type
supports may be considered.”
To
To
“And the pipe shoe, therefore the base of the pipe shoe shall be
welded to a polished stainless steel plate.”
To
3.5 Added:
“This section covers the pipe support requirements for piping under hot,
acoustic, personnel protection insulation, liquid metal embrittlement
insulation, and fire protection insulation. Cold insulated pipes shall be
covered in the next section.”
“…, in which the insulation shall have sufficient load bearing capacity.
The design, fabrication and supply of these insulated clamped pipe shoe
shall be by reputable pipe support Vendors”
Reword:
- “The clearance between the insulation and the supporting
structure shall be at least 50 mm.”
To
“The height of the pipe shoe shall be designed such that the
dimension of the insulation external cladding and the bottom of
steel of the pipe shoe shall be at least 50mm, excluding the
thickness of the slide bearing plates assembly (stainless steel
plate and slide bearing element plate).”
To
“The height of the pipe shoe shall be designed such that the
dimension of the insulation external cladding and the bottom of
steel of the pipe shoe shall be at least 50mm, excluding the
thickness of the slide bearing plates assembly (stainless steel
plate and slide bearing element plate).”
3.7 Added:
“Non-insulated pipes shall be installed with a pipe shoe and resting
directly on the supporting steel or metallic tubular bar is prohibited,”
“..shall be applied for large bore piping or piping with minimal wall
thickness, as deemed required by the stress engineer and pipe support
designer. Contractor may propose a standard design of pipe saddles
size and thickness, for a given pipe size and pipe wall thickness.”
Removed:
“Pipe saddles and reinforcing pads shall not be used unless proven to
be more economical than welded or clamped supports over the total
lifetime of the plant.”
“In corrosive atmospheres, corrosion may occur between the pipe and
the saddle or reinforcing pad due to water ingress in the vent hole. Since
it is not possible to inspect or maintain the pipe under the reinforcing
plate, saddles or reinforcing pads shall not be used in areas where this
corrosion may occur.
The use of pipe shoes is preferred over the use of reinforcing pads.”
3.11 Removed:
“..cradles or pipe...”
3.12 Removed:
“Piping subjected to elevation change due to thermal expansion and
contraction shall be supported by either variable spring or constant
spring support”
Reword:
“these supports” change to “spring support”
“stress analysis result” change to “the stress engineer”
“Manufacturer’s” change to “stress engineer”
Added:
“Where permanent access is not possible, it shall be accessible for clear
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 15
6.0 Added:
“"C" or "blue pin" for installed position and "H" or "red pin”.”
2. GENERAL
As a general rule, all piping systems on horizontal and vertical runs shall be supported with a
pipe shoe and placing of piping directly on structural beams or metallic tubular rods on fixed
structure, is prohibited.
This PTS shall be read in conjunction with other referenced PTS where applicable. PTS
31.38.01.11 Piping: General Requirements provide the design requirement and
recommendations of piping design and Appendix 11 provides the guideline for minimum
piping span between supports.
Typical drawings of pipe supports are in as listed in References, (7). Other references
include BS 3974, MSS SP 58 and MSS SP 69.
Pipe supports are an integral part of piping design and it shall be modeled if 3D CAD model
is used during execution of the project, and will be reviewed during the 60% Model review as
indicated in PTS 31.10.05.11.
Pipe supports shall be designed so that access is possible for installation during construction
and adequate access for inspection and maintenance during operations.
Supports shall be standardized as far as practical and shall bear an identification number.
Reference can be made to PTS 31.10.03.10 Symbols and Identification System - Mechanical
as a guideline on identification tagging.
A set of Standard Drawings is available which includes the most commonly applied pipe
supports, giving their allowable loads and identification. For support selection charts, see
Appendices 1 to 7.
The Contractor may use his own standards and/or commercially available pipe supports and
methods provided they are equivalent or better with this PTS.
For supporting glass-lined steel piping and plastic piping, the installation instructions of the
piping material supplier shall apply.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 17
Galvanised supports shall not be in direct contact with austenitic stainless steel, duplex
stainless steel, nickel alloy, or 9% nickel steel piping.
The location of support shall allow for the removal of in-line instruments and equipment. Pipe
supports bearing loads shall be located as close as possible to changes in direction, but shall
allow adequate flexibility to the line concerned.
Pipe supports in lines with the expansion joints hall be designed and positioned in
accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer and the standards of Expansion Joints
Manufacturers Association (EJMA).
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 18
3. DESIGN
The position of clamped supports may be adjusted during construction to correct mismatches
between the location of the support and the location of the supporting structure. These field
modifications shall be restricted to as minimal as possible dimensional change of clamped
pipe shoe location on the piping only. Changing the type of supports (e.g. changing from
resting to guide) or location on stress critical lines is not permitted unless verified by the
piping engineer or as agreed by Owner.
Clamped supports are susceptible to corrosion because water may collect between the
support and the pipe. If clamped supports are used in situations where corrosion may be
expected, precautions shall be taken to protect the pipe and the supports against corrosion.
Clamped supports require more maintenance than welded supports. To prevent galvanic
corrosion, carbon steel clamps on pipes of non CS metallic materials shall be separated from
the pipe by using a layer of non-metallic adhesive bonded to the clamp insulating material
between the clamp and the pipe.
Clamped pipe shoes on hot service pipes (>100 degrees C) shall be avoided due to variable
temperature causing the clamp to loosen its grip on the pipe. Where clamped pipe shoes are
required, welded on shear lugs shall be applied to avoid slipping of the pipe under the clamp
with proper insulating material inserted between the clamp and the pipe.
This clamped pipe shoe method can only be applied for hot piping without insulation to allow
for online visual inspection of the clamped supports during plant operations for corrosion
damage to the external piping. For hot piping with insulation, welded pipe shoes shall be the
only choice.
The use of clamped pipe supports as anchor support is prohibited. If clamped pipe shoes
are used as guides, the guide element shall be fabricated to restrict vertical displacement as
well, such as a hold down guide.
The application of goal post supports may avoid the clamp rotating over pipe when these
supports are used as guides or as anchor points where excessive forces/moments may be
expected.
Welded pipe supports are less susceptible to corrosion than clamped supports. In order to
install welded supports at the correct positions attention to these positions shall be paid
during the detailed design phase. The field welds in the piping shall be used to correct
differences in position during construction, caused by tolerances of the piping and the
tolerances of the supporting structures.
Welded pipe shoes for piping under thermal displacement shall be designed to ensure that
the center line of the pipe shoe is on the center line of the structural beam after the piping
has undergone full thermal displacement, with or without slide bearing plates. Specific
instruction on the location of the welded pipe shoe during installation shall be prepared by
engineering for construction to execute to ensure the above requirement is met.
Welded pipe supports shall not be used on the following piping and components:
- Piping lined with glass, rubber, plastics, etc.
- piping requiring post weld heat treatment;
- Expensive materials such as titanium, Hastelloy, monel, etc.;
- Piping with corrosion-resistant coating (e.g. galvanised piping).
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 19
- flanges
- body of valves, valve’s lifting lug and body support shall not be attached to permanent
supports
- inline piping components such as strainers, removable spools, venturi flow meter,
mixers, ejectors/eductors
Supporting steel parts welded to galvanised steel structures shall be attached to steel
members before they are galvanised. Stainless steel piping shall be protected against zinc
embrittlement which may result from molten zinc dripping from galvanised steel during a fire.
See PTS 31.38.01.11.
The edge of weld of the pipe shoe’s attachment to the main pipe shall observe the min
distance of the following:
- from fitting weld joints
- from pipe’s longitudinal seam weld
A hanging support is a support assembly consisting of the clamped pipe shoe, the hanger
rod and / or the dynamic support (spring or hydraulic types) suspended from a fixed
structure.
A hanger rod is usually a tubular member with threaded ends or an eye rod on one end to
attach the clamped pipe shoe to its dynamic support or to a fixed structure
Individual pipes may be suspended by hanger/rod supports. Hanger/rod supports shall not
be used in systems where excessive vibration may be expected (e.g. near reciprocating
compressors).
Because the survivability of any type of hanger support in a pool fire is short and fire
protection of a rod is not reliable, a catch beam should be considered where possible.
For the application of fire protection and other means of improving fire safety of a plant see
PTS 80.47.10.30. “Assessment of Fire of Onshore Installations”.
To reduce horizontal friction forces on pipe shoes for resting and guided support, low friction
or roller-type supports shall be considered or as deemed required from piping static analysis
as an alternative to hanging supports.
The friction will be easily increased by minor corrosion between the element and the pipe
shoe, therefore the base of the pipe shoe shall be welded to a polished stainless steel plate
Friction could also be easily increased by slight fouling (e.g. sand or dirt). For these reasons,
the use of low friction elements in sliding supports shall be minimized. When low friction is
required the use of hanger supports may be a better solution.
The use of pipe stanchions as sliding support is prohibited. Moment resulted from the
possibility of fouling (increase of friction) at the base of the stanchion will result excessive
stress at the stanchion-pip weldment.
This section covers the pipe support requirements for piping under hot, acoustic, personnel
protection insulation, liquid metal embrittlement insulation, and fire protection insulation.
Cold insulated pipes shall be covered in the next section.
Insulated pipes shall not rest directly on their insulation but pipe shoes shall be applied.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 20
The height of the pipe shoe shall be designed such that the dimension of the insulation
external cladding and the bottom of steel of the pipe shoe shall be at least 50mm, excluding
the thickness of the slide bearing plates assembly (stainless steel plate and slide bearing
element plate).
Cradles and pipe shoes of pipes operating at temperatures above 400 °C shall be insulated
from the supporting structure by incombustible insulating blocks of sufficient load-bearing
and insulation capabilities. Alternatively, clamped cradles or pipe shoes can be installed
around the insulation, in which the insulation shall have sufficient load bearing capacity. The
design, fabrication and supply of these insulated clamped pipe shoes shall be by reputable
pipe support Vendors. At the location of these supports the insulation shall have sufficient
load-bearing capacity.
Insulated pipes running in pipe trenches shall be supported high enough to assure the
installation will remain above the highest expected storm water levels.
For further details regarding supporting insulated pipes in hot services, see PTS 30.46.00.31.
Pipe supports for cold-insulated pipes shall be clamped to the outer surface of the insulation
system in order to avoid the ingress of moisture in the insulation and shall be supplied as a
complete set of insulated clamp pipe shoe by a reputable pipe support Vendor. At locations
where field insulation is applied (e.g. around field welds) the insulation shall be installed after
pressure testing the pipe. Therefore, since the pipe supports are required during erection and
testing of the piping, field applied insulation shall not be located in positions where supports
are located.
The height of the pipe shoe shall be designed such that the dimension of the insulation
external cladding and the bottom of steel of the pipe shoe shall be at least 50mm, excluding
the thickness of the slide bearing plates assembly (stainless steel plate and slide bearing
element plate).
At sliding points the loads due to friction shall be checked against the load bearing capacity
of the insulation. If required, sliding plates (3.4) shall be fitted between the pipe shoe and
fixed structural member.
The forces and moments on anchors, pipe stops and rotating supports shall be checked. If
these forces and moments are greater than the load-bearing capacity of clamped supports,
specially designed supports shall be used. Welded attachments to the pipe may then be
required and shall be of the same type of material as the pipe. The pipe supports shall be
insulated from these attachments using laminated hard wood or solid resin blocks of
sufficient load-bearing capacity and insulation properties.
For further details regarding supporting cold-insulated pipes, see PTS 30.46.00.31.
Non-insulated pipes shall be resting on non-metallic high strength half-round bar that are
bolted and not adhesively attached to the main support structure (steel or concrete). Direct
placement of non-insulated pipes on the supporting steel or metallic tubular bar is prohibited.
Non-insulated pipes of the following shall be supported on pipe shoes to avoid damaging the
pipe wall:
- Surface condensation is likely (i.e. the operating temperature of the pipe is below
ambient temperature) and therefore access will be needed for painting and repair;
- the pipe requires a slope;
NOTE: This is only for small slope corrections. The height of pipe shoes measured from the underside of the pipe
shall be maximum 400 mm
- the pipe may operate (even temporarily) at such a low temperature that this may
cause embrittlement of the supporting member;
- needed to avoid unacceptable pipe corrosion in corrosive atmospheres (e.g. due to
coating damage caused by pipe movement and water collection on top of the
supporting structure).
NOTE: Pipe shoes in these situations do not alleviate corrosion problems of the supporting members themselves.
For piping systems where only small forces on supports can be expected (e.g. instrument air
systems) the use of U-bolts support complete with non-metallic sleeve or coating on the U-
bolt and non-metallic base pad may be considered. U-bolts shall not be used as fixed points
because their grip is not reliable.
Movements of pipes by thermal expansion/contraction can cause damage of the paint, and
therefore corrosion, at the location of the supports and guides. This damage can be avoided
by protecting the pipe with a composite sleeve at the location of the support. If composite
sleeves are applied they shall be designed and installed so that under no circumstances can
water penetrate under the sleeve. Composite sleeves should only be used for maintenance
of existing situations.
Pipe saddles and reinforcing pads shall be made from the same type of material as the pipe
and shall have a vent hole and shall be plugged after completion of the weld to remove
possibility of water ingress.
Pipe saddles and reinforcing pads shall be applied for large bore piping or piping with
minimal wall thickness, as deemed required by the stress engineer and pipe support
designer. Contractor may propose a standard design of pipe saddles size and thickness, for
a given pipe size and pipe wall thickness.
Pipe saddles and reinforcing pads shall not be applied on pipes operating with fluctuating
temperatures which would create high stresses in the welds. Where fluctuating temperatures
are expected of the piping system, piping insulation at the pipe shoe assembly may be
required to protect the pipe shoe saddle welds from thermal stresses.
The supports as shown on standard drawings S 44.030, S 44.031 and S 44.032 are
designed to improve the mechanical strength of small bore piping. The use of larger piping is
preferred over the use of attachments in order to support small bore piping for situation
where increasing of the mechanical strength is required. For requirements of small bore
piping see PTS 31.38.01.11.
Clamped pipe supports applied in vertical pipes shall be executed with weld-on shear lugs to
avoid the pipe slipping under the clamp. The paint on the pipe shall be repaired after welding
the shear lugs. If the support load exceeds the maximum load as stated on the relevant
support selection chart, the application of two supports located opposite each other may be
considered. For larger loads, special supports shall be designed.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 22
Piping routed from process units to storage facilities at ground level shall be supported on
concrete sleepers with a minimum of 0.3m above ground level.
Sleepers in pipe tracks shall have an interval of 8m, allowing a free span for pipe not less
than DN200. For pipes smaller than DN200, intermediate support shall be provided at the
intervals shown in Appendix 11 of PTS 31.38.01.11. The smallest allowable line size in pipe
tracks is DN50.
The top of sleeper shall incorporate a steel “T” section, which is cast in the concrete. Pipes,
shoes shall rest on the top of the “T” section. The Contractor shall assure that the sleepers
are designed to accommodate the defined anchor and guiding forces. The space between
“T” section and the face of the sleeper shall be minimum 70mm, to allow proper
casting/pouring of the concrete. The use of prefabricated pipe sleepers is preferred.
The use of spring supports shall only be recommended by stress engineer. Where possible
an alternative routing is preferable to the use of spring support.
When specifying variable spring support, it is recommended that the maximum allowable
variability shall not exceed 25% of the operating load. Variability is the percentage of change
in the supporting force between the operating (hot) and installed (cold) positions calculated
as shown:
Spring supports shall be permanently accessible. Where permanent access is not possible, it
shall be accessible for clear visual inspection without aid (e.g. binocular) as a minimum from
the nearest platform.
Lines connected to columns and other vertical vessels shall have load bearing support as
close as possible to the column or vessel nozzle, and be guided at regular intervals to
safeguard the line against wind load and/or buckling. Maximum vertical guide distance shall
be 6 m for lines smaller than 8”, and 10 m for lines 8” and larger. In view of the required
flexibility of the piping, attention shall be paid to the location of the lowest guide and limit
stop.
Pipe supports on equipment shall be bolted to cleats welded to the equipment. The cleats
shall be supplied by the equipment manufacturer. The Contractor shall develop standard
cleats for the connection of pipe supports, ladders and platforms.
All supports for equipment piping shall be designed and selected for the maximum
temperature difference between the piping and the equipment.
To allow adequate clearance for the removal of covers, heads, channels, bundles and shells,
lines shall not be supported on heat exchanger shells and heads.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 23
Piping connected to rotating equipment shall have adjustable supports to facilitate alignment,
spading and equipment exchange. The supports shall allow for thermal expansion and
vibration and shall be modeled in the pipe stress analysis.
To prevent damage to pipes and tank connections caused by the settlement of the tank, the
first pipe support shall be located sufficiently far away from the tank.
Support materials welded directly to the pipe shall be indicated on the piping isometric
drawing and be of the same type of material as the pipe.
If pipe stanchions or dummy legs are welded to elbows or tees, a distance of at least 50 mm
shall be kept between the welds of the support and the welds of the fitting.
Weld-on attachments, such as cradles or pipe shoes, pipe stanchions, pipe dummies,
trunnions and lugs, should not be attached to tees, reducers and elbows. When stress
analysis permits, pipe stanchions, pipe dummies and lugs may be attached to elbows.
Reinforcing pads (with a vent hole) for trunnions and pipe stanchions shall be a full plate
rather than a ring
Field welding to pipes for pipe supporting purposes shall be limited as far as practical. Field
welding for pipe support purposes shall not be performed on the following pipe materials:
For pipes requiring post weld heat treatment, attachments required for supporting purposes
shall be indicated on the piping isometric drawings, and welding shall be performed in the
workshop before post weld heat treatment.
All welds of support elements and of supports to piping shall be continuous. The fabricated
and supplied supports shall conform to the "Bill of Material for Supports" drawings and
standards and shall be able to withstand the specified loads.
Mechanical devices such as snubbers, sway braces and sway struts shall be:
- designed with 50% decreased allowable material stresses when subjected to vibration;
- designed to withstand the specified loads without buckling, and provided with self-
aligning spherical ball bushings at both ends of the assembly, permitting a minimum of
10 degrees rotation in any plane;
- furnished in such a way that an adjustable specified length of plus/minus 40 mm is
possible, and fitted with a secure locking device.
Snubbers and sway braces shall have a clearly readable travel scale.
Except for small items which have restricted space for die-stamping (e.g. hanger rods, eye
nuts, etc.) each standard support component shall, in addition to paint marking, be die-
stamped with its size and identification mark.
The items which are not die-stamped shall have their size and identification legibly marked
on a securely attached durable tag.
Hot-dip galvanised supports shall be die-stamped with their identification mark and serial
number before galvanizing. After hot dip galvanizing, these marks and numbers shall be
painted on.
6. INSTALLATION
Tie rods shall be locked in their proper position before testing, and re-adjusted as necessary
after testing in accordance with the installation instructions.
Pipe supports shall be able to sustain the hydrostatic test load of the piping they support, if
applicable.
Spring assemblies shall be shipped to the job site with the springs compressed in the
installed position as indicated on the pipe support detail drawing and/or requisition. They
shall have caution tags attached which warns that the spring locks must be removed before
the line is put in service. Additionally, the spring supports shall have the marks "C" or "blue
pin" for installed position and "H" or "red pin" for operation position. On the casing load
indication scale:
- Mark "C" or “blue pin” indicates the cold position of the spring when the line is at ambient
temperature but filled with its actual service fluid. For tank pipes filled with the actual
service fluid, it indicates the position when the tank is empty and has zero settlement.
- Mark "H" or “red pin” indicates the operation positions of the spring. For tank pipes, it
indicates the position when the tank is filled and has settled.
Spring supports shall be installed with the spring locks in place. These spring locking plates
or pins shall not be removed until hydrostatic testing and insulation of the piping system has
been completed.
Note: In order to ensure the locking pins are available when next needed (e.g. during a shutdown) it should be
considered to attach the pin with a plastic tie near the support.
Normally, all construction aids such as spring locks, temporary supports, welding tacks, etc.
shall be removed prior to commissioning. However, if the spring force on the empty line will
cause possible damage to connected strain sensitive equipment, the spring locks shall
remain in position until the line is filled with the actual service fluid. The relevant support and
support drawing shall bear the warning "Block Against Empty Conditions" and the locks shall
be attached with the spring support during operation.
When using a blocking device, care shall be taken not to move the load indicator and/or the
spring pressure plate. Springs shall not be de-blocked while the pipe is still empty.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 25
The length of pipe shoes shall be sufficient to prevent pipes moving off their supports when
subjected to thermal expansion or contraction.
Adjustable supports shall be used where differential settlement between equipment and
piping may occur.
Field-welded supports shall be set correctly in place and adjusted to the final position before
welding to the pipe.
Dummy legs shall have a maximum length as specified in Appendix 7 and be provided with a
12 mm drain hole located at a short distance from the weld to the run pipe. Dummy legs shall
not be installed at pipes operating below ambient temperature to prevent condensation to the
run pipe.
Hanger rods for pipes subject to expansion or contraction of more than 75 mm shall be set
equal to half of the calculated travel of the pipe at the point of support, in the opposite
direction to the travel as indicated on the support detail drawing, the piping arrangement
drawing and/or the isometric drawing.
For sliding supports, bearing surfaces shall be sufficiently clean to ensure unrestricted
movement.
Safe loads on expansion bolts to be used for connecting supports to concrete shall be based
on the loading capacity of the concrete.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 26
7. REFERENCES
In this PTS, reference is made to the following publications:
NOTES: Unless specifically designated by date, the latest edition of each publication shall be used, together
with any amendments/supplements/revisions thereto.
PETRONAS STANDARDS
Index to Standard Drawings PTS 00.00.06.06
Plant model construction and review PTS 30.10.05.11
Thermal insulation (amendments/supplements to the PTS 30.46.00.31
CINI manual)
Protective Coatings and Lining PTS 30.48.00.31-P
Calculation sheet for pipe support loads PTS 31.38.00.81
Piping - General requirements PTS 31.38.01.11
Assessment of the fire safety of onshore installations PTS 80.47.10.30
STANDARD DRAWINGS
NOTE: The latest revisions of Standard drawings can be found in
PTS 00.00.06.06
AMERICAN STANDARDS
Pipe hangers and supports - Materials, design and MSS SP 58
manufacture
Pipe hangers and supports - Selection and application MSS SP 69
Issued by:
Manufacturers Standardisation Society
of the Valve and Fittings Industry
127 Park Street, N.E.,
Vienna, VA, 22180-4602
USA
BRITISH STANDARDS
Specification for pipe supports BS 3974
Issued by:
British Standards Institution
389 Chiswick High Road
London W4 4AL
UK
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 28
Notes:
1. Dummy sizes must be verified through vigorous calculations as outlined and developed by the
M.W Kellogs Company
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 32
Notes:
1. There are fabrication and insulation drawings for each support on this selection chart.
2. Dummy sizes must be verified through vigorous calculations as outlined and developed by the
M.W Kellogs Company
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 33
Notes:
1. There are fabrication and insulation drawings for each support on this selection chart.
2. Dummy sizes must be verified through vigorous calculations as outlined and developed by the
M.W Kellogs Company
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 36
This appendix explains how to use the calculation sheet PTS 31.38.00.81 for a shoe-type full
anchor support.
Full anchor support functions (restraining all six degrees of freedom) are relatively difficult to
implement in the field. A full anchor support is assumed to be a stiff restraint in comparison
to the stiffness of the pipe. In comparison to a full anchor restraining the translational
degrees of freedom (directional anchor) is relatively simple. Restraining the various rotations
is particularly difficult if pipe clamps are to be used.
In order to assess the maximum loads on shoe-type full anchor supports using calculation
sheet PTS 31.38.00.81, the designer shall use the following geometrical and load parameters.
(For dimensions of the pipe shoes see standard drawings S44.033, S44.034 and S44.035).
For shoe type full anchor supports the relevant parameters are:
1. The total length of the shoe: L
2. The centerline distance between the pipe clamps welded to the shoe: Lclamps. (For a
welded pipe shoe Lclamps is the distance between the center of the welded areas,
175 mm or 400 mm on standard drawing S 44.035).
3. The height of the shoe: H
4. The pipe nominal diameter: DN
Example:
For a DN 150 clamped pipe shoe, type S1, according to standard drawing S44.033 these
dimensions are:
L = 250 mm
Lclamps = 195 mm (For a DN 150 welded pipe shoe according to standard drawing S 44.035
the distance Lclamps is 175 mm).
H = 100 mm
DN = 150
Upon entering the nominal diameter, the actual outside pipe diameter, which is used in the
calculations, is automatically generated in the next line. An error message appears if an
incorrect DN value has been entered.
Table A10-1. Example geometrical data
DN 150 shoe type anchor support welded to base
Shoe length L 250 mm
Distance between clamps/stiffeners Lclamps 195 mm
Shoe height H 100 mm
Pipe nominal diameter DN 150
Pipe actual outside diameter Do 168.2 mm
Normally, the six load components on the anchor are calculated at the pipe centerline by the
computer or manual pipe stress calculations. A clamped shoe type anchor support is not able to
provide any restraint function to pipe rotation around its centerline (the torsional mode). If
clamped shoe type anchors are applied the pipe stress calculation shall exclude this degree of
freedom from the restraints. Hence for clamped shoe type anchor supports five load
components will be calculated, the sixth component shall be zero. If the shoe is welded to the
pipe the anchor will accommodate “torsional” loads and all six degrees of freedom are restraint.
In the standard clamped DN 150 pipe anchor support example the load components provided
by the pipe stress analysis are:
In the final step of the assessment the allowable load components, taken from Appendix 3 of
this PTS, shall be introduced.
NOTE: These values are also valid for welded shoes.
For a DN 150 standard clamped shoe with a height of 100 mm the maximum allowable force in
three directions is 5.6 kN (see Table A10-3).
Upon completion of these fields the spreadsheet transforms the actual loads into equivalent
loads that are compared to the allowable loads on a component basis and the results of the
assessment is printed. The loads are considered acceptable if all equivalent loads are less than
the applicable allowable load. The largest ratio between the equivalent load and the allowable
load (“the largest load fraction”) is printed. This is a conservative approach since the different
load components load different sections of the weld and therefore can be combined
accumulatively. (See Table A-10-4 for the results)
This appendix explains how to use the calculation sheet PTS 31.38.00.81 for a shoe-type full
anchor support.
PTS 31.38.01.29
September 2012
Page 40
This assessment procedure is valid for trunnion full anchor supports as well as for dummy leg
full anchor supports.
In order to assess the maximum loads on trunnion type full anchor supports using the
calculation sheet PTS 31.38.00.81, the designer shall supply the load parameters as calculated
by the computer or manual pipe stress analysis and the dimensions of the trunnion.
The allowable loads shall be selected from Appendices 4a, 4b or 7 of this PTS. For a dummy
leg support distinction is made between the various load components. The axial load capability
in general is larger than the lateral allowable load because a lateral load on the dummy results
in a bending moment on the pipe wall
Example:
For this example it is assumed that a DN 100 carbon steel dummy pipe is welded to a DN 150
elbow and that the centerline of the dummy is in vertical direction. (The allowable loads are
taken from Appendix 4a).
A DN 100 carbon steel dummy under a DN 150 pipe is identified as BS3. A dummy leg support
length of 500 mm falls in the range of 300 mm to 600 mm with an allowable vertical load of 11.0
kN according to the allowable vertical load table. The allowable lateral load is 4.0 kN according
to the allowable lateral load table.
In the allowable load tables of Appendix 4a, no distinction is made between “in plane” and “out
of plane” loads. For both components the same number is substituted. (In Table A11-1 the
applicable data has been filled in)
Table A11-1 Geometrical data and load data for a DN 100 dummy connected to a
DN 150 pipe.
Trunnion welded to base plate
Actual Load input
Loads at trunnion end (axial direction
coinciding with trunnion centerline)
Fax 0.9 kN
Flateral, in plane made by trunnion and pipe 1.7 kN
Flateral, out of plane 1.8 kN
Mtorsion 0.7 kNm
Mbending out of plane 0.5kNm
Mbending in plane 0.6 kNm
Upon completion of these fields the spreadsheet transforms the actual loads into equivalent
loads that are compared to the allowable loads on a component basis and the results of the
assessment is printed. The loads are considered acceptable if all equivalent loads are less than
the applicable allowable load. The largest ratio between the equivalent load and the allowable
load (“the largest load fraction”) is printed. This is a conservative approach since the different
load components load different sections of the weld and therefore can be combined
accumulatively. (see table app-11-3 for the results)