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Local Stress Calculation For Dummy Supports
Local Stress Calculation For Dummy Supports
The term “Local stress” is the abbreviation of Localised stress.When Pipe has some
attachment on it, it experiences some stress locally on the surface connected to the
attachment. Attachments can be a pipe trunnions,fabricated lugs etc, which are welded
directly to shell or with an intermediate pad between attachment and pipe, so that any load is
spread over a greater area of pipe.Loads arise from Deadweight,thermal pipe reactions,
producing moments which may be in longitudinal,circumferential or torsional and radial
thrusts. Such loads are generally termed as local loads because any significant effects on the
main pressure shell are as a rule confined to areas close to the attachment and treated as
localised stress. Depending on the type of attachment and load imposed by the attachment
on the pipe, this stress could be severe enough to lead failure to the pipe or
attachment.Therefore it is important to investigate the local stress. Primary stress due to
internal design pressure is added to the bending stress on the pipe due to external loads, and
the stress calculated thus is compared with the code allowables.
Conventional Pipe Stress softwares do not take care of this local stress. However some
Finite Element based programs are there, which could be used to calculate the local stress,
based on ASME code cases. Again, this is very rigorous analysis and normally not used for
the common dummy/ Trunnion supports. Checking local stress at four points as outlined in
WRC-107 may be applied to Dummy/Trunnion supports, but this is also time consuming
and normally not used except for a few critical cases.
Therefore, based on experience and experiment some simplified approach, as outlined
below, is used to estimate the local stress.
A. Pressure Stress :
The Pressure stress in a cylindrical shell is a function of pipe size, thickness, internal
pressure. For loads producing maximum stress in the shell in the longitudinal direction, the
pressure stress(Longitudinal) is equal to
PR
L
2t h
For loads producing maximum stress in the shelll in the circumferential direction, the
pressure stress(Circumferential) is equal to
PR
L
4t h
Where P= Internal pressure at design condition under consideration, psi
R= Outside radius of the shell, inches
th=Corroded thickness of pipe header, inches
The Bending stress Sb in a cylindrical shell is a function of pipe size,pipe thickness and
induced load per linear inch along the edge of the attachment.
This may be evaluated by the following formula as outlined in “Design of Piping System by
M.W.Kellogg Co”
1.17 f Rt
Sb
t2
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
f= Load induced by attachment , lbs per linear inch along the edge of the attachment
When bending stress is calculated due to loads in longitudinal direction, f=f1 and
for calculating bending stress due to load in the circumferential direction, f=f2
Where
Note:
1. Because of smaller rigidity of cylindrical shells in circumferential direction and uneven
load distribution under the load ,moments producing bending in the shell in the
circumferential direction, and for direct axial force, a factor of 1.5 is applied to the load.
However, for loads caued by thermal expansion, the factor 1.5 is not used while calculating
stress due to circumferential direction.
2.The resultant load shall not be used if fL is equal to or greater than 3 fC or fC is equal to or
greater than 2fL.In this case the stress due to longitudinal bending and circumferential
bending shall be considered separately, the maximum value controlling.
In this case f1 and f2 shall be calculated as following:
The general equation for calculating the linear load on the shell is:
M
f
Zw
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
Linear Section Modulus of attachments can be determined by combining the section modulii
of the following standard shapes.
L L = L/2 r
I=L3/3 I=BL2
I=L3/12 I= r3
I Total
Section modulus Zw= Dist from N . A to furthest po int
r 3
Linear sectional modulus, Z w r 2
r
r = radius of the cylindrical attachment,
If ML= moment in longitudinal direction
ML
fL where r= outside radius of the attachment
r 2
MC
fC
r 2
For a square attachment,load per linear inch due to Moment loading is calculated in the
same manner as above, only radius r is replaced with equivalent radius, equating their
moment of inertia.
MI of attachment = MI of equivalent circular attachment, i.e.
bh 3 r 4
12 4
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
b 4 r 4
as b=h=length of one side, we get
12 4
d4
Therefore, equivalent radius, r 4
3
F F
For axial loading, load per liner inch=
2(b h) 4b
For a Rectangular attachment:
For a rectangular attachment,load per linear inch due to Moment loading is calculated in the
same manner as in the case of a square attachment,
MI of attachment= MI of equivalent circular attachment, i.e.
bh 3 r 4
12 4
as b=width, inches
h=depth, inches
bh 3
Therefore, equivalent radius, r 4
3
F
For axial loading load per liner inch=
2(b h)
Allowable Stress:
Piping Codes do not provide the allowable stress exclusively for the Local stress. As an
industry practice, the calculated local stress is compared with the pipe stress allowables
specified by the applicable code. Piping Code ANSI B31.1/31.3 deals with the local stress
problem with the introduction SIFs. However it has some limitations, e.g. for irregular
shapes. ASME code for Boiler and Pressure Vessel, section III(Case #N-318,N-392), gives
the procedure and allowables for the Local stress for welded attachment on Pipe shell and
the same is followed here to check the effect of Pressure, weight, other Sustained loads,
thermal and Occasional loads. Here follows the various load combinations and its
allowables.
2.Thermal(Thermal)
Maximum of (stress due to f1 or stress due to f2) is compared with (1.25 Sc+.25 Sh)
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
Checking the dummy leg for the piping loads is also important to make sure that there will
not be any failure. Dummy leg should qualify the code compliance in all the load cases. We
shall check the point of intersection for code compliance, since it will have maximum force
and moment .It is to be noted that there will not be any Pressure driven stress.
(ii M i ) 2 (io M o ) 2 Fa
In Sustained case Sh
Z A
(ii M i ) 2 (io M o ) 2
b Bending stress
Z
Mt S
Shear stress
2Z A
Along with local stress and stress in dummy leg, checking the weld strength for the piping
load is equally important, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the system.
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
The strength of weld is checked assuming the weld as line contact. So it is required to
calculate the force induced per unit length and check this value with the material allowable.
Similar to calculating force per unit length for local stress calculation, for weld joint also
force per unit length is calculated for piping loads.
For Longitudinal moment, bending stress fb=ML/Z
Shear stress fs=FL/Perimeter
Support on Elbow:
X X
2r
2b
D0
2b= effective contact length 2(1.5 D ) sin ,
2 2
=Angle measured at the center of bend radius, covered by chord ‘2b.’
Perimeter 2( r 2 b 2 )
(3.r.b 2 b 3 )
Sectional mod ulus (long ) Z X X
4b
(3.b.r 2 r 3 )
Sectional mod ulus (Circ ) Z Y Y
4r
Also the eccentricity (e) between the centerline of pipe and centerline of Dummy is
important for elbow support. If the (e) value is negative, the more is contact length and less
the stress induced. On the other hand if (e) value is positive, the contact length reduces and
for the max value of positive e, the support is just like a trunnion on the straight pipe.
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
Max value of negative (e)=R-r inches
Max value of Positive (e)=(1.5*D-r) inches.
However minimum clearance for the weld joint should be maintained while choosing the
max and min value of (e).
Example:
Calculate Local stress on Pipe for the following details:
Design Pressure=100 psi Moment Arm Length=24 inches
Design Temp=350degF Hydrotest Pressure=150psi
Pipe NPS=6 inch Trunnion NPS=4 inches
Pipe Wall thickness=0.28 inch Re.pad thickness=0.28 inches
Corrosion allowance=0.125 inch
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
Loads Dead Weight Thermal Occasional Hydrotest
Radial Force, lbs 300 400 100 350
Circ.Force, lbs 250 350 150 300
Long.Force, lbs 350 450 200 450
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
Solution:
PR 1.17 f 2 Rt
Maximum circumferential stress= =9603 psi
th t2
1.17 f 2 Rt
Maximum circumferential stress= =6700 psi
t2
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LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
Hence maximum stress in the deadweight case=6700 psi
Allowable stress=1.25*Sc+0.25*Sh=30000 psi
1.17 f 2 Rt
Maximum circumferential stress=Maximum circ.stress in SUS+ =13878 psi
t2
PR 1.17 f 2 Rt
Maximum circumferential stress= =12567 psi
th t2
Result Summary:
(i i M i ) 2 (i o M o ) 2 Fa
In Sustained case Sh
Z A
0.9
io 2
h 3
5
Te 2
h=flexibility character=
3
Th 2 .r2
Th=Header nominal wall thickness=0.28 inches
Tp
Te=Equivalent thickness= Th =0.42 inches
2
Page 10 of 10
LOCAL STRESS CALCULATION FOR DUMMY SUPPORTS
r2=Mean header radius=3.1725 inches
Therefore h=0.2432 and io=2.3
ii=0.75*io+0.25=1.98
Mi =350*24 inch-pounds
Mo =250*24 inch-pounds
Z=pi.rm2.minimum of (th, ii * tb) ,
rm=mean radius of trunnion=2.194 inches
tb=corroded thickness of trunnion=0.12 inches
th=corroded thickness of header=0.12 inches
There fore Z=2.344 cubic inches
Similarly stress is calculated for all the cases and the summary is:
Using the Loads in different cases, bending and shear stress (force per unit length) on the weld
joint is calculated and they are tabulated below.
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