INTRODUCTION TO

PIPING STRESS
INTRODUCTION
 Definitions of Pipe Stress
 Piping stress analysis is the process of evaluating
the structural integrity of a given piping system
within the guidelines established by applicable
codes and standards of the particular industry.
 PIPE STRESS ENGINEER
The Pipe Stress Engineer/Analyst is a fully
qualified professional with piping/pipe stress
analysis experience and is proficient in the
utilization of piping/pipe stress engineering
theories and practices.
 RESPONSBILITIES
 Ensure that applicable codes, standards, and
procedures are followed.
 Ensure that forces and moments imposed on
machinery and vessels by the attached piping are
within allowable.
 Ensure that stresses in the piping system are
within allowable.
 Ensure that piping is well supported.
 RESPONSIBLITIES (cont’d)
 Control deflection of piping systems due to the
effect of thermal expansion, gravity, pressure,
and occasional loads such as wind, seismic, psv
discharge, slug force.
 Design special supports and restraints.
 Identify critical systems and possible problem
areas.
 Advise Piping Design of optimal equipment
location to minimize redesign efforts.
 RESPONSBILITIES (cont’d)
 Transmit piping imposed loads to the appropriate
Engineering discipline.
 Develop data sheets for spring hangers, expansion
joints, snubbers, and other stress related components
and issue requisitions to purchase items.
 Maintain and document all stress calculations and
submit to client at the end of job.
Typical Piping System
Piping Components and
Terminology
 Pipe
 Elbow
 Tee and Branch Connections
 Tee and Branch Connections
 Branch Connections
 Reducer
 Insulation
 Insulated Pipe
 Insulation Materials
 Flanges
 Flange Types
 Flange Types
Gate Valve
Butterfly Valve
Check Valve
Ball Valve
Globe Valve
Globe Valve
Valve Weight Comparison

Type Weight (Lbs)

(12” 300# Class)
Gate 1404
Ball 1722
Globe 1745
Check 1327
Butterfly Valve 218
 CODES
 ASME B31.1 Power Piping
 ASME B31.3 Chemical Piping and Petroleum
Refinery Piping
 ASME B31.4 Liquid Transportation System for
Hydrocarbons, Liquid Petroleum Gas, Anhydrous
Ammonia, and Alcohols
 ASME B31.8 Gas Transportation and Distribution
Piping Systems
 ASME B31.11 Slurry Transportation Piping Systems
 CODES (cont’d)
 API 610 Centrifugal Pumps
 API 617 Centrifugal Compressors
 API 618 Reciprocating Compressors
 API 650 Welded Steel Tanks
 API 661 Air-
Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers
 API 560 Fired Heaters
 NEMA SM-
SM-23 Steam Turbines
COMMON PIPING RESTRAINTS
 Anchor
 Guide
 Strut
 Snubber
 Spring
 Simple Supports
 Directional Anchor

Directional Anchors are used to restrain the pipe from

movement in the longitudinal direction. It is also used
protect equipment or other weaker portions of the system
by controlling or redirecting pipe expansion.
Typical Anchor
 Guide
Pipe guides allows little or no transverse
displacement of pipe relative to the structure at
the point of attachment.

Pipe guides shall be used for the same intent and

purpose as directional anchors.

In addition, they shall be used to prevent buckling

of long piping runs and the crawling of one line
over another.
Typical Guide
 Maximum guide spacing in
Horizontal piping runs

Nominal Pipe Size (inch) Span (feet)

4 and smaller 40
6 to 12 60
14 and larger 80
Strut
 Strut
 Struts will restrain movement of piping in one
direction while providing for movement due to
thermal expansion or contraction in another
direction.
Snubber
 Snubbers
 Snubbers are used to restrain piping from
suddenly applied loads such as those caused by
slug flow, seismic, and wind, but will allow
unrestrained motion cause by thermal expansion
or contraction.
 Springs
Spring Hangers are used where required to
relieve sensitive equipment from
gravitational effects of piping and other
components.
SPRING TYPES
Constant Support Spring
 SPRING ASSEMBLY
Type F Type B

C
L

LOAD COLUMN X" DIA

PIPE

C
L

BASE
PLATE
 SPRING ASSEMBLY (cont’d)
• Type B

C
L
Base Support
 Base Support
Base Support w/Guide
 Pipe Support
Typical Piping System
 STRESS TOOLS
 CAESAR II Piping stress program
 In--house developed stress programs
In
 Charts and Tables for analysis by inspection
 Thermal Expansion Coefficients
 Table of pipe properties (weight, moment of inertia, section modulus)
 Pipe Insulation Data
 Stress/Strain Diagram
 Allowable Span Chart
 Basic Allowable Tensile Stress
 Smart Plant Review
 Explorer ID
ASME B31.3 Stress Allowable
Smart Plant Viewer Sample 1
Smart Plant Viewer Sample 2
Smart Plant Viewer Sample 3
Explorer ID sample 1
Explorer ID sample 2
 PIPING FLEXIBILITY
 When the layout of a piping system does not provide
inherent flexibility through changes in direction,
additional flexibility shall be provided by one or more
of the following means: bends, offsets, expansion
loops, or expansion joints.
 Piping Flexibility (cont’d)
 Bends and offsets shall be used as the primary methods
of providing flexibility to absorb thermal expansion or
contraction in the piping system.
 Expansion loops shall be used for pipeway to absorb
thermal expansion between anchors.
 Expansion Joints are used to provide piping flexibility
for low vendor allowable on nozzles, excessive thermal
deflection or poor preliminary design.
 Elbow Characteristic
 Elbows or bends is the most significant group of piping
components for providing increase flexibility in a piping
system. The increased flexibility of these curved
tubular members results from there flattening along one
or the other axis under bending. Flexibility factors are
calculated by equation in ASME Code.
Expansion Loop
 Expansion Loop
 Expansion Loop
 Expansion Loop
Expansion Joint
Types of Expansion Jts.
Types of Expansion Jts.
Expansion Joint Movements
Applications
Applications
Piping Design Consideration
 LOAD DEFINITION
 Primary Load – Dead weight of pipe, valves,
insulation, flanges, and other mechanical loads.
Also, pressure and commodity in the pipe is a
primary load.
 Secondary Load – Thermal expansion and
equipment settlement.
 Occasional Load – Wind, seismic, psv
discharge, water hammer, and slug flow effects.
 Load Cases
 Selection of load cases will depend on the process
conditions and the site location. Some common
load cases are:
1. Thermal Load
2. Weight Load
3. Pressure Load
4. Friction Load
5. Earthquake ( seismic) Load
6. Wind Load
7. Slug Flow Load
8. Pressure Relief Load
 Allowable Loads at Supports and
Equipments
 Pipe supports are design for supporting loads that can
harm the piping system or damage any components of
the piping system.

 Allowable loads at the equipment nozzles are normally

governed by the industry standards, for example, API,
NEMA, or Manufactures specifications.
Stress Allowable per ASME B31.3
 Expansion Allowable = f [(1.25)(Sc+Sh)-SL ]
 Sustained Allowable = Sh
 Occasional Allowable = 1.33Sh
Methods of Pipe Stress Analysis
 Approximate Methods.
 Elastic Center Method.
 Flexibility and Stiffness Method.
 Computer Modeling Techniques.
Criteria to establish type of Stress Analysis
 CAESAR II
DEMONSTRATION
Caesar Input Sheet
Caesar Plot of Piping System
Caesar Plot Zoomed in and
w/Restraint Nodes
Caesar Plot of Piping System
With node points
Deflected shape of Piping System
 Pump System
The following is a simplified example of the
steps taken in stress analyzing a system.
Iso from Piping Design
Mark iso with node numbers and comments.
Check Line Summary
Review P&ID
Input System into Caesar
Caesar Input Plot w/Restraints
Define Load Cases
Output Load Cases
Output of Restraint Summary
Output of Maximum and Individual
Stresses
Output of Displacements
Deflected Shape for a selected Load Case
SEISMIC X-MOTION
SEISMIC Z-MOTION
OPERATING MOTION
Dead Weight
INTERFACE
HOW PIPING STRESS INTERFACE WITH OTHER DISIPLINES
Structural Criteria Piping
Loads on Structural
Structural
Support
Client

Client Requirements
Project
Engineer

Piping
Material
Engineering

Piping Material Piping Architectural

Specifications
Stress
Movements at
Fire Wall Penetrations
Piping
Design

Isometric or Sketches Process

for Approval Equipment

Purchasing
Equipment
Mechanical
Allowable
Process
Nozzle Loads
Requisitions for Springs
and/or Expansion Joints
Line List