PIPING STRESS

Presented by:
Pravin Jedhe
 Table of Contents
 Basic Engineering Package
 Objectives of Pipe Stress Analysis
 Governing Codes and Standards for Stress Analysis
 Stresses in a Piping System
 Sustained Stresses
 Expansion Stresses
 Occasional Stresses
 Reducing Piping stresses
 Basic Allowable Stress
 Loads on a Piping System
 Work Flow Diagram for Stress Analysis
 Stress Criticality and Analysis Methods
 Stress Analysis using Caesar II
  Type of Pipe Supports
 Questionnaire for Piping Stress Analysis
 Basic Engineering Packages
We have many years of experience in the preparation of Basic Engineering Packages
(BEPs) that enable new process technology to be commercialized for the first time. 
We deliver BEPs to our clients (or to their contractors) and provide commissioning
services as the final stage of technology development and transfer.
 As a minimum, our basic engineering packages contain the following:-
 Project Design Basis and Process Description
 Process and Utility Flow Diagrams
 Equipment List and Equipment Process Data Sheets
 Catalyst, Chemicals and Effluent Plant Data
 Hazard Study Data and Area Classification Diagram
 Piping and Instrument Diagrams
 Process Instrumentation Philosophy and Logic Diagram
 Plant Layout and Battery Limit Schedule
 Preliminary Process Operating Manual
 Objectives of Pipe Stress
Analysis
Stress Analysis of Critical piping systems are performed to ensure the
following objectives.
Structural Integrity:
 Design adequacy for the pressure of the carrying fluid.
 Failure against various loading in the life cycle. Limiting stresses below
code allowable.
Operational Integrity:
 Limiting nozzle loads of the connected equipment within allowable values.
 Avoiding leakage at joints.
 Limiting sagging & displacement within allowable values.

Optimal Design:
 Avoiding excessive flexibility and also high loads on supporting structures.
Aim towards an optimal design for both piping and structure.
 Standards

There are certain standard codes that need to be followed while designing or manufacturing
any piping system. Organizations that promulgate piping standards include:
 ASME - The American Society of Mechanical Engineers - B31 series
› ASME B31.1 Power piping (steam piping etc.)
› ASME B31.3 Process piping
› ASME B31.4 Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquid Hydrocarbons and Other Liquids and oil
and gas
› ASME B31.5 Refrigeration piping and heat transfer components
› ASME B31.8 Gas transmission and distribution piping systems
› ASME B31.9 Building services piping
› ASME B31.11 Slurry Transportation Piping Systems (Withdrawn, Superseded by B31.4)
› ASME B31.12 Hydrogen Piping and Pipelines
 ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials
› ASTM A252 Standard Specification for Welded and Seamless Steel Pipe Piles .
 API - American Petroleum Institute
› API 5L Petroleum and natural gas industries—Steel pipe for pipeline transportation systems.
 Sources for the generation of stress in a Piping
System:

 Weight
 Internal/External Pressure
 Temperature change
 Occasional Loads due to the wind, seismic
disturbances, PSV discharge, etc.
 Forces due to Vibration.
 Types of Stresses in Piping Systems

Primary, Secondary and Occasional Loads

From a piping stress analysis point of view the following are the main
loads to be considered for the design:
 Primary load occurs from Sustained loads like dead weight, live
weight, internal pressure etc. and are called non-self-limiting loads.
Pressure thrust from an expansion joint is used in this article.
 Secondary loads occur from thermal expansion loads like temperature
change, anchors and restraints etc. and are called self-limiting loads.
Thermal expansion in a horizontal pipe loop is used in this article.
 Occasional loads occur from static wind and seismic loads and are
considered to act occasionally. Seismic load on a vertical pipe loop is
used in this article.
 Primary Stress
 Primary Stress is generated by internal and external force and
moments. Primary stress is not self limiting – even if a part
moves, the load causing it does not reduce. In this example, an
expansion joint without restraining hardware creates a primary
stress on a pipe. 
 Pipe loops with tied and untied expansion joints. The foreground
joint is tied – it has tie rods to prevent axial growth of the
expansion joint. The background joint has no tie rods.
 Deflection of the two expansion joints under pressure. The tie
rods limit the expansion of the tied joint. The untied joint
increases in length the same as if it is a hydraulic cylinder
applying bending stresses to the pipe.
 Primary Stress

 Pipe stress as reported by Caesar. The untied joint is applying a bending

force, which, depending on the stress level, Caesar can report as a fail.
This design does not meet the expansion joint manufacturers
requirements for guiding and anchoring. The pipe with the tied joint is
okay.
 This primary stress is caused by pressure of the fluid multiplied by the
area of the pipe. It occurs all the time the system is pressurized. No matter
how much the pipe displaces, the untied bellows keeps pushing on it.
 Because primary stresses are not relieved by the piping moving or
yielding, primary stress limits are set lower than other allowable stresses.
For example, if primary stresses managed to get above the yield point, the
piping would balloon out and explode.  The piping codes keep the
primary stresses below the yield point by a factor of safety.
 Secondary Stress

 Thermal expansion and contraction happens when a pipe heats

up and cools down. The piping system must have enough
flexibility to handle the expansion.
 The stress is caused by the pipe pushing against some fixed
restraint. Thermal stresses are “secondary stresses” because
they are self-limiting. That is, yielding or deformation of the
part reduces the stress.
 Higher stresses are allowed than in the primary case because of
this self limiting behavior. Stresses above the yield point can be
acceptable, however, over time, an accumulation of highly
stressed thermal cycles can exceed the fatigue capacity of the
material leading to failure. 
 Occasional Stress

 Wind and seismic loads are occasional. In this example sideways seismic loads
create the stress.
 A vertical pipe loop subject to a seismic load in the direction shown by the arrow.
 Seismic induced displacement.
 Caesar II reported stresses in the loop caused by the displacement.
 The supports for a loop like this would have to be carefully considered to maintain
the flexibility while also providing the required support for seismic loads.  
 Unacceptable occasional seismic loads become acceptable in this job by changing
how the piping is supported.
 Loads like those induced by seismic events are not expected to occur frequently, so
the generated stresses are allowed to be higher than primary loads. Seismic stresses
are typically allowed to be 20% higher than primary stresses in ASME piping
codes. The equipment should be able to survive these rarely occurring stresses
without damage.
PIPE THICKNESS
CALCULATION
 Flexibility Analysis in Piping System
Flexibility analysis is an analysis of the ability of pipe to change its length and deform elastically. This condition occurs
because of load which is affected by high temperature during operation in piping system. Piping system must be enough
flexible so thermal expansion or movement of support or end point of pipe will not cause as follow:

 -          Failure on pipe and support due to excessive stress.

 -          Leakage in welded joint pipe.
 -          High stress or distortion which cause damage to connected equipment such as pump, tank or valve because
excessive force and moment in the pipe.

 Furthermore, if the piping system has enough flexibility, so the pipe will experience changes in length due to thermal
expansion or contraction and able to return to the initial length when the load due to expansion or contraction is
eliminated.

 In the Code ASME B31.3 flexibility analysis in the piping system is regulated in paragraph 319.4. Code ASME B31.3
specify special requirement of flexibility in the piping system as follow:
 Range calculation stress because of displacement in every point of piping system should not exceed the allowable stress.
 The calculation of reaction force should not damage to support or connected equipment in piping system.
 The calculation of displacement should not exceed the limitation range in ASME Code B31.3
 Flexibility analysis
 Duplicates or replaces without significant change, a system operating with successful
service record. b) Can readily be judged adequate by comparison with previously
analyzed systems c) is of uniform size, has no more than two points of fixation, no
intermediate restraints, and falls within the limitation of empirical equation:

K=((D x y)/ (L-u)2 ) ≤ k1 (1)

Where,
D = outside diameter of pipe in mm (inch)
y = Resultant of total displacement strains in mm (inch), to be absorbed by the piping
system
L = developed length of piping between anchors in m (ft)
u = anchor distance, straight line between anchors, in m (ft)

k1 = 208000 x SA/ Ea (mm/m2 ) or 30 x SA/ Ea (in. / ft2 )

Pipe Span Calculations