Case Study of Pipe Support and Restraint Stiffness

Abstract

Pipe support and restraint assemblies are an integral part of engineered piping systems for power, petrochemical, refinery, and process industries. Such assemblies are specially designed and analyzed for the purpose of transferring loads from piping to building structure or supplemental steel structure. Thus, a support assembly protects the piping, or any other components, from damage that may result from startup, shutdown, shocks from valve operation, water hammer, steam hammer, wind, seismic, and other catastrophic events such as pipe rupture or explosions. It also restrains against unacceptable movements in the piping system while preserving movement due to thermal growth. The support and restraint stiffness values are utilized based on assumptions and calculations of load versus displacement. A case study of pipe support elements is performed in various static and dynamic load cases to determine the effects of assumptions of utilizing one stiffness value versus multiple stiffness values within an assembly. Additionally, the stiffness for the connected building structure opens more assumptions within industry practice. Multiple industry practices of stiffness values are integrated into this research to compare and contrast the realistic attributes of each.