Skirt Supports

One of the most common methods of supporting

vertical pressure vessels is by means of a rolled
cylindrical or conical shell called a skirt. The skirt can
be either lap-, fillet-, or butt-welded directly to the
vessel. This method of support is attractive from the
designers standpoint because it minimizes the local
stresses at the point of attachment, and the direct load is
uniformly distributed over the entire circumference.
The use of conical skirts is more expensive from
a fabrication standpoint, and unnecessary for most
design situations.
The critical line in the skirt support is the weld
attaching the vessel to the skirt. This weld, in addition
to transmitting the overall weight and overturning
moments, must also resist the thermal and bending
stresses due to the temperature drop in the skirt. The
thinner the skirt, the better it is able to adjust to
temperature variations. A hot box design is used for
elevated temperatures to minimize discontinuity stresses
at the juncture by maintaining a uniform temperature in
the region. In addition, skirts for elevated temperature
design will normally be insulated inside and outside for
several feet below the point of attachment.
There are various methods of making the attachment
weld of the skirt to the shell. The preferred method is
the one in which the center line of the shell and skirt
coincide. This method will minimize stresses at the
juncture. Probably the most common method,
however, is to make the OD of the skirt match the OD
of the shell. Other methods of attachment include lapwelding,
pedestal type, or a shear ring arrangement.
The joint efficiency of the attachment weld also varies
by the method of attachment and is usually the governing
factor in determining the skirt thickness. This
weld may be subject to cracking in severe cyclic
service.
Because the skirt is an attachment to the pressure
vessel, the selection of material is not governed by the
ASME Code. Any material selected, however, should be
compatible with the vessel material in terms of weldability.
Strength for design is also not specified for support
material by the ASME Code. Usually, in the absence of
any other standard, the rules of the AISC Steel
Construction Manual will be utilized. Nonmandatory
Appendix G in the ASME Code, Section VIII, Division 1
contains general guidelines on skirt supports (and other
types of supports). Additionally, Part 4 in the ASME
Code, Section VIII, Division 2 contains rules regarding
applied forces, localized stresses, and thermal gradients
for skirt supports for vessels designed to Division 2, but
may be used for good practice of skirt supports for vessels
designed to Division 1. For elevated temperature design of
a vessel with a support skirt made of different materials,
the upper portion of the skirt should be the same material
of the shell, however, the upper portion should also extend
below the hotbox. A thermal analysis should be performed
to determine the temperature gradient along the length of
the skirt and the location where another material may be
used for the skirt support.
The most common governing conditions for determining
the thickness of the skirt are as follows:
1. Weight overturning moment
2. Imposed loads from anchor chairs
3. Vessel erection