Piping Stress Analysis is the most important activity in Piping Design.

Once,
pipes are routed following design guidelines, those needs to be verified by
piping stress analysis to ensure those will work smoothly throughout its
design life. This article will explain the basic points for Piping Stress
Analysis. Piping Stress Analysis is also termed as Piping Flexibility Analysis.

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.

Governing Codes and Standards for Pipe Stress Analysis

Codes and Standards specify minimum requirements for safe design and
construction (i. e. provides material, design, fabrication, installation, and inspection
requirements.)

Following are the codes and standards used for Piping stress analysis of process
piping:

1. ASME B31.3: Process piping Code

2. ASME B31.1: Power Piping Code
3. Centrifugal Pumps: API 610
4. Positive Displacement Pumps: API 676
5. Centrifugal Compressors: API 617
6. Reciprocating Compressors: API 618
7. Steam Turbines: NEMA SM23/ API 612
 8. Air Cooled Heat Exchanger: API 661
9. Fired Heaters: API 560
10. Flat Bottom Welded Storage Tanks: API 650
11. Heat Exchangers: TEMA/ Vendor-Specific.
12. Vessel/Column: Vendor-Specific/ ASME Sec VIII
13. ASME B 31.4/ASME B 31.8: Pipeline Stress Analysis
14. ISO 14692: GRE/GRP/FRP Piping Stress Analysis

Stresses in a Piping System

Sources for the generation of stress in a Piping System:

1. Weight
2. Internal/External Pressure
3. Temperature change
4. Occasional Loads due to the wind, seismic disturbances, PSV discharge,
etc.
5. Forces due to Vibration.

Sustained Stresses in Piping System

Sustained Stresses are the stresses generated by sustained loads. (e.g. Pressure,
Weight). These loads are present continuously throughout plant life.

Resistive force arising out of sustained stresses balance the external forces keeping the
system in equilibrium. Exceeding sustain allowable stress value causes catastrophic failure of
the system.
As per ASME B 31.3, (clause 302.3.5) “ The sum of the longitudinal stresses, SL, in any
component in a piping system, due to sustained loads such as pressure and weight, shall not
exceed “Sh“. Where Sh=Basic allowable stress at the metal temperature for the operating
condition being considered.
Pressure Stresses are taken care of by calculating and selecting proper pipe
thickness. The pressure thickness (t) of a straight pipe can be obtained as per ASME
B31.3 from the equation (Clause 304.1.2) mentioned in Fig.1:
Fig. 1: Equation for Thickness Calculation for Straight Pipe based on ASME B
31.3
Click here to learn pipe thickness calculation in details

Expansion Stresses in Piping System

 Change in length of a pipe of length L due to temp change (ΔT) is given by
ΔL=L α ΔT  Here, α =Co efficient of thermal expansion = change in length
of unit length element due to unit change in temp.
 Two “α” values (denoted by A and B) in Code (Table C-1 and C-1M in
ASME B31.3 Appendix C):
 The thermal Co-efficient “A” of Table C-1 denotes the mean
coefficient of linear thermal expansion between 70 degrees F to
indicated temp (μin/in/0F).
 The thermal Co-efficient “B” of table C-1 denotes total linear thermal
expansion between 70 degrees F to Indicated temp (unit=in/100ft).
 Table C-1M provides thermal co-efficient values in the metric
system.
 Expansion stresses are generated when the free thermal growth due to
temperature change is restricted. These are self-limiting or self-relenting.
Stress Intensifi cation Factor in Piping Stress Analysis
SIF( Stress Intensification Factor): This is the ratio of the maximum stress
intensity to the nominal Stress. SIF factors for different components can be obtained
from Appendix D of ASME B31.3 till edition 2018. From ASME B31.3-2020 onwards
the Appendix D has been deleted. Now users are required to use ASME B31J or
FEA for finding the values of SIF.

Equations for Calculating Expansion Stress Range and Allowable Stress

Value
Displacement Stress Range due to thermal expansion is calculated based on
equation SE per equation 17 from ASME B31.3( clause 319.4.4).

This SE value shall not exceed SA value where SA= Allowable Displacement Stress Range.
As per ASME code B 31.3 (Clause 302.3.5) the allowable displacement stress range
(SA) can be given by the equation (Fig.2):

Fig.2: Equation for

Displacement Stress Range Allowable
Here, f= Stress range reduction factor and Sc=basic allowable stress at minimum
metal temp

 When Sh > SL, the allowable stress range is calculated by the following
equation (Fig. 3): SL=Longitudinal Stress due to sustained loads.

Fig.3: Equation for Liberal Displacement Stress Range Allowable

Occasional Piping Stresses

 Occasional Stresses are generated by occasional loads such as Wind,
seismic, PSV discharge, etc.
 These loads act in a piping system for a very small period of time, usually
less than 10% of the total working period.
 As per ASME B31.3, clause 302.3.6 “The sum of the longitudinal stresses,
SL, due to sustained loads, such as pressure and weight, and of the
stresses produced by occasional loads, such as wind or earthquake should
be ≤ 1.33 times the basic allowable stress, Sh”
  The code does not explicitly explain the stresses generated due to
vibration.
 The vibration problems are solved by engineering judgment and
experience.

Reducing Piping stresses

Piping stresses can be reduced by various methods like

 Providing Supports at suitable span to reduce Weight (Sustained) stresses.

 Providing Flexibility to reduce piping expansion stresses generated by
thermal loading Eg. Expansion Loops, Offsets, Inclusion of elbows to
change direction.

Flexibility check (as per clause 319.4.1, ASME B 31.3):

Refer Fig. 4

Fig.4: Flexibility Check Equation for Simple Systems

Basic Allowable Stress/ Pipe Material Stress

Minimum of (As per ASME B 31.3)

1. 1/3rd of Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of Material at

operating temperature.
2. 1/3rd of UTS of material at room temperature.
3. 2/3rd of Yield Tensile Strength (YTS) of material at operating temperature.
4. 2/3rd of YTS of material at room temp.
5. 100% of average stress for a creep rate of 0.01% per 1000 hr.
6. For structural grade materials basic allowable stress=0.92 times the lowest
value obtained from 1 through 5 above.

Loads on a Piping System

There are two types of loads which act on a piping system: Static loads and Dynamic
Loads

Fig.1: Examples of Static Loads

Static loads are those loads that act very slowly and the system gets enough time to
react against it. Examples of static loads are shown in Fig.1
Fig.2: Examples of Dynamic Loads
On the other hand, dynamic loads act so quickly that the system does not get enough time to
react against it. Examples of dynamic loads are shown in Fig.2

Work Flow Diagram for Pipe Stress Analysis

The interaction of the Piping Stress team with other disciplines in any organization is
shown in Fig. 3:
Fig.3: Inter-Departmental Interaction with Stress Team

Stress Criticality and Analysis Methods

  Highly Critical Lines (Steam turbine, Compressor connected pipelines):
By Computer Analysis
  Moderately Critical Lines (AFC connected lines): By Computer Analysis
  Low critical Lines: Visual/Simple Manual Calculation/Computer analysis
and
  Non Critical Lines: Visual Inspection

Stress Analysis using Caesar II

Caesar II by Hexagon is the most popular and widely used international pipe stress
analysis software. Pipe stress analysis is normally performed in four steps as listed
below:

 Input Collection for Piping Stress Analysis

  Performing the stress analysis
 Interpreting the results and suggesting changes if required
 Providing Recommendation based on Analysis

Inputs required for Piping Stress Analysis:

 Stress Isometric from Layout Group

 Line Designation Table (LDT) or Line List And P&ID from Process
 Equipment GA and Other detailed drawings from Mechanical
 Process flow diagram/datasheet if required from the process
 Piping Material Specification
 PSV/ Control Valve GA and Datasheet from Instrumentation
 Soil Characteristics from civil for underground analysis
 Nozzle load limiting Standards
 Plot Plan for finding HPP elevation and equipment orientation.
 Governing Code

Stress Analysis:

 Checking the completeness of the piping system received as a stress

package.
 Node numbering on stress Iso.
 Filling the design parameters (Design temp, pressure, Ope. Temp, Min.
Temp, Fluid density, Material, Line Size and
thickness, Insulation thickness, and density, Corrosion allowance, etc) on
stress Iso.
 Modeling the piping system in Caesar using parameters from stress Iso.
 Analyzing the system and obtaining results.

Conclusion & Recommendation:

Whether to accept the system or to suggest necessary changes in layout and
supporting to make the system acceptable as per standard requirements.

Outputs from Stress Analysis:

  Final marked up Iso’s to Layout

  Support Loads to Civil
  Spring Hanger Datasheets.
  Datasheets for Special Supports like Sway brace, Struts, Snubbers, etc.
  SPS drawings
  Stress Package final documentation for records