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Lateral Buckling of Above-ground

Piping Check
Read about START-PROF Pipe Stress Analysis Software

Above ground pipe should be checked for longitudinal stability under axial weight or pressure load.
Pressure thrust forces in expansion joints can lead to stability lost of piping. The guide supports
must be added to prevent buckling. Also buckling can happen on very high risers under own weight.

1 - Fixed Anchor, 2 - Axial bellows, 3 - Guide support

It is recommended also to check longitudinal stability from axial force caused by temperature
expansion. It is not so dangerous as weight and pressure load, but can lead to additional bending load
to flanges and deformation of piping.
 For a very long gas and oil transmission pipelines it could lead to appearance of arches on the
pipeline.

Stability analysis for straight above-ground pipes on resting supports is covered in GOST R 55596-
2013, RD 10-400-01 and SNIP 2.05.06-85, and is useful for laying small diameter pipelines together
with (in a bundle) large and medium diameter pipelines on supports. If other standards are used, this
analysis is optional. Stability safety margin must be input.
This analysis calculates either the required spacing between guiding supports or allowable axial
compression force.
 - distance between supports,
- free length factor.
Maximum deflection of the pipe under thermal expansion can be calculated:

- initial deflection,
- thermal expansion of pipeline.
Input data can be copied using the toolbar icon and inserted into any other Start-Elements
analysis by using the toolbar icon in that file.

Input Data

Property Description
External
External pipe diameter, D
diameter, D
Pipe wall
Nominal wall thickness
thickness, S
Operation
Operation pressure in work state. More...
pressure, P
Uniform pipe
Pipeline and adjoining equipment uniform weight. More...
weight
Uniform
 insulation weight Uniform insulation weight. More...

Uniform
Uniform product weight. More...
product weight
Resting
support friction Friction factor must be from 0.1 to 0.4
factor, mu

Free length
factor

Steel grade Pipe material from the materials database

Spacing
Maximum spacing between guiding supports, with which stability
between guiding
requirements are met
supports, Lcr
Critical axial force

- allowable longitudinal force based on stability requirements for an

Axial
infinitely long straight pipeline on resting supports (stability is achieved by
compression
lateral friction);
force, N
- critical axial compression force based on longitudinal stability
requirements for centrally-compressed straight pipes, taking into account
elastic-plastic material functions.

Menu access

Pipe. Above-ground > Stability Analysis