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91923-SP-J-003 Rev. A Pipe Support Standard

Contents
1 General ............................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 Scope .................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Application .......................................................................................................... 3
2 Codes and Standards ...................................................................................................... 3
3 Units ................................................................................................................................. 3
4 Design Considerations.................................................................................................... 3
5 Materials, Fabrication And Inspection .......................................................................... 9
5.1 General ................................................................................................................. 9
5.2 Structural Shapes, Pipe and Bolting ............................................................... 10
5.3 Painting, Galvanizing and Fireproofing .......................................................... 11
6 Presentation .................................................................................................................. 11

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1 General

1.1 Scope
This specification covers the requirements for the design of pipe hangers and supports for the
piping systems for the Maximum Aromatics Project (MARS). This specification generally excludes
piping systems furnished as a regular part of manufacturer’s standardized equipment or package
facility.

1.2 Application
This specification shall be used as a general instruction, for the pipe hangers and supports, details
to be prepared by CONTRACTOR and appended to this specification. The pipe hangers and
supports details should carry item descriptions adequate for purchase order(s).

2 Codes and Standards

The following codes and standards apply to this specification and to the materials and work
covered. The latest editions only are applicable.
a) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B31.3 with latest addendums.
b) Manufacturers Standardization Society (MSS SP-58)
c) American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM A36 and A123)
d) International Standard (ISO) 261.4016 and 4034
e) American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Specification including Supplements
No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.

3 Units
Unless otherwise specified, Celsius and SI units shall be applied as the measurement system for
drawings and documents to be submitted. However, nominal sizes of piping components shall be
in accordance with inch system (NPS).
All dimensions on drawings shall generally be given in millimeter (mm).

4 Design Considerations
4.1 All supports and parts shall conform to the latest requirements of the Process Piping,
ANSI B31.3, and MSS Standard Practice SP-58.
4.2 Designs generally accepted as exemplifying good engineering practice, using stock or
production parts, shall be utilized wherever possible.
4.3 Calculations shall be made to determine the required supporting force at each hanger
location and the pipe weight load at each equipment connection.
4.4 Pipe hangers shall be capable of supporting the pipe in all conditions of operation. They
shall allow free expansion and contraction of the piping and prevent excessive stress
resulting from transferred weight being induced into the pipe or connected equipment.

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91923-SP-J-003 Rev. A Pipe Support Standard

4.5 Wherever possible, pipe attachments for hangers for horizontal piping shall be pipe
clamps.
Wherever possible, structural attachments for the hanger rods shall be welded.
Attachment to building steel structure shall be in the form of standard recognized
welded lug components. All welding to the underside flange shall be parallel to the beam
web.
4.6 For piping, at hanger locations where the vertical movement of the piping will occur,
where it is necessary to avoid the transfer of load to adjacent hangers or connected
equipment, pipe hanger shall be of an approved spring support design.
4.7 All rigid hangers shall provide a means of vertical adjustment after erection, e.g. via a turn
buckle.
4.8 Hanger rods shall be subjected to tensile loading only. At hanger locations where lateral
or axial movement is anticipated, suitable linkage shall be provided to permit swing.
4.9 Where horizontal piping movements are greater than 12.7mm (1/2”), or where the hanger
rod angularity from the vertical is greater than 4 degrees from the cold to hot position of
the pipe, the hanger pipe and structural attachments shall be offset in such a manner that
the rod is vertical in the hot position.
4.10 Hangers shall be designed so that they can not become disengaged by movement of the
support pipe.
4.11 Hangers shall be spaced in accordance with a maximum deflection at the center of span
of 12.5mm (1/2”).
4.12 Where practical, riser piping shall be supported independently of the connected
horizontal piping. Pipe support attachments to the riser piping shall be welded pipe
attachments (trunnions). Welded attachments shall be of material comparable to that of
the pipe, and designed in accordance with governing codes.
4.13 Supports, guides, and anchors shall be so designed that excessive heat will not be
transmitted to the building steel. The temperature of supporting parts shall be based on
a temperature gradient of 2.2 deg C per mm of distance from the outside surface of the
pipe.
4.14 Covering on insulated piping shall be protected from damage at all hanger locations.
saddles, bases, or suitable metal shields, properly constructed and secured to the covered
pipe, shall be used at points of roller, base, and trapeze support. Pipe clamps for
insulated pipe shall have the load bolt located outside of the insulation.
4.15 Auxiliary supporting steel shall be designed on the basis of the allowable stresses as per
the AISC Steel Handbook or applicable local building code.
4.16 Embedded anchor bolts or inserts are preferred whenever possible for attachments to
building concrete structure. Where required, approved concrete fasteners may be used.
Hanger rods shall not be threaded directly into a fastener; attachment by conventional
means to an intermediate plate or member held in place by the concrete fastener is
preferred.

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4.17 Welded Attachments

Pipe trunnions shall be made from pipe of the same material as the parent pipe. The
pipe schedule shall be specified with due awareness given to the project availability of
material.
Carbon steel attachments shall not be welded directly to all grades of stainless steel
piping.
On all austenitic stainless steel, 22% Cr and 25% Cr duplex stainless steels piping,
trunnions and other supports shall not be welded directly to thin wall pipe (Sch 10S or
less).
Trunnions to grade or steelwork shall be specified on the fabrication drawing. Lengths of
trunnions shall be stated with any adjustment taken up by concrete grout or suitable
packing.
Welded attachments to all lines should be fabricated from parent pipe material or
equivalent plate material as applicable. Material grades to be used in such applications
must be checked to ensure that the material is capable of low temperature application
e.g. impact tested etc.
Field welding for pipe support shall not be performed on the following materials;
• Piping lined with glass, rubber, plastics, etc.,
• Piping requiring post weld heat treatment
• Exotic materials such as Titanium, Haste Alloy, Monel, etc.,
• Piping with corrosion resistant coating, eg. Galvanized piping
Supporting steel parts welded to galvanized steel structures shall be attached to steel
members before they are galvanized
For pipes requiring post weld heat treatment, attachments required for supporting
purposes shall be indicated on the piping isometric drawings, and welding shall be
performed in the workshop before post weld heat treatment.
4.18 Supporting of Insulated Pipes
Insulated pipes shall not rest directly on their insulation but pipe shoes shall be applied.
The clearance between the insulation and the supporting structure shall be at least
50mm.
Craddles and pipe shoes of pipe operating at temperatures above 400oC shall be
insulated from the supporting structure by incombustible insulating blocks of sufficient
load-bearing insulation capabilities. Alternatively, clamped cradles or pipe shoes can be
installed around the insulation. At the location of these supports the insulation shall have
sufficient load-bearing capacity.
4.19 Supporting of Non-Insulated Pipes
Non-insulated pipes should rest directly on the supporting steel, except for the following
which should be supported on pipe shoes to avoid damaging the pipe wall:
a) Pipes with sizes larger than DN 600 (NPS 24);
b) Carbon steel pipes with a wall thickness less than schedule 20;

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c) Stainless steel pipes with a wall thickness less than schedule 10S;
d) the pipe requires a slope;
e) the pipe may operate (even temporarily) at such a low temperature that this may cause
embrittlement of the supporting member;
f) Welded shoes shall be provided regardless of insulation requirement to all lines where
surface condensation is likely or located in corrosive environment (e.g. lines in the ring
road, jetty, marine, near cooling tower, swampy area, etc). Shoes shall be fully welded,
skip welding is not permitted. Clamped shoe is not acceptable in corrosive environment.
For piping systems where only small forces on supports can be expected (e.g., instrument
air systems) the use of U-bolts may be considered. U-bolts shall not be used as fixed
points because their grip is not reliable and damages the coating system.
4.20 Supporting of High Pressure Vibrating Service Lines
Pipe supports for high pressure vibrating service lines shall be specifically designed based
on the result of pipe stress calculations. Vibration dampening clamps shall be engineered
and supplied by an OWNER’s approved specialist pipe support vendor.
4.21 Pipe Saddles and Reinforcing Pads
Pipe saddles and reinforcing pads shall be made from the same type of material as the
pipe and shall have a vent hole plugged with sealant. Pipe saddles and reinforcing pads
shall not be applied on pipes operating with fluctuating temperatures which would create
high stresses at welds caused by the difference in temperature of the pipe wall and
saddle or reinforcing pad.
Pad reinforced branch connections are not permitted when the pipe design temperature
exceeds 427 Deg C. Similarly pad reinforced pipe supports (i.e. pipe trunnions etc) are not
permitted when the design temperature exceeds 427 Deg C. Any instances where this
design criterion creates difficulties are to be highlighted to the Lead Stress Engineer for
resolution.
Reinforcing pad of the same pipe material shall be provided between pipe and support
based on the following:
In case of high local stresses at pipe support attachment.
For pipes NPS 24 and larger
On all Alloy Steel or on stress relieved pipes (PWHT) to avoid further treatment of the
welds at support attachment during field installation. The reinforcing pad can be omitted
in case pipe support is welded to the line during shop fabrication since both pipe and
support can be heat treated in a single operation.
Pipe reinforcing at the location point or line support for horizontal pipe runs shall be per
the following:

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91923-SP-J-003 Rev. A Pipe Support Standard

Diameter/Thickness
Minimum Reinforcing
Pipe Diameter – D [inch/inch (mm/mm)]
Required
(1)
D<20” All (4)

D/t < 95 Pad or Saddle (2)(3)

D=20” to 40”
D/t ≥ 95 Saddle (3)

D>40” ALL Saddle

Notes:
1. D = outside diameter, t = minimum wall thickness for the fully corroded condition.
2. Pads shall be installed with continuous welding, have a thickness equal to the
uncorroded pipe wall thickness, wrap around 1/3 of the pipe circumference, have one
6mm vent hole plugged with sealant, and have a minimum length of 300mm.
3. Saddles are mandatory for support spans greater than 12m.
4. Not required for CS with wall thickness ≥ Sch20 and SS with wall thickness ≥ Sch10S.
Pipes with wall thickness lower than this shall be provided with shoes, regardless of
insulation requirement.
4.22 Exotic Piping Materials
All alloy pipe support material, except pipe clamps that form part of a standard pipe
support or are welded to the main pipe run as an undesignated attachment, will be fully
detailed and listed with other pipe support items on the piping fabrication drawing.
A thin isolator band shall be interposed between the pipe and the clamp when using CS
clamps on SS pipes.
4.23 Non-Metallic Lines
Non-metallic piping shall be supported and inspected by the Manufacturer or
Manufacturer's nominated representative strictly in accordance with the Manufacturer's
procedure and recommendations.
4.24 Support of Small Bore Piping in the Field
When pipe supports for 1-½” NPS lines and below, are not indicated on the piping
isometrics, it will be designed, located and installed by the CONTRACTOR to comply with
the requirements of this standard.
Also the following guidelines have been included to assist the designer (or the
CONTRACTOR) in undertaking this scope. Failure to do so may cause damage, not only
to the support, but also to the pipe, vessel or other equipment to which it is attached.
Provision must be made for expansion of the pipe in service. It can be assumed that a 10
meter length of carbon or low alloy steel pipe will increase by 11.5mm for every 100 ºC
rise in the metal temperature. Stainless steel pipe will expand at a rate approximately 30%
greater. Anything, which tends to interfere with this expansion will cause bowing and
possibly damage to the terminal connections.

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Temperature in service will cause vertical vessels to grow upwards (or downwards) from
the supporting base, horizontal vessels and heat exchangers to move from the fixed end
and pipe to move from the anchor, line stop or, in the case of a vertical pipe, from the
fixed support. Any small-bore branch piping is to be routed with sufficient flexibility and
to be supported in a manner, which will allow the smaller pipe to move with the imposed
movement.
To ensure that sufficient flexibility is allowed when locating pipe guides etc. a simple
Nomograph shall be used to calculate the required pipe length for a given pipe
expansion length, temperature and pipe size. A guided cantilever stress Nomograph is
provided in Appendix-IV.
Small bore branch connections shall be braced. Gusset shall be indicated on the
isometrics as applicable (indication for ½“ small bore connections will be put on the
header’s isometric in close proximity to the branch); Nevertheless, it is responsibility of
the CONTRACTOR to ensure that gussets are installed meeting requirements.
Below list of lines with size 1-1/2” and below are considered critical and supports shall be
shown in the piping isometrics;
a) Line with operating temperature 400 oC or higher;
b) Process lines in refrigeration service, temp. -43 oC and below, requiring cold
insulated supports;
c) Piping requiring hot insulated shoes;
d) Piping connected to rotating equipment;
e) Piping support from vessel clips;
f) ANSI 900# rating piping and higher;
g) Non-metallic pipes carrying process fluids, if any;
h) Other lines required by stress engineer;
4.25 Other Requirements
Piping should not be supported from other pipe. The only exception to this is where the
practice follows existing design and there is no practical alternative.
Where supports to grade are required, wherever possible the support plinth should be
grouted to grade as part of the CONTRACTOR’s scope.
Base support trunnions which are allowed to sit directly on the concrete paving must
have at least 50 mm of concrete plinth between underside of base plate and paving
surface for corrosion protection.
Steelwork pipe supports shall be located on concrete plinths minimum of 150mm above
HPP or general grade as appropriate.
Minimum overhead clearances shall to be maintained.
A fireproofed catch beam shall be installed beneath piping containing flammable
material where such piping is hung by rods or spring type supports from a fire proofed
pipe crossbeam.

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For acid tiled areas suspended or cantilevered supports should be used wherever
possible. Floor-mounted supports shall be minimized by grouping and using common
support plinths. Plinths shall be of sufficient height to allow tiling and shall be positioned
such that they do not impede draining. Materials for the pipe support base shall be
determined for the particular project application.
Embedded anchor bolts or insert plates shall be provided whenever possible for pipe
support attachment to concrete structure. Where required, approved concrete fasteners
may be used. Hanger rods, shall not be threaded directly into an insert, attachment shall
be by conventional means to an intermediate plate or member held in place the concrete
fastener.
Bolted supports are fabricated from structural grade carbon steel which is non-impact
tested and becomes brittle at low temperatures. Supports bolted directly to piping
should not be used on lines with a minimum design temperature of less than 0oC without
use of a Neoprene (or equivalent) shoe barrier. Use ‘cold supports’ for cryogenic lines.
Piping supports for the heavy piping loads, greater than 10.0 KN on the steel work and 15
KN on the ground slab, shall be checked by the Civil Engineer for the strength adequacy
of associated civil components.
Calculations shall be made for the design of all special pipe supports and shall provide, if
requested by OWNER for review.

5 Materials, Fabrication And Inspection

5.1 General
5.1.1 Material and dimensions of commercially procurable items such as clamps, clevices, U-
bolts, etc, which are catalogued as supplier’s standard parts shall be in accordance with
the requirements of MSS SP-58 (Pipe Hangers and Supports Materials Design and
Manufacture), except that spacers, small plates, lugs, and similar small items may be of
commercial quality carbon steel material.
a) Substitution of materials, sizes of shapes shall not be made without approval.
b) Materials subject to welding shall be of weldable quality; acid Bessemer steel shall
not be used.
c) Parts which are to be galvanized shall only be made from fully killed open-hearth,
electric furnace, or basic oxygen steels.
5.1.2 The fabrication of structural steel shall conform to the requirements of the “Specification
for the Design, Fabrication, and Erection of Structural Steel for Buildings” of applicable
local building code.
5.1.3 Pipe supports shall be shop-fabricated and assembled to the furthest extent possible.
5.1.4 Fillet weld legs shall be 6.0 mm unless otherwise specified on the drawings. Stitch
welding of supports is to be avoided.

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5.1.5 Support components connected to the pipe shall be in accordance with the following
table.

Carbon Steel Pipe Alloy Steel Pipe Material Stainless Steel Pipe
Material Material

Type of Temp. Support Temp. Support Temp. Support

Support Range Material Range Material Range Material
(OC) (OC) (OC)

Alloy Steel
Lined Carbon
0-400 Clamp with 0-260
Steel Clamp
C.S. Shoe
Same as
C.S. Welded
Shoe Pipe 200 to S.S. Clamp with
to the Pipe
(<400) 400 C.S. Shoe
Above Hot Insulated
400 Shoes (1)
Above Hot Insulated
400 Shoes

Base
Dummy Pipe Dummy Pipe
Suport Same as C.S. Welded
0-400 Same as Main 0-260 Same as Main
or Pipe to the Pipe
Pipe Pipe
Trunnion

Notes:
1) Clamped shoes and high density insulation shall be supplied by a Specialist Pipe
Support Vendor as one set.

5.2 Structural Shapes, Pipe and Bolting

5.2.1 Threading shall be of coarse series conforming to the ISO 261; ISO general purpose
metric screw threads- General Plan.
5.2.2 Bolt heads and nuts shall conform to the dimensions and tolerances of ISO 4016;
Hexagon head bolts – Product grade C and ISO 4034; Hexagon nuts Product Grade C.
Where bolts, U-bolts, and hanger rods are set on channel or I-beam, suitable taper
washers shall be applied. The taper angles shall be 5 degree from channel and B degree
for I-beam.
5.2.3 Material for anchor and structural bolts, hanger rods, U-bolts, nuts, etc, shall conform to
the requirements of ASTM A36.
5.2.4 The minimum distance from the center of punched, reamed, or drilled hole to the edge
of a structural shape shall be 1.75 times the nominal bolt diameter. Holes in structural
shapes shall be located on standard gage lines.

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5.3 Painting, Galvanizing and Fireproofing

5.3.1 Supports shall be cleaned, painted and colour-coded in accordance with the respective
Project Specification, 91923-SP-M-531.
5.3.2 Galvanizing coating, when specified, shall conform to the requirements of ASTM A123.
5.3.3 The application of fireproofing material on pipe supports will be the responsibility of the
Civil CONTRACTOR.
Definition of supports to be fireproofed shall be as per the project standard and as
denoted by the extent of the fire hazardous areas.
Care must be taken to ensure that fireproofing is applied such that it does not restrict
movement of pipe supports which are designed to allow the pipe to move.

6 Presentation
Pipe supports will be identified on all piping isometrics for 2”NPS and above. Lines 1½” NPS and
below, unless supports are indicated otherwise, are to be field supported by the CONTRACTOR,
see Section 4.24 for general requirement.

All pipe support components used within these standards has been designed. When a special
pipe support (SPS) is required, it will be detailed on a separate drawing. As a consequence a
separate Special Pipe Support Index will be issued listing all the SPS’s on a specific project. The
use of special pipe supports shall be kept to a minimum.

Table 6.1 below summarizes the naming convention of engineered pipe supports.

Engineered Pipe Code Tag Number Remarks

Support

Special Pipe Support SPS SPS-XXX-YYY -

Variable Spring Support VSH VSH-XXX-YYY

Constant Spring Support CSH CSH-XXX-YYY Free issued to the CONTRACTOR

Snubber (Shock Absorber) SNB SNB-XXX-YYY

Table 6.1 – Engineered Pipe Supports Identification

In which;
XXX is used to identify the process unit.
YYY is three-digit sequence number from 001 to 999.

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APPENDIX I - Support Brace For Small Bore Pipe Branches

NOTES:
1. SIDE BRACES TO BE OMITTED FOR HEADER SIZES 4" AND SMALLER.
2. BAR MATERIAL TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH PIPE AND VALVE MATERIALS.
3. BILL OF MATERIAL-250x25x5MM FLAT BAR PER BRACE.
4. SIDE BRACES ARE TO BE ANGLED AND TRIMMED TO SUIT HEADER PIPE SIZE.

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APPENDIX I - Support Brace For Small Bore Pipe Branches (cont)

FOR GUSSET SELECTION RULES.

VIBRATING SERVICES
* TWO PLANE BRACING REQUIRED
* VIBRATION SERVICE DEFINED AS:
A. RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR AND PUMPS - UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM LINE TO
FIRST MAJOR PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
B. CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS AND PUMPS AND CENTRIFUGES - CONNECTIONS
WITHIN THE GREATER OF EITHER 6 M. (20 FEET) OR 20 PIPE DIAMETERS, MEASURED
ALONG THE PIPE AXIS FROM THE EQUIPMENT NOZZLE.
C. MACHINERY WHERE ROTATING OR RECIPROCATING COMPONENT SPEED IS 60 TO 1000
RPM. (1 TO 17 REVS./SECOND).
D. PIPING OR EQUIPMENT SUJECT TO PROCESS INDUCED VIBRATION.
E. PRESSURE RELIEVING DEVICES - INLET AND DISCHARGE PIPING WITHIN 6 m. (20 FEET)
OR 20 PIPE DIAMETERS MEASURED ALONG THE PIPE AXIS FROM THE P.R. DEVICE.

NON VIBRATING SERVICES

* SINGLE PLANE BRACE (SIDE BRACE) ONLY REQUIRED.
* ALL UNSUPPORTED LUMPED MASS CONNECTIONS TO BE BRACED, SUCH AS VALVED VENTS,
DRAINS AND INSTRUMENT CONNECTIONS, WHERE THE VALVE CENTRE LINE IS GREATER THAN
225 MM., FROM THE BRANCH CONNECTION TO THE HEADER PIPE WALL.
NOTE : IF THE BRANCH CONNECTION IS PIPED AWAY AND IS SUPPORTED IN THE
CONVENTIONAL WAY THEN BRANCH BRACING IS NOT NECESSARY. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS
RULE IS.:
* IF THE FIRST BRANCH CONNECTION IS AN IREB (REINFORCED EXTENDED BODY)
VALVE, VENT OR DRAINS CONNECTION CONSISTING OF A WELDOLET AND WELD NECK
FLANGE THEN NO BRACING IS REQUIRED.

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