Pipe supports are also known as pipe hangers or anchors. They are an important structural feature in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. It’s important to partner with the right pipe support manufacturing company to ensure the safety, quality and durability of the product.
What are Pipe Supports?
Pipe supports are usually rigid devices that restrict the movement of the pipe across its height, breadth and length and simultaneously bear the thrust, side and weight loads. These supports prevent longitudinal pipe stress, reaction loads, rotation, sagging, breaking or sliding of the pipe while keeping it firmly anchored to the building or structure that it rests on.
As the name indicates, they’re intended to provide a kind of buttressing for pipelines. They’re usually attached to a foundation or structure and are designed to distribute the load, bear the weight of the load, be a fixed guide and absorb shocks. The entire pipe support assembly design has to be tailored to the nature and extent of load plus the operating conditions. Anchoring is especially required when the pipe system has several direction changes. Expansion joints are added here to prevent displacement of the pipeline. If the system is designed to carry loads with extreme temperature, the pipes are insulated and the supports must be designed to carry the weight of the insulation material too.
Pipelines may also be subjected to thermal stress, weather conditions, natural disasters like earthquakes, hydraulic shock (water hammer), steam hammer, safety valve discharge, or vibrations due to dynamic flow. A good pipe support system helps to support its own weight, plus the weight of the load, restrain unnecessary movement and avoid structural interference.
They can range from simple wooden railway ties to sophisticated engineering products made from expensive materials like carbon, steel, ductile iron, aluminium, as well as FRP composites and can be coated to prevent corrosion and rust. Powder coating, zinc coating, hot dip galvanising, and painting are just some of the common methods used to protect pipes and pipe supports.
Kinds of Pipe Supports
Supports are generally divided into primary and secondary types.
Primary pipe supports are part of the general infrastructure, usually attached to the main pipeline and come under the purview the structural department. They include sleepers and racks.
Secondary pipe supports are attached to the structure that supports the main pipeline. They’re used to facilitate displacement loads or secondary loads that may be cyclic, expansion or movement of equipment. Anchors, guides, hangers, and gussets are examples of secondary pipe supports.
There are many other classifications that are used in the industry, based on functionality. These include:
- Rigid
- Adjustable
- Elastic
Among these categories, there are further sub-categories that are used in various industries.
| Oil and Natural Gas Industry, Thermal Power Plants Using Coal, Gas Or Oil |
|
| Nuclear Power Stations | • Hydraulic shock absorbers
• Spring hangers and accessories |
| Steel and Concrete Storage Tanks | • Fixed and directional anchors
• Dummy leg supports • Hanger Rods • Guides • Constant load hangers • Variable spring hangers/supports • Hydraulic shock-absorbers |
Oil and Natural Gas Industry, Thermal Power Plants Using Coal, Gas or Oil
- Hangers
- Variable Spring Supports
- Rigid Supports
- Rigid Rod Supports
- Anchors
- Struts
- Clamps
- Connection components
- Axial Restraints
- Lateral Restraints
- Sway Brace
- Hydraulic Snubber
- Mechanical Snubber
- Limit Stop
Nuclear Power Stations
- Hydraulic shock absorbers
- Spring hangers and accessories
Steel and Concrete Storage Tanks
- Fixed and directional anchors
- Dummy leg supports
- Hanger Rods
- Guides
- Constant load hangers
- Variable spring hangers/supports
- Hydraulic shock-absorbers
Construction Industry
Buildings whether residential, industrial or commercial have standard plumbing and water supply systems, special requirements based on functionality, type of work or accommodation, liquid and solid waste disposal, and flood hazard areas. Pipes are laid across the building structure and also along the ground and have to be connected at various points including to the public water supply and sewerage systems.
Pipe supports generally used are hangers and anchors focused on prevention of:
- Sagging and misalignment due to varying load cycles
- Expansion and contraction
How to Select the Right Industrial Pipe Support System
A project’s success and smooth operation depend on selecting the right pipe support system. Some of the criteria that can be used to choose correctly have to prioritise these factors:
- Type of support functionality and industry
- General arrangements for piping system
- Process design conditions
- Material, weight, amount of piping required
- Expected load
- Amount of insulation/cladding
- Projected thermal displacement
- Effort needed for installation, operation, inspection, maintenance
- Provision for occasional loads and crises
The pipe design engineering industry follows certain engagement and delivery models like fixed-price, hybrid, time and material etc. Look for a firm that offers flexible options and is in sync with your own unique needs, preferences and budget.
Today, the industry uses state-of-the-art software and tools to facilitate design and deployment. The company you select must have a suite of licensed software and tools so that the model they create is reliable and standardized. It should also have competencies in international piping standards and codes for safety and efficiency. This is because each industry has its own set of standards. Ensure that they have worked on similar systems before and get the contact details of customers whose projects have been completed by this company.
At Gordon Products, we have more than half a century’s experience in manufacture and supply of wire forms, wire bending and sheet metal components. What sets us apart from others in this sector is our continuous investment in the latest manufacturing technology enabling affordable production and premium quality every time.
We manufacture our own range of standard products that are used in pre-cast concrete, construction and insulation fields. These include:
- Standard Single Pipe Support Bracket
- 90 Degree Support Pipe Bracket
- Adjustable Bridge Pipe Bracket
- Block Fix Pipe Bracket
- T Bar Fix Pipe Bracket
Not all industries have in-house experts in pipe support design or piping systems. While picking the right partner for pipe support, it’s wise to choose a professional pipe design engineering services company that has multi-disciplinary engineering expertise, works according to international best practices, has rigid quality control and provides confidentiality. This allows you to focus on your core competencies and enable the smooth completion of projects.