Pipe Support
Design & Analysis
Complete pipe support engineering — from stress analysis through fabrication drawings and PE-sealed calculations — for a Gulf Coast industrial facility.
Engineered supports that hold the load
Grey Engineering Enterprises served as the lead engineering firm for a pipe support design and analysis project at a Gulf Coast industrial facility in Louisiana. The scope required designing a complete pipe support system for process piping operating under combined thermal, pressure, and dynamic loads.
The project included hydraulic snubber selection and design — a specialized support type that allows free thermal movement under normal operating conditions while providing rigid dynamic restraint under seismic and water hammer events. All calculations were performed to ASME B31.3 and sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer.
Fabrication drawings were issued for shop construction, and field engineering support was provided during installation to verify that the as-built configuration matched the engineered design.
Request a Pipe Support QuoteSix disciplines, one accountable firm
Pipe Support Engineering
Complete pipe support design for process piping systems — spring hangers, rigid supports, guides, anchors, and hydraulic snubbers sized to ASME B31.3 and B31.1 requirements. Each support type selected to control thermal movement while maintaining system integrity.
Pipe Stress Analysis
ASME B31.3 pipe stress analysis confirming support adequacy under thermal, sustained, and occasional load cases. Analysis verified that all code allowables were met and that nozzle loads remained within equipment manufacturer limits.
Fabrication Drawings
Detailed fabrication drawings for custom pipe supports — bill of materials, weld details, and anchor bolt patterns issued for shop fabrication. Drawings coordinated with pipe stress model to ensure dimensional accuracy.
Hydraulic Snubber Design
Hydraulic snubber pipe support package including short strut snubbers with end brackets. Snubbers selected to allow free thermal movement under normal operating conditions while providing rigid restraint under dynamic seismic and water hammer loads.
PE-Sealed Calculations
All pipe support calculations, stress analysis reports, and fabrication drawings sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer. Calculations submitted to the client for record and regulatory compliance.
Field Engineering Support
Field engineering during installation — support placement verification, field fit-up review, and as-built documentation to confirm installed configuration matches the engineered design.
ASME B31.3 stress verification
Every pipe support is verified against three primary load cases under ASME B31.3: sustained loads (weight + pressure), thermal expansion loads, and occasional loads (seismic, wind, water hammer). The pipe stress model is built to match the as-designed support configuration, ensuring that calculated forces and moments are directly applicable to the fabricated supports.
Hydraulic snubbers are modeled with their actual stiffness characteristics — free in the thermal case, rigid in the occasional case — to capture the true behavior of the piping system under each load combination. Nozzle loads are extracted from the model and compared against equipment manufacturer allowables before the design is finalized.
| Load Case | Code Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sustained (SL) | Sh = 17,500 psi | ✓ Pass |
| Thermal Expansion (SE) | SA = 30,000 psi | ✓ Pass |
| Occasional — Seismic | 1.33 × Sh | ✓ Pass |
| Occasional — Water Hammer | 1.33 × Sh | ✓ Pass |
| Nozzle Loads | Mfr. Allowable | ✓ Pass |
Representative example — actual project values are proprietary.