Glossary

Pipe support

Pipe supports carry, guide or anchor piping and transfer the resulting loads to steelwork, buildings or other structures.

Also: Piping support · Pipe hanger · Pipe restraint

Also known as

Piping support
Pipe hanger
Pipe restraint

Three functions: carry, guide, restrain

A pipe support takes weight, directs a movement or prevents it. Which of these functions it has is the most important information of all – more important than its construction. It is described by the directions in which the support restrains the line and those in which it leaves it free.

A hot pipe moves. A support that blocks a movement in the wrong place does more harm than a missing one: it generates restraint forces that load pipe, support and steelwork alike.

The order in which supports are planned

First the weight is distributed: supports at spacings that keep deflection and stress within limits, plus separate supports for heavy valves. Then, for each location, the question is how the line moves there in operation. If the vertical movement stays small, a rigid support or rod hanger is sufficient. If the line lifts off or presses down, a spring hanger carries it.

In the third step thermal expansion is directed: anchors divide the line into sections, guides keep it on its axis and take wind and lateral forces. Finally, where required, restraints for dynamic loads are added – snubbers and vibration dampers.

Design from the pipe stress analysis

For every support the stress analysis delivers the forces by direction and load case and the displacements of the line at that point. From these follow the load rating of the components, the sliding or spring travel and, for spring hangers, the settings. EN 13480-3 contains a dedicated clause on pipe supports.

Every support has two connections: one to the pipe and one to the structure. Welded attachments cause local stresses in the pipe wall that have to be verified. The loads on the steelwork go to the structural engineer as a support load list.

Details that decide whether it works

Whether a support does in operation what the calculation assumes is decided by small things.

The pipe shoe is long enough not to slide off the support at full expansion.
Insulated lines sit on pipe shoes so that the insulation continues through the support.
The clearance in a guide is chosen deliberately: too tight and it jams, too wide and it does not guide.
Spring hangers are unlocked after erection and hydrostatic test – a locked spring hanger is a rigid hanger.
An intermediate layer separates stainless pipe from carbon steel.

Common mistakes

Most damage at supports goes back to a small number of causes.

An anchor sits where a guide would have been enough and blocks the expansion.
A support right at a bend restrains the movement the bend is meant to absorb.
A support lifts off in operation – the weight shifts to its neighbours and to the nozzles.
Long straight runs lack lateral guides.
Supports of a gas line are not sized for the water fill during the hydrostatic test.

What Entracon offers here is on the matching page.

See what we offer

Overview

Support types and what they permit

Support type	Restrains	Leaves free	Typical use
Sliding support (resting support)	Vertically downwards	Movement in the plane of the support	Standard support on pipe racks
Guide	Transverse to the pipe axis	Movement along the axis	Directing thermal expansion, wind and lateral forces
Anchor	All translations and rotations	Nothing	Dividing the line into expansion sections
Rigid rod hanger	Vertically	Horizontal movement by swinging	Lines below floors and platforms
Variable spring hanger	Carries with varying force	Vertical movement	Hot lines with vertical expansion
Constant hanger	Carries with almost constant force	Large vertical movement	Large travel, sensitive connections
Snubber	Rapid movement	Slow thermal expansion	Earthquake, pressure surge

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about Pipe support

What is the difference between a sliding support and an anchor?

A sliding support carries the weight and lets the line slide. An anchor restrains it in all directions and also takes the forces from thermal expansion. Between two anchors the line has to absorb its own expansion – through bends, expansion loops or expansion joints.

When does a line need spring hangers?

When it moves vertically at the support location in operation far enough that a rigid support would be unloaded or overloaded – typically on hot lines with vertical runs and close to sensitive connections.

Who decides where the supports go?

The piping designer proposes them on the basis of support spacing and available steelwork; the stress analysis confirms or changes them. The two interact and in practice run through several iterations.

May supports be welded directly to the pipe?

Yes, provided material and welding procedure are suitable and the local stresses in the pipe have been verified. For highly stressed or thin-walled pipe, clamps or reinforcing pads are the safer choice.

Contact

Let's talk about your project.

One short conversation usually settles more than three quotations. Call or write — you will reach an engineer directly.

Get in touch +49 234 5414010

Machinery & Plant

Software

Material Handling

Services