Inspecting a Constant During a Plant Walk Down

Check out a recent article we published on the Importance of a Plant Walk Down. Learn what to check for and when to perform certain types of plant walk downs. Use these tools to avoid a failure or potentially catastrophic situation.  See Full Article

PT&P was contracted to assist in the determination of pipe support maintenance at a power plant in Texas. The constant effort support springs with loads of excess of 9,500 lbs and the variable spring supports with loads of 450 lbs were marked for needing attention.

Cleaning Variable Spring Unit

Inspecting Variable Springs for Performance

PT&P’s objectives were to:

* Evaluate the pipe supports
* Determine state of performance
* Provide a plan of action
* Train personnel on-site to perform adjustments and replacement of supports or support components
* Provide final inspection of modified supports

After Cleaning & Preparation of the Constant

Final Assembly with Added Slide Plates

The pipe supports needing attention could not be set to the required installation position. A plan was initiated to recondition some of the support components such as turnbuckles and rods. This would allow a greater range of field adjustment to the pipe supports. During a planned shut-down, PT&P Field Service Units returned to the site to modify the existing supports. The initial phase of the modifications included bracing the piping in order to isolate and lock the supports in position. Then, they were disconnected from the system and modifications to the assemblies were completed. Afterwards, the supports were reinstalled and any necessary adjustments were completed. A total of eight pipe supports were modified or adjusted.

Roller Bearing Needing Maintenance

Restored Roller Bearing

Do you see a need for a routine inspection of your plant? Contact us for a quote today!

Custom Embed Plates for Gold Mine in Cajamarca, Peru

How to Avoid Pipe Stress
What is Pipe Stress?
“Pipe Stress” refers to piping flexibility analysis.

High Stress Locations on Pipes
High stress areas generally occur at piping elbows, tees and other branch connections. The B 31.3 Piping Code provides stress intensification factors for such locations. Computer piping programs generally do piping flexibility analysis for those other than very simple systems.

Signs of Pipe Stress
An overstressed system could fail by fatigue, leading to a crack, buckling of the elbows, or overload on equipment nozzles.

How to Reduce Pipe Stress
High stress should be uncovered in the design stage. However, existing systems can be checked for incipient cracks by x-ray, ultrasound, acoustic emission or dye penetrant. Also, rerouting the pipe can provide more flexibility and sometimes reduce high stress. When rerouting is impossible or not practical, then pipe stress can be reduced significantly by adding Bellows Expansion Joints. Any sections of the pipe showing cracks must be replaced.

Product of the Month

Transition Piece

Transition Piece

(at left)47.25″ I.D. x 23.625″ I.D. 5A516-70 Transition Pieces w/ 5A36 stiffner for ethylene plant in Saudia Arabia. (at right)47.25″ I.D. Universal Expansion Joint w/ SB443 round corners bellows, and SA516-70 flanges for ethylene plant in Saudia Arabia.

Tips on Corrosion Protection
There are four methods of protecting carbon steel pipe support components from corrosion; painting, zinc coatings, hot dip galvanizing, and combinations of these.  Painting has an advantage when appearance and choice of color are important. Modern painting systems may be appropriate protection in certain environments. Paint provides a barrier protection to a metal surface. The ability of zinc to provide cathodic protection for carbon steel in addition to barrier protection is a fundamental advantage. In most cases the reduction in life-cycle costs justifies the small additional cost of galvanizing. Indeed painting and galvanizing together can provide a synergistic benefit which may be justified in some cases.  For more information on corrosion, refer to http://www.pipingtech.com/technical/tech1/corrosion_protection_1.htm

PT&P’s Diverse Product Testing
Piping Technology & Products, Inc. is a recognized leader in pipe supports, pre-insulated pipe supports, miscellaneous fabrication and expansion joints and has extensive experience with several different types of product testing. This includes :

* Load Testing : The objective of the load test is to determine the maximum load for pipe supports and other products. Load tests are done on an assortment of pipe supports.

* Snubber Testing : The objective of the snubber cycle test is to (1) display the normal wear and tear for a snubber over an extended period of time, and (2) display the resistance to an abrupt disturbance.

* Burst Testing : The objective of the burst test is to determine the ultimate pressure resistance. Primarily conducted on bellows.

See more about testing on our site:  Product Testing

PT&P Technical Team Goes to Algeria
In March, PT&P sent a technical team to a LNG facility near Skikda, Algeria to provide assistance on pipe support replacement for the GL1K project. This large facility has several units that have operated for more than twenty years. Our team examined the units and recommended replacement of cryogenic and spring supports. Since travel in Algeria is subject to heavy restriction, our team had to fly from Tarbarka, Tunisia by helicopter to and from the job site. The trip lasted about two weeks.