Correlation study between plate thickness and loading of pipe saddle support

Correlation study between plate thickness and loading of pipe saddle support

Pipe saddle supports are designed to cradle pipes, distributing their load evenly across the supporting structure. These supports are typically classified into three types, these are sliding, guide, and stopper support based on their placement and function within the piping system. This study develops and validates a finite element (FE) model of pipe saddle supports to improve the accuracy of stress prediction. A vertical load test was conducted to validate the finite element analysis (FEA), which resulting in 83.3% accuracy. The validated model was then used to investigate the correlation between plate thickness and applied pipe load, covering pipe sizes ranging from 26 to 56 inches. FEA results revealed that sliding supports required the least plate thickness, followed by guide supports, while stopper supports required the thickest plates to maintain a safety factor of 3. To further validate this correlation, an additional experiment was conducted using a model with 4.5 mm thick plates. With the same design and boundary condition configuration, the FEA achieved 94.6% accuracy, confirming the modelling technique's suitability for industrial application.