Pipe Support Span (Spacing) Guideline

Proper pipe support span is as important as the selection of support. The distance between two consecutive support is defined as the support span. Supports are costly. Overdoing can impact your budget, and underdoing impacts plant safety.

Factor Impacting Pipe Support Span

While deciding on proper pipe support spacing, the following shall be considered.

• Weight – Gas or liquid lines
• Material – CS, SS, Coper etc.
• Insulation – type, size, thickness
• Nearby structural support
• Point of concentrated load such as valves
• Operating conditions such as temperature, duel flow condition, etc.
• Equipment connections such as pump, reciprocating compressor, heater, etc.
• Piping configuration – Unit piping vs. offsite piping
• Maximum allowable defalcation
• Cost of the support

• 

  

  Standard for Pipe Support Design

  Refer to the below-listed standard that provides guidance on pipe support

  • MSS SP-58, Materials and Design of Pipe Supports
  • MSS SP-69, Selection and Application of Pipe Supports
  • MSS SP-89, Fabrication and Installation of Pipe Supports
  • ASME B31.1, Power Piping
  • ASME B31.3, Process Piping

  Pipe Support Span (Spacing) Chart

  Project piping specification gives the requirement of pipe support. Depending on the project requirement Pipe Support Span (Spacing) Chart is developed. I have listed a few of them here. This Spacing chart is a kind of general guideline that gives an idea about spacing requirements. ASME B31.1 gives the following guidance for horizontal Straight turn-off standard and heavier steel pipe at a maximum operating temperature of 400 degrees centigrade. Furthermore, this spacing is not valid when a concentrated load is involved, such as a flange or valve. flow meters etc.

  ASME B31.3 Span Chart for Pipe Support

  Pipe Support Spacing Chart As per ASME B31.1
  Nominal Pipe Size	Diameter Nominal	Suggested Max Span for Straight Horizontal Line
  NB	DN	Water Service		Steam, Air, Gas Service
  NPS (Inches)	mm	m	ft	m	ft
  1	25	2.1	7	2.7	9
  2	50	3	10	4	13
  3	80	3.7	12	4.6	15
  4	100	4.3	14	5.2	17
  6	150	5.2	17	6.4	21
  8	200	5.8	19	7.3	24
  12	300	7	23	9.1	30
  16	400	8.2	27	10.7	35
  20	500	9.1	30	11.9	39
  24	600	9.8	32	12.8	42

  MSS SP-69 Pipe Support Span Chart

  Pipe Support span Chart MSS SP-69		STD Thickness Steel Pipe				Copper Tube
  Nominal Pipe Size	Diameter Nominal	Water Service		Vapor Service		Water Service		Vapor Service
  NPS (Inches)	DN (mm)	ft	m	ft	m	ft	m	ft	m
  1/4	8	7	2.1	8	2.4	5	1.5	5	1.5
  3/8	10	7	2.1	8	2.4	5	1.5	6	1.8
  1/2	15	7	2.1	8	2.4	5	1.5	6	1.8
  3/4	20	7	2.1	9	2.7	5	1.5	7	2.1
  1	25	7	2.1	9	2.7	6	1.8	8	2.4
  1 ¼	32	7	2.1	9	2.7	7	2.1	9	2.1
  1 ½	40	9	2.7	12	3.7	8	2	10	3
  2	50	10	3	13	4	8	2.4	11	1.4
  2 ½	65	11	3.4	14	4.3	9	2.7	13	4
  3	80	12	3.7	15	4.6	10	3	14	4.3
  3 ½	90	13	4	16	4.9	11	3.4	15	4.6
  4	100	14	4.3	17	5.2	12	3.7	16	4.9
  5	125	16	4.9	19	5.8	13	4	18	5.5
  6	150	17	5.2	21	6.4	14	4.3	20	6.1
  8	200	19	5.8	24	7.3	16	4.9	23	7
  10	250	22	6.1	26	7.9	18	5.5	25	7.6
  12	300	23	7	30	9.1	19	5.8	28	8.5
  14	350	25	7.6	32	9.8
  16	400	27	8.2	35	10.7
  18	450	28	8.5	37	11.3
  20	500	30	9.1	39	11.9
  24	600	32	9.8	42	12.8
  30	750	33	10.1	44	13.4