ES-26

Welded Load Bearing Attachments To

Pressure Retaining Piping Materials
PFI Standard ES-26
(Revised 1993)

Welded Load Bearing Attachments

To Pressure Retaining
Piping Materials

Prepared by
Pipe Fabrication Institute Engineering Committee

ALL PFI Standards are advisory only. There is no agreement to adhere to any PFI
Standard and their use by anyone is entirely voluntary.

Copyright by

PIPE FABRICATION INSTITUTE

Dedicated to Technical Advancement and Standardization in

the Pipe Fabrication Industry
Since - 1913

P.O. Box 173 • Springdale, PA 15144

A current index of the latest revised ES Standards and Technical Bulletins is

available from the Pipe Fabrication Institute.

PFI Standards and Technical Bulletins are published to serve proven needs of the
pipe fabricating industry at the design level and in actual shop operations. Hence,
such needs are continually considered and reviewed by the Engineering
Committee of the Pipe Fabrication Institute to provide recommended procedures
which have been demonstrated by collective experiences to fulfill requirements in
a manner for Code compliance. However, as the PFI Standards are for minimum
requirements the designer or fabricator always has the option of specifying
supplementary conditions in the form of requirements beyond the scope of the PFI
publications.
Preface
Industry recognizes that in the support of piping, the most practical arrangement for field
erection for attachment to piping is the use of non-integral attachments such as pipe
clamps. However, as use of non-integral type attachments is not always feasible for all
locations, an alternate arrangement becomes necessary. The intent of this standard is to
provide procedures to apply for utilization of integral-type support attachments.

1. Scope
1.1 This standard covers minimum recommended requirements for materials,
design, fabrication and inspection of load bearing attachments, such as, but not
limited to, ears, shoes, lugs, fins, rings, skirts, anchors, guides, etc., which are to
be fabricated and welded to piping materials that will become part of a pressure
retaining piping system. It is not intended to apply to lug or clip attachments
whose basic function is to provide support for pipe insulation.

2. Material
2.1
All material shall conform to the requirements of one of the acceptable material
specifications listed or referenced in the ASME B31 Code for Pressure Piping or the
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code as applicable.

2.2
All material shall be of weldable quality and shall be of the same type or of
compatible composition with the material to which it is to be welded.

2.3
All filler metal shall comply with the requirements of Section II, Part C ASME Boiler
and Pressure Vessel Code. A filler metal not incorporated in Section II may be used
if a procedure qualification test is first successfully completed in accordance with
Sec. IX requirements.

3. Design
3.1The design temperature to be used for the attachment shall be the same as the
design temperature of the piping to which it is to be welded.

3.2 The maximum allowable stresses to apply to the attachment shall be those
given in the applicable Code for the nominal composition of the attachment
material to be used, but in no case greater than the allowable stress for the piping
material to which it is to be welded.

3.3 The maximum allowable design stresses to apply for filler metal shall be those
listed in the applicable Code for the nominal composition, but in no case greater
than the allowable stress for the piping material to which it is to be attached.

3.4 The allowable supporting loads per linear inch or centimeter, of fillet welds
shall not exceed those listed in Table 1.
3.5 To minimize differences in thermal expansion of contact surfaces, the
coefficient of thermal expansion of the attachment should be the same or as close
as possible to that of the piping material to which it is to be welded.

3.6 Each attachment shall be designed for support of all imposed loadings
consisting of but not limited to the following:

a. Static loads as determined by weight balance calculations including weight of

the pipe, insulation and the weight of fluid content, cleaning fluid or fluid used for
hydrostatic testing, whichever is the greatest.

b. All other external loading as specified by the piping design that may be imposed
by such conditions as:

1. Dynamic loading due to safety valve operation, or other system operation.

2. Thermal fatigue loading due to load changes on restraints and anchors.

3. Additional static loadings imposed by cold pulling during erection.

4. Eccentric loading conditions during operation.

5. Any other external loadings such as snow or wind.

3.7 Since the character of loadings, amount of loading and attachment location on
piping are variables, no uniform or suggested standardized shapes or dimensional
proportions are possible. Hence, individual consideration is necessary in the design
of each attachment. The typical shapes illustrated by Figures 1 through 7 are not
necessarily design recommendations for all applications.

Prime areas of concern are:

a. Localized stresses induced into the piping component by integral welded

attachments on lines operating at elevated temperatures.

b. The differential expansion stresses between the attached lug and the pipe.

c. The differential expansion stresses in the attachment lug itself. Very little
experimental data has been obtained on the performance of various lug designs;
however, operating experience has shown certain types to be more desirable than
others. Figure 5 illustrates a type of integral attachment that is acceptable for low
thermal differential stresses. Figure 6 depicts an acceptable design for large
thermal differential stresses.

Loading can be distributed over a larger area by use of a pad between the
attachment and the pipe as shown in Figure 4. This is useful on light wall pipe
subjected to high anchoring stresses, impact loads, or seismic loads.

Impact and shock attachments can be made as shown in Figure 7, by using double
shear lugs and a pipe clamp. This method is recommended in place of an integral
welded attachment.

Because of the tolerances involved in attaching shear lugs to the pipe and the
alignment with the top surface of a riser clamp that is not machined or faced, the
following table is recommended for selecting the number of shear lugs:

Orientation of lugs should be as shown in Figure 3.

The effect of external loading on the piping design, together with overall effects
resulting from differential thermal conditions of pipe and attachment, shall be the
responsibility of the piping designer.

3.8 Welding of attachments to arcs of pipe bends and curved sections of fittings
should be avoided whenever the alternate choice of welding to straight pipe is a
practical option. However, when the optimum design arrangement requires
welding to curved pipe or fitting surfaces, the effect on system flexibility,
intensification factors and attendant conditions resulting therefrom shall be
evaluated by the piping designer prior to use.

4. Location of Welded Attachment on Pipe

4.1The location of each attachment with respect to a specific point on the piping
system shall be specified by the support design. When the piping is to be cut short
and cold sprung during erection, each attachment location shall include allowances
for the effect of such conditions.

4.2 Orientation location of the attachment with respect to the normal transverse
or longitudinal axis of the pipe shall be included with the location data requirement
stated in Para. 4.1.

4.3 Except for welded lugs for use with riser clamps, each attachment shall extend
outside the insulation to prevent interferences with insulation at point of external
loading attachment.

5. Types of Attachment Welds

5.1Attachment welds may be of the fillet or full penetration type, unless otherwise
specified by the engineering design or required by the applicable Code.

6. Linear Tolerances on Attachment Locations

6.1Linear tolerances applicable to integral attachments in the as welded position
are shown in Figure 1. Compensation for variations in excess of these tolerances
may be by field adjustments which are inherent in hanger hardware design.

7. Welding Procedure
7.1
Welding of attachments to pipe shall be by use of welding procedures and by
welding operators qualified in accordance with the requirements of Section IX of
the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Tack welds permitted to remain in
place shall be made by a Section IX qualified welder.

8. Preheat and Postheat Treatment of Welds

8.1 Requirements for preheat and postheat treatment of welds shall be in
accordance with the requirements of the applicable Code.

9. Non-destructive Examination of Welds

9.1When specified by the engineering design or required by the Code applicable to
the piping, examination of ferritic weld surfaces shall be by the magnetic particle
or liquid penetrant method and of stainless weld surfaces by the liquid penetrant
method. The procedure and basis of acceptance to apply for either shall be as
stated in the engineering design.