Installing Pipe in Pipe Rack

[mechanicalchad]

Hi All,

I'm looking at ways to increase the speed of construction of pipe modules, and one area of improvement that has been identified is the process of installing pipe spools within the rack. I was hoping I could put it out there to see if anyone has some suggestions.

We would prefer to have pipe spools welded in a pipe fabrication area complete with flanges and a hydrotest before being installed. We would also prefer to have the structural steel members sandblasted, primed and painted before assembly, and subsequently would prefer to avoid unnecessary coating damage during pipe and cable tray installation.

When we install pipe spools we could be installing sections upwards of 60 to 100 feet. There are often more than one lift on the rack and therefore we could be installing them on a lower section which requires that we feed the pipe through from one end. The flanged ends obviously create a great snag point and because it's on a lower section we don't often have the luxury of access from a crane which makes it more painful than it has to be.

Does anyone have a suggestion for moving pipe spools within the rack? Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Chad

 

[racookpe1978]

That's why they are (most often) welded in place.

Also, handling and rigging a bent and flanged and twisted stick of pipe 60 - 100 feet in length is very, very difficult. Moving 100 feet of pipe from a pre-fab and test area on site through other cranes and around other equipment and staging and scaffolding and over temporary roads is very, very difficult.

Get to a few construction sites with a 100 ft long tape measure or pole.

 

[mechanicalchad]

Thanks for your response. I was thinking pipe module sections when I wrote that (it's a Friday), which are 60 to 100 feet in length, but you're right most of our spools are no more than 40 to 60 feet in length (usually closer to 40 feet). We use trailers for moving the spools and limit the use of telehandlers and cranes to loading and offloading. It's a mod yard and we have high grade roads between our assembly and fab area so we haven't experienced handling or spool deformation issues that I'm aware of.

 

[Gator]

Construct the rack in layers.

Piping Design Central

 

[dhengr]

Mechanicalchad:
What spacing/pipe span length (horiz.) btwn. pipe rack support structures? How many horiz. members/layers and their vert. spacing/dimensions from the ground? What weight of pipe, diameter, flange O.D. and vert. space btwn. horiz. framing, for the longitudinal movement of the pipe spools? Show a typical plan of a run of these support stands/structures. Show some elevations of the stands; both side view and top view of pipes, plus stands, and section through pipes, plus view of stand structure, with some size and member detail. How many pick points do you need to lift a full length of pipe? These kinds of info. would help us understand what you are dealing with, in terms of span lengths, weights, working clearances, etc. etc.

I assume the stands/support structures are two columns with horiz. cross members. How many horiz. members, size, vert dims. from col. base pl.? Can you weld the cols. and lower horiz. member, and bolt the upper horiz. members to the cols. later? Then, install the lower pipe spools from above, and then install/bolt on the next upper horiz. support member, etc., etc. Can you work along side, both sides of the line of pipe support structures? Alternatively, make a three legged rack, with a large center column and cantilevered horiz. support members. Feed the pipes in from the sides at each level and then bolt outer verts., secondary columns, btwn. the tips of the horiz. canti. beams once each level of pipes is in place. These outer columns can also be removed later to access a string of pipe.

I can imagine several other pipe installation methods, but I don’t have enough detail about what you are actually dealing with.