11 Questions & Answers from ASME B31.

3 that a Piping
Stress Engineer must know (PDF)
whatispiping.com/asme-b-31-3/

Anup Kumar Dey December 14, 2019

ASME B31.3 is the bible of process piping engineering and every piping engineer should
frequently use this code for his knowledge enhancement. But to study a code similar to
B31.3 is time-consuming and also difficult because the contents are not at all interesting.
Also every now and then it will say to refer to some other point of the code which will irritate
you. But still, every piping engineer should learn a few basic points from it. The following
literature will try to point out 11 basic and useful points from the code of which every piping
engineer must be aware of.  

Basics of Pipe Stress Analysis

Basics of Pipe Stress Analysis

1. What is the scope of ASME B31.3? What does it cover and what does not?
Ans:  The Process Piping Code, ASME B31.3 is usually applicable for the piping systems in
petroleum refineries; chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, paper, textile, ore processing,
onshore and offshore petroleum and natural gas production facilities; semiconductor,
cryogenic plants; food and beverage processing facilities; and related processing plants and
terminals. ASME B31.3 provides design, fabrication, erection, test, inspection, assembly, and
material requirements for piping systems that carry the following fluids:

Petroleum products

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 Raw, intermediate, and finished chemicals.
Refrigerants
Gas, steam, air, water
Fluidized solids
Cryogenic fluids

Packaged equipment piping design is also covered by the B31.3 code.

The process piping code ASME B31.3 typically does not cover the following:

The piping systems designed for internal gage pressures at or above zero but less than
105 kPa (15 psi), provided the fluid handled is non-flammable, non-toxic, and not
damaging to human tissues as defined in 300.2, and its design temperature is from
−29°C (−20°F) through 186°C (366°F).
Power boiler and power system piping following ASME B31.1
Fired heater internal piping.
Pressure vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, and other fluid handling or
processing equipment, including internal piping and connections for external piping.

Alternatively, refer to the below-attached figure ( Figure 300.1.1 from code ASME B31.3)  

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2. What are the disturbing parameters against which the piping system must
be designed?  
Ans: The piping system must stand strong (should not fail) against the following major
effects:  

Design Pressure and Temperature: Each component thickness must be sufficient to

withstand the most severe combination of temperature and pressure.
Ambient effects like pressure reduction due to cooling, fluid expansion effect, the
possibility of moisture condensation, and build-up of ice due to atmospheric icing, low
ambient temperature, etc.
Dynamic effects like impact force due to external or internal unexpected conditions,
Wind force, Earthquake force, Vibration, discharge (Relief valve) reaction forces, cyclic
effects, etc.
Component self-weight including insulation, rigid body weights along with the medium it
transport.
Thermal expansion and contraction effects due to resistance from free displacement or
due to thermal gradients (thermal bowing effect) etc.

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 Movement of pipe supports or connected equipments etc.

3. How to calculate the allowable stress for a carbon steel pipe?  

Ans: The material allowable stress for any material other than bolting material, cast iron, and
malleable iron is the minimum of the following:

1. one-third of tensile strength at maximum temperature.

2. two-thirds of yield strength at maximum temperature.
3. for austenitic stainless steels and nickel alloys having similar stress-strain behavior, the
lower of two-thirds of yield strength, and 90% of yield strength at temperature.
4. 100% of the average stress for a creep rate of 0.01% per 1000 h
5. 67% of the average stress for rupture at the end of 100000 h for temperatures up to
and including 815°C.
6. For temperatures higher than 815°C (1,500°F), (100 × Favg)% times the average
stress for rupture at the end of 100000 h. Favg is determined from the slope, n, of the
log time-to-rupture versus log stress plot at 100 000 h such that log Favg = 1/n. Favg
shall not exceed 0.67.
7. 80% of the minimum stress for rupture at the end of 100000 h
8. for structural grade materials, the basic allowable stress shall be 0.92 times the lowest
value determined (1) through (7) above.

4. What is allowable for Sustained, Occasional, and Expansion Stress as per

ASME B 31.3?  

Ans:  Calculated sustained stress (SL)< Sh (Basic allowable stress at maximum temperature)
Calculated occasional stress including sustained stress< 1.33 Sh Calculated expansion
stress< SA = f [ 1.25( Sc + Sh) − SL] Here f =stress range factor,   Sc =basic allowable stress
at minimum metal temperature and SL=calculated sustained stress. The sustained stress
(SL) is calculated using the following code formulas:

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   Here,

Ii=sustained in-plane moment index. In the absence of more applicable data, Ii is taken
as the greater of 0.75ii or 1.00.
Io=sustained out-plane moment index. In the absence of more applicable data, Io is
taken as the greater of 0.75io or 1.00.
Mi=in-plane moment due to sustained loads, e.g., pressure and weight
Mo=out-plane moment due to sustained loads, e.g., pressure and weight
Z=sustained section modulus
It=sustained torsional moment index. In the absence of more applicable data, It is taken
as 1.00.
Mt=torsional moment due to sustained loads, e.g., pressure and weight
Ap=cross-sectional area of the pipe, considering nominal pipe dimensions less
allowances;
Fa=longitudinal force due to sustained loads, e.g., pressure and weight
Ia=sustained longitudinal force index. In the absence of more applicable data, Ia is
taken as 1.00.  

5. What are the steps for calculating the pipe thickness for a 10-inch carbon
steel (A 106-Grade B) pipe carrying a fluid with a design pressure of 15 bar
and a design temperature of 250 degrees centigrade?  

Ans: The pipe thickness (t) for internal design pressure (P) is calculated from the following
equation.

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Here,

D=Outside diameter of the pipe, obtain the diameter from

pipe manufacturer standard.          
S=stress value at design temperature from code Table A-1 
E=quality factor from code Table A-1A or A-1B      
W=weld joint strength reduction factor from code        
Y=coefficient from code Table 304.1.1 Using the above formula calculates the pressure
design thickness, t.  

Now add the sum of the mechanical allowances (thread or groove depth) plus corrosion and
erosion allowances if any with t to get the minimum required thickness, tm.  

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Next, add the mill tolerance with this value to get the calculated pipe thickness. For seamless
pipe, the mill tolerance is 12.5% under tolerance. So calculated pipe thickness will be tm/(1-
0.125)=tm/0.875.  

Now accept the available pipe thickness (based on the next nearest higher pipe schedule)
just higher than the calculated value from manufacturer standard thickness tables.  

6. How many types of fluid services are available for process piping?  

Ans: In the process piping industry following fluid services are available..  

Category D Fluid Service: nonflammable, nontoxic, and not damaging to human

tissues, the design pressure does not exceed 150 psig (1035kPa), the design
temperature is from -20 degree F to 366 degrees F.
Category M Fluid Service: a fluid service in which both of the following conditions
apply:
highly toxic fluid such that a single exposure to a very small quantity of the fluid,
caused by leakage, can produce serious irreversible harm to persons on
breathing or bodily contact, even when prompt restorative measures are taken.
after consideration of piping design, experience, service conditions, and location,
the owner determines that the requirements for Normal Fluid Service do not
sufficiently provide the leak tightness required to protect personnel from
exposure.
Elevated Temperature Fluid service: a fluid service in which the piping metal
temperature is sustained equally to or greater than Tcr (Tcr=temperature 25°C (50°F)
below the temperature identifying the start of time-dependent properties).
Normal Fluid Service: a fluid service pertaining to most piping covered by this Code,
i.e., not subject to the rules for Category D, Category M, Elevated Temperature, High
Pressure, or High Purity Fluid Service.
High-Pressure Fluid Service: a fluid service for which the owner specifies the use of
Chapter IX for piping design and construction.
High Purity Fluid Service: a fluid service that requires alternative methods of
fabrication, inspection, examination, and testing not covered elsewhere in the Code,
with the intent to produce a controlled level of cleanness. The term thus applies to pipe
systems defined for other purposes as high purity, ultra-high purity, hygienic, or aseptic.

7. What do you mean by the term SIF?  

Ans: The stress intensification factor or SIF is an intensifier of bending or torsional stress
local to a piping component such as tees, and elbows, and has a value great than or equal to
1.0. Its value depends on component geometry. ASME B31.3 Appendix D, up to edition 2018
used to provide provides formulas to calculate the SIF values which are reproduced in the

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following figure. However, From ASME B31.3 Edition 2020 onwards Appendix D is deleted
from the code and the code now suggests using ASME B31J or FEA calculations to find the
values of Stress intensification factors.

Appendix D of B 31.3

8.  When do you feel that a piping system is not required formal stress
analysis?  

Ans: Formal pipe stress analysis will not be required if any of the following 3 mentioned
criteria are satisfied:

1. if the system duplicates or replaces without significant change, a system operating with
a successful service record (operating successfully for more than 10 years without
major failure).
2. if the system can readily be judged adequate by comparison with previously analyzed
systems.
3. if the system is of uniform size, has no more than two points of fixation, no intermediate
restraints, and falls within the limitations of the empirical equation mentioned below:

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  Here, D = outside diameter of the pipe, mm (in.) Ea = reference
modulus of elasticity at 21°C (70°F), MPa (ksi) K1 = 208 000 SA/Ea,
(mm/m)2 = 30 SA/Ea, (in./ft)2 L = developed length of piping between
anchors,m (ft) SA = allowable displacement stress range U = anchor
distance, straight line between anchors,m (ft) y = resultant of total
displacement strains, mm (in.), to be absorbed by the piping system  

9.  How will you calculate the displacement (Expansion) stress range for a
piping system?
Ans: Expansion stress range (SE) for a complex piping system is normally calculated using
software like Caesar II, Start-Prof, Rohr-II, or AutoPIPE. However, the same can be
calculated using the following code equations:

here

Ap = cross-sectional area of pipe

Fa = range of axial forces due to
displacement strains between any two conditions being
evaluated

ia = axial stress intensification factor. In the absence of more applicable data, ia=1.0 for
elbows, pipe bends, and miter bends (single, closely spaced, and widely spaced), and ia =io

it = torsional stress intensification factor.

Mt = torsional moment range between any
two conditions being evaluated.
Sa = axial stress range due to displacement strains= (ia X Fa )/Ap

Sb = resultant bending stress range due to displacement strains.

St = torsional stress range= (it X Mt )/2Z

Z = section modulus of pipe

ii = in-plane stress intensification factor

io = out-plane stress intensification factor

Mi = in-plane bending moment

Mo = out-plane bending moment

10. What do you mean by the term “Cold Spring”?

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Ans: Cold spring is the intentional initial deformation applied to a piping system during
assembly to produce the desired initial displacement and stress. Cold Spring is beneficial in
that it serves to balance the magnitude of stress under initial and extreme displacement
conditions.

When cold spring is properly applied there is less likelihood of overstraining during initial
operation; hence, it is recommended especially for piping materials of limited ductility. There
is also less deviation from as installed dimensions during initial operation so that hangers will
not be displaced as far from their original settings.

However, nowadays most EPC organizations do not prefer the use of the Cold Spring while
analyzing any system.

11. How to decide whether Reinforcement is required for a piping branch

connection or not?
Ans: When a branch connection is made in any parent pipe the pipe connection is weakened
by the opening that is made in it. So it is required that the wall thickness after the opening
must be sufficiently in excess of the required thickness to sustain the pressure. This
requirement is checked by calculating the required reinforcement area (A1) and available
reinforcement area (A2+A3+A4) and if the available area is more than the required area then
no reinforcement is required. Otherwise, additional reinforcement needs to be added. The
equations for calculating the required and available areas are listed below for your
information from the code. Please refer to the code for the notations used:

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