There are three Basic Types:

1. Support
2. Restraint
3. Brace

Stiffness is the measure of deflection of a body, it is

.represented by Young's Modulus

Restraint:
Stop: A device that permits rotation but prevents movement in one direction
along an axis.
Double acting Stop: A device that prevents movements in both directions along
an axis.
Limit Stop: limited amount of movement.
Anchor: It's a rigid restraint, a piece of equipment sometimes that allows very
less movement in any direction.
Supports:
Hanger: A Support that does so by suspending the pipe from the structure.
Guide: A device that prevents rotation about an axis.
Resting or sliding support: A device that provides the support from beneath the
pipe and offers no resistance except friction.
Rigid support: A support that provides stiffness in at least one direction.( A
support that does not deflect or show very little deflection in at least one
direction.)
Constant effort: The most common type is a spring support that is intended to
supply a constant supporting force through a range of movement.
Damping device: Commonly called a snubber, which acts as a shock absorber in
its efforts.
Braces are employed to act as restraints for forces that generally do not come
from such sources as thermal expansion or gravity.
Non-Rigid Hangers:
1. Constant Force
2. Spring Hanger. The spring hanger is the more common.
Spring Hanger: As the spring is loaded or unloaded it will impose a variable
load on the piping system. This is based on the fact that the piping weight
doesnt change as it moves up or down. Convention in calculating is that the
operating or hot condition is considered the base load, which then becomes the
load at the neutral position of the spring. This is considered the hot load. This
implies that as the system is cooled down the spring is collapsed and, based on
the springs K or spring rate, adds load. This makes the cold load the higher load.
That, plus the weight load calculated

for that position, is the total load on the system. And that load, since it is higher,
changes the system stresses.

Constant Load Type Support Hanger:

According to MSS-Manufacturers Standardization Society they are generally in the
6 percent variability range. The ordinary method of constructing a constant force
hanger is to utilize the helical spring and interpose a variable crank between that
spring and the rod transmitting the force. It provides constant supporting force
for piping throughout its full range of vertical expansion and contraction. This is
accomplished through the use of a helical coil spring working in conjunction with
a bell crank lever in such a way that the spring force times its distance to the
lever pivot is always equal to the pipe load times its distance to the lever pivot.

Counterweight Type Arrangements:

Counterweight-type arrangements are probably the most consistent in terms of
least variability. As noted, the weight of the piping does not change if one gets
an opposing or counterweight mechanism. So barring some reduction in the
weight of the counterweight mechanism due to wear, corrosion, or lack of
maintenance, when properly installed counterweight arrangements would be as
close to 0 variability as possible. They are also the most special and subject to
requiring the most space and the most continual attention to be an effective
solution. For these reasons they are avoided when possible.