TransCanada Engineering Specification

TES-ME-STRPA-GL Pipe Stress Engineering

Analysis and Design of Pipeline Assemblies
Specification (CAN-US-MEX)
EDMS No.: 007808806 Rev.: 03 Status: Issued Effective Date: 2017-Oct-02
Next Review Date: 2019-Oct-02

Clarification: Relying on general backfilling specifications to define compaction

control has been problematic in past construction projects. Defining the compaction
objective and location in the drawings will reduce issues at time of construction.
5.10.5 Flowable fill may be used in isolated cases if coating protection and cathodic
protection (CP) have been considered.
5.10.6 Flowable fill shall not be within 152 mm (6 in.) from the bottom or side of the pipe.
5.10.7 Flowable fill shall not be within 304 mm (12 in.) from the top of the pipe and placed on
well compacted backfill.
5.10.8 The Company’s stress engineering and structural/civil personnel should review and
approve the use of flowable fill as a pipe support, unless the project engineer accepts
responsibility for the use of the flowable fill.
5.10.9 If flowable fill is to be used, a testing process which includes mechanical material
testing should be developed to ensure the fill meets the intended requirements.
5.11 Support Spacing for Aboveground Piping
5.11.1 Unless the effects of mechanical vibration, the natural frequency of the piping system
(i.e., shell and beam modes), reduced susceptibility for vortex shedding, and
increased contact stresses have been considered, the allowable support spacing for
aboveground piping should consider whichever of the following methods yields the
shortest free span length:
1. The associated piping membrane stresses combined with the circumferential and
longitudinal stresses do not exceed allowable stress limits.
2. The spacing equation:

Spacing m 0.33 D mm Spacing ft 5.51 D in

Where:
D = outside piping diameter
Reference: Kormann, P. and Zhou, J. June 25
25-28,
28, 1995. Support Spacing of Buried
and Above-Ground
Ground Piping, Second International Conference, Advances in
Underground Pipeline Engineering. American Society of Civil Engineers, Bellevue,
Washington.
5.11.2 The spacing may need to be reduced based on elbows, tees, and heavy piping
components.
5.11.3 The distance between supports should include the length of elbows, tees and other
fittings, unless the influence of length of fittings on the natural frequency of the piping
system and the increased stiffness has been considered.
Clarification: The objective is to increase the natural frequency high enough to avoid
large amplitude response under any slight perturbing force.

Classification: DE-16 UNCONTROLLED IF PRINTED – LATEST CONTROLLED COPY IN FILENET P8 Page 23 of 51