PROCESS PIPEWORK

Understanding
Vibration-Induced
Pipework Failure

Neil Parkinson

ibration induced fatigue of process

piping systems is an important and
fundamental failure mechanism. Data
published by the UKs Health & Safety
Executive (HSE) for the offshore industry has
shown that in the UK sector of the North Sea,
fatigue and vibration failures account for 21% of all
hydrocarbon releases. Although overall statistics
are not available for onshore facilities, available
data for individual plants indicates that in Western
Europe, between 10-15% of pipework failures are caused by
vibration induced fatigue. Neil Parkinson, technical director
at asset integrity specialist AV Technology Ltd (AVT),
explains the six phases in understanding, correcting and
preventing vibration-induced pipework failure.
Based on the Energy Institute publication Guidelines
for the Avoidance of Vibration Induced Fatigure Failure
in Process Pipework*, current best practice is aimed at
minimising the risk of incurring loss of containment from
vibration-induced failures. An enhanced and expanded
version of the former Marine Technology Directorate
Guidelines (1999), the document plays a key role in

Unsupported SBC, gas refinery

Visco-elastic damper

maintaining integrity in the design and maintenance of

process pipework within the oil, gas and petrochemical
industries.
The Energy Institute guidelines break down
into two main scenarios proactive and reactive
assessments and aim to ensure compliance with
statutory duty, improve safety and reliability, reduce
liability from leakeage, and minimise plant downtime.
Proactive assessments can be used to routinely
evaluate all pipework on a site, whether existing or
planned, to ensure that best practice has been adopted
and to identify possible areas of concern. Reactive
assessments follow, and are used to further investigate
known vibration issues or troubleshoot actual failures
within both mainline pipework as well as small bore
connections (SBCs). There are six key phases to
achieving pipework vibration assessments in line with
requirements of the guidelines:
Qualitative assessment
Visual assessment
Basic vibration monitoring
Specialist measurement techniques
Specialist predictive techniques
Corrective actions
The qualitative assessment phase is perhaps the
most challenging to implement and involves numerous
calculations for assessing the likelihood of encountering
a vibration-induced fatigue issue on either an existing
or planned plant. This assessment takes into account
many relevant factors, from fluid energy, flow velocities
and cyclic operation to the construction quality of
infrastructure including process machinery and types
of valves. It also assesses the chance of flashing or
cavitation, and includes a calculation process for
scoring likely excitation factors which are combined
with conditional and operational factors to predict the
ME | Mar/Apr 2014 | 31

PROCESS PIPEWORK

Example before
bracing

likelihood of failure (LOF) for each pipe branch.

Visual inspection is a quick and effective method
for identifying potential areas for concern. Many pipework
vibration problems are simply the result of operators
not following recommended good practice, and visual
inspection by skilled assessors can quickly flag up areas
for improvement relating to pipe infrastructure. This may
include installing more effective pipe supports or replacing
worn or damaged supports, proper bracing of SBCs,
avoiding fretting and poor geometry, and allowing for
thermal expansion of tubing.
The basic piping vibration measurement phase
identifies areas of concern based on measured values
of pipework vibration. In this phase specialist engineers
will first use a single axis accelerometer connected to
a portable data collector to take initial vibration levels,
ranging from 1-300 Hz. These measurements are
presented as vibration amplitude versus frequency and
enable the vibration to be classified as acceptable, concern
or problem, based on comparison with assessment criteria
in the Energy Institute guidelines.
If vibration is assessed as being at a concern or
problem level, or for pipework with a higher frequency
vibration of more than 300 Hz, the next phase used by
vibration engineers is based on specialist measurement
techniques. Here, a variety of more in-depth tests can
be deployed depending on need, including: dynamic strain
measurement and fatigue analysis; experimental modal
analysis; operating deflection shape analysis; and dynamic
pressure (pulsation) measurement. In addition, engineers
can implement specialist predictive techniques, applying
sophisticated tools and modelling to provide a more
detailed assessment of the dynamics of specific pipelines
throughout their lifecycles. A high percentage of the work
carried out by our own special projects division is
concerned with on-site measurements of dynamic strain
and vibration data, using multi-channel instrumentation
systems together with the previously measured data.

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May/June
2014
2011
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Specialist predictive techniques include finite element

analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics, and pulsation
and surge analysis.
The final stage of any pipework assessment is to
recommend corrective actions to reduce vibration levels
and the likelihood of future vibration-induced fatigue
failures. These actions vary from improving the support
infrastructure around pipework including bracing and
dampening, or modifying the process conditions themselves
to reduce fluid loadings.
The design of practical and appropriate corrective
actions is important in achieving cost effective yet thorough
solutions, and often utilises FEA techniques to predict the
effect of remedial repairs, alongside CAD software for
mechanical design of supports and bracing systems.
Vibration in pipework can be affected by a number
of direct and indirect factors, not limited to the pipework
itself but also including the adjacent support structures and
buildings. It is therefore vital to develop a comprehensive
overview of vibration patterns in order to recommend
constructive improvements. Strain gauging and FEA are
powerful tools in this analysis process and although these
are often perceived as being distinct and alternative
assessment technologies, AVT has long recognised the
power of combining practical strain gauge work with
theoretical FEA.
While FEA models can provide important predictions
of stress, displacement and frequency, results can often
be unreliable unless validated with actual in-service data
such as strain measurements. Conversely, while actual
strain gauge data can yield accurate information on
stress amplitudes and fatigue, they are generally limited
to measurements at just a few positions along the line
therefore not giving a complete three-dimensional picture
of the modal behaviour of a structure.
avtechnology.co.uk

* 2nd edition 2008, current edition. ISBN 978 0 85293 453 1.

NB. Neil
Parkinson is
delivering a
seminar at the
forthcoming
Plant & Asset
Management Exhibition on Tuesday 8 April. He will
be outlining recommended vibration assessment
methods; suggesting corrective actions for many
common problems to help reduce the risk of major
incidents caused by pipework vibration; as well as
underpinning HSE responsibilities under the COMAH
and Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations
2005 (OSCR). For further information and to register
visit maintenanceuk-expo.com

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