G

GUID E FOR SPR

RING HAN
NGER
R INSP
PECTION

GU
UIDE FO
OR INS
SPECTION OF
F SPRIN
NG HA
ANGERS
S 11/7/2
2010

P
Prepared b : Ahme
by ed Reyad

A 510/570 Auth.Inspector
API
 G
GUIDE FOR SPRING
S HANG
GER INSPECT
TION

GUID
G DE FO
OR SPRIN
S NG HAN
H NGER
R
IN
NSPE
ECTION
HOW TO INSPECT SPRING HANGER

CO
ONTE
ENTS

INTR
RODUC
CTION
N

DE
EFINIT
TIONS
S

INSP
PECTION OF
O
SPRIING HANGE
H ER

REFERE
ENCES
S

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

INTRODUCTION

y THIS GUIDE PRESENTS GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPRING

HANGER, ITS TYPES AND HOW TO INSPECT THE SPRING HANGER
ACCORDING TO RELATED CODES AND STANDARDS.

y PIPE HANGER IS DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS, RIGID AND SPRING

HANGER, THIS GUIDE WILL FOCUS ON THE SPRING HANGER-TYPE.

y MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS SUBJECT IS AVAILABLE IN THE APPLICABLE

REFERENCES.

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

DEFINITIONS

PIPE HANGERS

y Pipe Hanger: Is a device which is suspended from a structure and is used to

carry the piping load in tension.

y Types of Pipe Hangers

a. Rigid Hanger: A pipe hanger which does not permit vertical movement.
b. Spring Hanger: A Pipe Hanger, using a spring or springs to, permit vertical
movement in a piping system.

SPRING HANGERS

y INTRODUCTION: Spring supports sustain a pipe that has undergone

displacement. Simple supports are no longer useful if the pipe rises off and
loads are transferred to other supports or fragile equipment nozzles. To
ensure support for the pipe as it moves, a support to compensate movement is
desired. One very practical device for this is the spring.
y Types of spring hangers:

a. Variable- Type Spring Hanger (which is by far the most common): A spring
coil device which produce varying supporting effect while permitting vertical
pipe movement , Spring supports for this class shall have characteristics so that
use at the maximum recommended pipe travel results in a variability factor of
not more than 25%.

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

b. Constant - Type Spring Hanger: A mechanical and spring coil device which
produces a relatively constant supporting effect, while permitting vertical pipe
movement. This class provides a mean variability (deviation from specified
load), including friction, of not more than 6% throughout total travel range.

MISCELLANEOUS

y Cold Setting: The position at which a Spring Hanger indicator is set denoting
the proper installation setting of the unit with the piping in the cold position.
y Hot Setting: The position at which the indicator on a Spring Hanger should be
with the piping in the hot or operating position.
y Temporary locking devices / Travel stops: A device which temporarily
lock the moveable parts of Spring Hanger in a fixed position, enabling a load
to be transferred through the Spring Hanger to the supporting structure while
maintaining the piping at a desired elevation during Erection and/or
Hydrostatic Testing.)

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

Inspection of Spring Hangers

Inspection after installation and -prior to hydrostatic testing

y Each hanger assembly should be verified against the hanger drawing

to assure that all components have been installed and are in their
proper position.
y Temporary locking devices (travel stops) and other locking means
furnished with spring units should be properly engaged

Inspection after hydrostatic testing and -prior to heating up

y Spring locking devices and any temporary hangers and supports

required for hydrostatic testing shall be removed
y Spring hangers should be checked to insure that their load/travel
indicators are approximately in their cold position setting and that
the pipe is at the proper elevation.

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

Inspection of in service spring hangers

y Piping systems should be inspected in their entirety to verify that no

interference exists between the pipe and or the pipe insulation and
the building structure or equipment.
y Spring hanger loads should be checked under both cold and hot
conditions, and the readings obtained should be checked against the
original cold and hot readings.
y The plant should establish a program to have a periodic 'Inspection
of critical piping support system and load travel indicator readings
recorded and compared to the base line set of readings.
y Spring hangers should be checked to ensure that their load/travel
indicators are approximately in their hot position setting and that the
pipe is at the proper elevation.
y Line temperature and actual hot positions of the load/travel
indicators on springs should be noted and recorded in a permanent
formal log. See attached record log

Note: Although Load travel indicator may not line up exactly with the base line
readings, the hanger may still be considered functional if the reading is close to
the base reading.

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

Adjustment of spring hangers

y To compensate for pipe elevation discrepancies, Hangers are usually

provided with means to permit vertical adjustment during and & after
installation. Threaded devices using turnbuckles, clevises, etc.
provide this feature or the adjustment is inherently available in the
hanger design, No adjustment shall be made that will result in less
than full usable thread engagement,
y Adjustably features also serve to facilitate pipe load distribution.

y Constant type springs have specific load adjustment devices, which

can vary the spring effort by plus or minus some percentage from
the factory set load.
y Variable type springs are usually provided with turnbuckles, threaded
collars, or adjustment nuts to enable varying the spring effort.
y load travel scale on variable and constraint type spring units are
usually marked to show the position of the load/ travel indicator in
both the cold and hot positions.
y Reference should be made to the particular spring suppliers Catalog
for the location and operation of these devices.

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

RFERENCES

y MSS-SP-58: Pipe Hangers and Supports - Materials, Design, and

Manufacture
y MSS-SP-69: Pipe Hangers and Supports - Selection and Application

y MSS-SP-89: Pipe Hangars and Supports - Fabrication and Installation

Practices
y MSS-SP-90: Guidelines on Terminology for Pipe Hangers and
Supports
y API 574 : INSPECTION PRACTICES FOR PIPING SYSTEM COMPONENTS

y SPRING HANGER CATALOGUES.

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

Figure no 1: Locking Devices / Travel Stop

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 GUIDE FOR SPRING HANGER INSPECTION

Record sheet to be used for spring hanger

inspection and recording of readings

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