PT&P Manufactures Custom Designed Embed Plates for Gold Mine in Cajamarca, Peru
Piping Technology & Products, Inc., designed and manufactured 150 special embed plate pieces for Latin America’s largest gold producer. This project involved the production of one hundred fifty, 93″ x 27″ x 1″ embed plates which required the use of 80,000 pounds of steel and anchors. The custom designed, carbon steel, embed plates are to provide stability for the feed openings of four mineshaft reclaim tunnels and are scheduled to be put to use immediately.
How to Avoid Pipe Stress
What is Pipe Stress?
“Pipe Stress” refers to piping flexibility analysis.
High Stress Locations on Pipes
High stress areas generally occur at piping elbows, tees and other branch connections. The B 31.3 Piping Code provides stress intensification factors for such locations. Computer piping programs generally do piping flexibility analysis for those other than very simple systems.
Signs of Pipe Stress
An overstressed system could fail by fatigue, leading to a crack, buckling of the elbows, or overload on equipment nozzles.
How to Reduce Pipe Stress
High stress should be uncovered in the design stage. However, existing systems can be checked for incipient cracks by x-ray, ultrasound, acoustic emission or dye penetrant. Also, rerouting the pipe can provide more flexibility and sometimes reduce high stress. When rerouting is impossible or not practical, then pipe stress can be reduced significantly by adding Bellows Expansion Joints. Any sections of the pipe showing cracks must be replaced.
Product of the Month
(at left)47.25″ I.D. x 23.625″ I.D. 5A516-70 Transition Pieces w/ 5A36 stiffner for ethylene plant in Saudia Arabia. (at right)47.25″ I.D. Universal Expansion Joint w/ SB443 round corners bellows, and SA516-70 flanges for ethylene plant in Saudia Arabia.
