The Background: RCM Engineering has multiple clients who request our services for piping flexibility analyses.

 

The objective of a flexibility analysis is to determine if the stress on the existing piping system is within allowable limits. If the stress is above the allowable limits, the goal is to reduce it in order to prevent premature failure of the components.

 

The Challenge: To create a piping model that is representative of the actual piping configuration and process conditions, then to subsequently identify high stress areas and mitigate potential system failure through detailed recommendations to reduce pipe stress including design of pipe supports.

The Solution: Using the AutoPIPE software tool, RCM Engineers have performed numerous piping flexibility analyses for satisfied clients in the industrial gases and chemical production sectors. Our engineers utilize decades of industry experience to obtain the required process inputs from the client to achieve a representative resulting analysis. RCM Engineers then interpret the analysis results and use them as a basis to develop recommendations for pipe support additions and changes to reduce pipe stress.