Does NFPA 13 Allow Welded Pipe Support?

5/28/2021

I have found in a gas turbine power plant a long run of a 24" pipe supplying water-based fire protection systems supported via cradled non-guided supports, welded to the bottom of the pipe itself. The shoe base plates are placed on support beams, without any slide assemblies in between.

I normally use to design the European code EN 12845, where you can read "supports shall completely surround the pipe and shall not be welded to the pipe or fittings".

Is this permitted in NFPA 13 environments?

I would be glad if you could share your thoughts about this, thanks in advance.

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2 Comments

Dan Wilder

5/28/2021 08:14:16 am

NFPA 13 was fairly silent for many years concerning pipe stands/supports (generally they just needed to be "approved") and we (I) just used a 2" or 2½" pipe stand with half a pipe clamp welded to the stand (not to the pipe in your case) and rarely put the top of the clamp on (I'm also not in a seismic area to require additional restraint). NFPA 15 had some specific language on pipe stands but was followed a lot less due to that standard being for Water Spray systems.

There is some verbiage concerning support/restraining the pipe via "U-Bolts or equivalent attachment" (13-19_17.5.5.1 & 17.5.6) to restrict movement and the next section specifically says "Where thrust forces are anticipated to be high, a pipe ring or clamp shall secure the system piping to the pipe stand". (13-19_17.5.6.2).

Nothing says the pipe stand can or cannot be welded to the pipe but typically this is rare due to the need to have these field welded. I will clarify this may have been an approved method at the time of installation and/or acceptable based on similar supports being used elsewhere on the property for other trades, thus no modifications need to be made unless there is an issue that requires replacement of components.

schulman

5/28/2021 08:29:40 am

i would think a pipe that big needs to be welded to its supports which don't move in order to resist the flow forces and not tear itself apart ?

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Does NFPA 13 Allow Welded Pipe Support?

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