Design of Large Pipe Lines

The object of this paper is to present an exact theory for the design of large pipe lines and their supports, which may also be used for the design of horizontal tanks, under-water tubes supported on piers, etc. Instead of the saddles commonly used, the pipe is supported and kept in shape by full ring girders which were first introduced in Sweden. The ring girders act as stiff, disk-shaped members, preventing large distortions over the supports and their transmission into the pipe shell proper. Under these conditions stresses can be analyzed by the modern elastic theory of thin shells. It is found that the shell then is mainly subject to direct beam and ring stresses, the loads being transmitted to the supporting rings by shearing stresses. A narrow zone of secondary bending stresses occurs in the shell portions adjacent to the supporting rings, induced by the restraining action.