A cabled pipe rack

Abstract

A cabled pipe rack is an assembly of structural elements put together to form a robust structural framework to function similar to conventional pipe rack. The invention employs tension cables to support lateral movements of transverse frames along the longitudinal direction. Tension cables are primarily anchored to the main anchoring structures strategically located at both ends of cabled pipe rack assembly. This structural assembly is a zero braced pipe rack completely eliminates pipe clashing issues to any bracing elements. This innovation have taken the structural benefits from a composite column made up of steel and concrete with a fully rigid connection at the base, and a fully welded joint connections of transverse beams and columns. The invention is a unique structural system seen as a suitable substitute to the conventional pipe rack.

1 . A structural framework assembly of a cabled pipe rack comprising:
 a) a fully rigid support at the base by employing starter bars connecting the concrete pedestal and the composite column;   b) a steel base plate with a hole opening same size as the hollow column to allow starter bars and concrete pouring to pass through;   c) a hollow steel section column e.g. circular, square, and rectangular filled-in with concrete to produce the composite column after alignment and anchoring are checked;   d) a cut-off I-beam with a minimum of 600 mm to maximum of 1000 mm in length to be fully welded to the column ring stiffeners to produce a genuine full end moment connection of main transverse beam at column joint;   e) ring stiffeners of column is connected by full welding to hollow steel column and serving as a connector to the cut-off I-beam;   f) anchor structures to serve as anchoring points of horizontal tension cables strategically located at both ends of every pipe rack length, where the anchor structures comprise hollow steel column filled with concrete and are braced to resist anchoring loads;   g) horizontal tension cable with shackle at one end and turn-buckle at the other end, the horizontal cables connecting all the lateral frames to each other and the anchoring structures, so as to serve as lateral support to all transverse frames all the way to the anchoring structures, where the transverse frames comprise two hollow steel columns filled with concrete, cut-off I-beams and main transverse beams;   h) a longitudinal intermediate I-beam to support pipes coming in and out of the pipe rack that is capable to be installed anywhere within the column height by simply using a clamp assembly bolted to the two adjoining columns; and   i) a receiving blinded flange located at the top end of hollow steel column designed to receive upward extension of cabled pipe rack employing a simple bolted flange to flange connection of hollow steel columns.   
     
     
         2 . The method of erecting the structural framework of a cabled pipe rack in  claim 1 , comprising:
 a) anchor structures must first be established by erecting at designated locations and have the hallow steel columns be poured with concrete ahead than the transverse frames to give sufficient time of concrete curing;   b) transverse frames will be erected either as a whole or by segments and shall be supported by temporary guying with 4 or 8 nos. tied up to the circular anchors embedded to the side portions of concrete pedestal to hold the frames at vertical position;   c) permanent horizontal tension cables shall only be installed if concrete poured at anchor structures are already cured ready to withstand anchor forces; permanent horizontal tension cables shall only be installed from one end of anchor structures to the first transverse frame all the way to the last frame and finally to the other end of anchor structure only after all transverse frames are completely erected and perfectly aligned. and   d) upward extension of cabled pipe rack is executed by removing the blind cover of the receiving flange at the top end of hollow steel column and install the new hollow steel column extension with a simple bolted flange to flange connection only.   
     
     
         3 . The method of producing concrete pedestal of a cabled pipe rack in  claim 1 , comprising:
 a) starter bars for hallow steel columns shall be interconnected to the main steel bars of the pedestal;   b) a minimum of 4 anchor bolts to be used during the erection phase of transverse frames shall be embedded and interconnected to the main bars of pedestal;   c) circular anchors to cater diagonal guying shall be embedded diagonally to both sides of pedestal along the longitudinal axis of pipe rack at a distance of 150 mm below the top of pedestal; and   d) concrete shall be poured only to pedestal if items 3a to 3c are completely installed.   
     
     
         4 . The method of producing a robust structural framework of a cabled pipe rack according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a) concrete shall be poured to the hallow steel columns of transverse frames once permanent horizontal tension cables are completely installed to hold all transverse frames from one end of anchor structure to the other end; and   b) concrete poured to the hallow steel columns of transverse frames shall be cured prior to any placement of pipes and equipment loads to the pipe rack.   
     
     
         5 . The method of producing a robust structural framework of a cabled pipe rack according to  claim 2 , comprising:
 c) concrete shall be poured to the hallow steel columns of transverse frames once permanent horizontal tension cables are completely installed to hold all transverse frames from one end of anchor structure to the other end; and   d) concrete poured to the hallow steel columns of transverse frames shall be cured prior to any placement of pipes and equipment loads to the pipe rack.