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Structural Analysis of Chilled Water Piping System – Hotel Project in Red Sea

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Project Title

Hotel Project in Red Sea 

Client

The Red Sea Development Company

Analysis By

Conserve Solutions

Scope:

Structural analysis and support design for the chilled water piping system within the ETS Room, including qualification of pipe supports, connections, and base structures. 

Project Overview

The Hotel project features a central ETS Room for chilled water piping systems forming the backbone of HVAC operations. These pipes are subject to substantial static and dynamic loads due to thermal, pressure, and operational conditions. The goal of this analysis was to ensure the structural integrity and support adequacy for 10+ different support configurations across the ETS Room. 

Objective

  • Validate the structural adequacy of support structures (beams, columns, plates, bolts). 
  • Ensure safe stress and deflection limits in accordance with BS5950, AISC 360-10, and EN 1993. 
  • Provide a basis for anchor bolt, U-bolt, and connection design using tools like STAAD Pro, and Hilti Profis. 

Methodology

  • Supports were categorized into 10 types based on restraint configurations (e.g., Rest, Hold Down, Semi-Anchor, Trunnion).
  • Each type was modeled in STAAD Pro for structural behavior under:
  • Self-weight
  • Pipe Loads
  • Factored Load Combinations (Serviceability & Strength)
  • Load cases applied based on EN 1990 design combinations.
  • Maximum envelope loads were extracted for connection design.
  • Detailed qualification of:
  • Base plates
  • Anchor bolts (HIT-HY 200-R V3 + HAS-U 8.8)
  • U-bolts (16 mm & 20 mm)
  • Welds and bolted connections (8.8 grade bolts & E70xx welding electrode) 

Key Load Case Results

Check TypeResultRemarks
Stress Utility Ratios< 1.0All support types deemed safe
Deflection< Allowable (L/240)Example: Max 12.91 mm vs. limit 13.75 mm
Von Mises Stress< Allowable for S355167 MPa (actual) vs. 234 MPa (allowable)
U-Bolt & Base PlateQualifiedSafe for lateral loads up to 8 kN

Support Types Evaluated

  • Type-1 to Type-10: Covering a range of restraints including:  
  • Rigid +Y supports 
  • Hold Down + Guide (with/without gap) 
  • Semi-Anchor with guide and limit stops 
  • Trunnion support types 
  • Each analyzed with corresponding 3D STAAD models and stress output reviewed. 

Highlights

  • Conservative assumptions applied (30% load increase) to ensure robustness. 
  • All steel sections modeled using S355 grade. 
  • U-bolts qualified through FEM to sustain the lateral pipe forces. 
  • Structural design complies with the latest British and Euro codes. 

Software & Standards Used

  • Analysis Software: STAAD Pro, IDEA StatiCa, Hilti Profis 
  • Design Standards:  
  • BS5950 
  • AISC 360-10 
  • EN 1993 
  • EN 1990 (for load combinations) 

Conclusion

The detailed structural analysis for the ETS Room piping system confirms that the support configuration, material selection, and installation approach ensure full compliance with international standards. All structural members and connections are safely within stress and deflection limits, providing confidence in long-term performance under operational and test load scenarios. 

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