Estimation method of seismic integrity for piping design using elastic-plastic pipe supports. Simple evaluation for preventing zipping phenomenon

In piping systems equipped with elastic-plastic pipe supports as seismic response reduction design, the neighboring pipe supports are suspected to fail one by one when the elastic-plastic pipe supports are deformed extremely by seismic motions beyond design basis, which is called a zipping phenomenon. This is why excessive loading is added to the neighboring pipe supports due to change of the loading distribution of the whole piping systems by the extreme deformation of the supports. To judge the failure possibility of the piping systems in the severe event beyond design basis seismic motions, a simple screening method was proposed based on the idea of Allowable Support Span Method. (author)