Engineering Services for Facility Environments Washington, DC – Northern VA

Building piping is a very unique and fragile part of a structure. While other equipment, like HVAC systems and cooling towers, might require effective restraints to prevent movement, piping systems may be anchored in some areas and isolated in others to allow them to move freely.

The reason for this is thermal expansion. Hot water running through the pipes causes them to expand and contract. If a pipe doesn’t have the ability to move to accommodate thermal expansion, it creates significant amounts of stress and could cause the system to fail.

Further, pipes may experience stress over their life cycle due to seismic force, internal material loads, and inadequate support. If a building’s design doesn’t account for the piping system, internal and external loads may be too much for it to handle.

Absolutely. In fact, our goal is always to exceed industry standards. Our facility engineering services team works with contractors to implement effective seismic restraints. They understand the allowable stress levels designated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and their prescribed solutions go beyond these standards. Our project teams ensure maximum safety and peak performance for your facility, whether it is new construction or a building with older infrastructure.

Without seismic restraints, HVAC equipment can shift and move during an earthquake, which could result in the system being completely destroyed. The cost and energy savings of installing seismic restraint equipment pale in comparison to the cost associated with replacing an entire HVAC system or cooling tower.