BPPO(Best Piping Practices & Optimization)
General Rubber provides service to Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) firms and new construction market sectors by focusing on utilizing our best piping practice and optimization (BPPO) program. We deploy our engineering experience and advanced products through BPPO and work with EPCs in all phases of design and implementation.
General Rubber offers design and manufacturing capabilities to its customers by providing:
- Performance materials
- Integrally gusseted designs
- Expansion joints with increased movements & pressure capabilities
- Restrained designs including hinges, gimbals & universal tied
- Decreased expansion joint stiffness
- Advanced designs including dismantling & pressure balanced
- Custom offset designs
Through the use of best piping practices, General Rubber is able to optimize not just the selected expansion joint, but also the entire piping system. The systematic and sometimes iterative approach divides the proposed piping system into individual sections (straight runs and L- or Z-shaped bends) by choosing tentative anchor locations. Each section can then be optimized and later rejoined with the complete piping system. General Rubber uses its extensive industry experience and technical knowledge to split the piping system into these individual components and then systematically find the best solutions. To confidently optimize the system, we must consider the following for each individual piping section:
- Capabilities and limitations of different anchor types including main, directional or intermediate
- Location of various equipment, branch connections and space restrictions, as well as, available support structure and load limitations on piping and equipment
- Piping code i.e., ASME B31.1, ASME B31.3 or others
- Operating conditions including but not limited to temperature and pressure
- Amount of thermal and/or external movements anticipated
- Need to absorb noise and vibration, as well as, compensate for misalignment
- Need to provide access to piping and equipment
- Need to absorb shock loads and required cycle life
- Capabilities and limitations of different expansion joint designs including restrained and unrestrained arrangements
