Development of design solutions for protection against progressive collapse of process pipe racks

Introduction. The paper highlights vulnerability of industrial facilities, such as process pipe racks, to increasing frequency of UAV terrorist attacks and other negative factors that can lead to an emergency situation and subsequent progressive collapse.

Aim. To develop design solutions for protection against progressive collapse in a design emergency situation with ensured geometric immutability and stability of intermediate double-hinged supports of a temperature block in the case of excluding an anchor support from the design scheme (local destruction).

Materials and methods. A review of relevant normative documents on the research topic was carried out. The survey experience was used to analyze the design solutions of recently constructed process pipe racks.

Results. Having analyzed the regulatory documents on the research topic, we assume that the lack of detailed recommendations and calculation methods for stability against progressive collapse of process pipe racks generally reduces the reliability of newly constructed and existing reconstructed facilities. A frequently encountered combination of a temperature block in a highly critical process pipe rack with one anchor support and multiple intermediate double-hinged supports interconnected by split span structures or struts appears disadvantageous in terms of failure to ensure the geometric immutability and stability of the intermediate double-hinged supports of the temperature block in a design emergency situation with the anchor support excluded from the design scheme (local destruction).

Conclusions. The developed design solutions ensure protection against progressive collapse in a design emergency situation and maintain geometric immutability and stability of intermediate double-hinged supports of a temperature block in the case of excluding an anchor support from the design scheme (local destruction). Applications for utility patents on the developed engineering solutions have been filed.

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