Horizontal Vessels

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Calculates stresses in horizontal pressure vessels created by the combination of internal pressure
and the weight of the vessel, its contained liquid and stiffener rings. If included in the analysis,
additional loads due to wind per ASCE-98/02,95 93, UBC-97/94, IBC 2003 and earthquake will
be included. The program is based on Stresses in Large Horizontal Cylindrical Pressure Vessels
on Two Saddle Supports, The Welding Research Supplement, 1951 and subsequent
interpretations of that work. This is also called Zick's Analysis.

Saddle Wear Plate Design

The horizontal vessels considered by CodeCalc are assumed to have saddle supports. One of the
problems with this type of support is the high localized stress, which exists in the vessel in the
region of saddles. Typically, the highest stress is the outside circumferential stress at the saddle
horn.

The ASME code does not address the details of saddle support design, nor does it offer guidance
in the computation of the resulting vessel stresses. Instead, the code directs designers to other
references for these methods. To date, the design of saddle supports and their associated stresses
are based on past practice and experience, without theoretical analysis.

A recent paper published in the Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology addresses the issue of
local vessel stresses due to saddle supports. This paper (Effectiveness of Wear Plate at the Saddle
Support, Ong Lin Seng, Transactions of the ASME, Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, Vol
114, February 1992) provides a method for the estimation of the wear plate thickness, extension
above the saddle horn, and the amount of stress reduction. (It is interesting to note that this paper
suggests some of Zick's recommendations are non-conservative.)

This optimum thickness of the wear plate is a function of the mean radius of vessel, the thickness
of vessel, and the width of wear plate. The optimum wear plate thickness is determined for both
welded and non-welded conditions, with wear plate angular extensions of 5, 10, and 15 degrees.
Restrictions of this method:

1. The saddle angle must be greater than 120 degrees. Saddle angles of 120 degrees with an
appropriate wear plate can result in a 15 to 40 percent stress reduction at horn of the
saddle. Larger saddle angles cause a greater stress reduction for the same wear plate
ratios.
 2. The value of (r/b) * sqrt(r/t) must be between 10 and 60, when this term is not within this
range, no thickness will be selected. (r = mean radius of the vessel, b = width of the wear
plate, t = thickness of the vessel)

The conclusions drawn in this paper are:

1. The peak stress in the vessel at the saddle horn can be reduce from 15 to 40 percent when
a wear plate is used if the wear plate has the same thickness as the vessel and extends at
least 5 degrees above the saddle horn.
2. The peak stress in the vessel remains at the saddle horn when using a thin wear plate.
3. The stress reduction does not vary greatly with a variation in saddle support angle.
4. A welded wear plate reduces stresses better than a non-welded wear plate.

Horizontal Vessel Geometry

Wear Plate and Saddle Details for a Typical Horizontal Tank

Vessel Tab (Horizontal Vessels)