PVC Pipe Saddles
PVC Pipe Saddles
(OP)
As a structural engineer, I get called in for cracks and other miscellaneous failures in all materials. Yesterday, I got to visit a site where some two piece 6 inch PVC saddles had cracks around the bolt heads or nuts. I was trying to do some crude estimation of the stresses on the saddles and I ran a number on the bolt pretension. The clamping bolts were 1/4 inch (four total)and they were torqued (per the manufacturer they could be 10 ft-lb) to 7 ft-lb. I ran a number on the clamping force and got 1680 lb. This seems high to me. Yet these are a manufactured item used in many thousands of places.
I realize that the pretension is required to resist the pipe pressure, but might it not be a cause of cracking? It seems that that much force on a small shoulder of PVC would overstress it.
I realize that the pretension is required to resist the pipe pressure, but might it not be a cause of cracking? It seems that that much force on a small shoulder of PVC would overstress it.





RE: PVC Pipe Saddles
1680 lbf applied to any portion of any PVC part seems high to me, too. I'd be curious to see a drawing or photo of your subject object.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: PVC Pipe Saddles
originating from a sizeable pvc pipe manufacturer at http://ww
RE: PVC Pipe Saddles
RE: PVC Pipe Saddles
RE: PVC Pipe Saddles
And/or the torque used is too high.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA