simple point load formulas needed

huangyhg

simple point load formulas needed
hi, i am a project building services engineer and require some simple formulas for calculating the size of steel sections for supporting pipe, duct and plant etc. so point loads and spread loads etc. some structured reading would also be useful.
i hope you have your flame retardant coveralls with you because this forum is going to give it to you real good.
clansman
i am a site structural engineer/manager overseeing hundreds, if not thousands, of equipment and supporting/sheilding structures, but i wouldn't put my hands on anything i wasn't equipped to do even within my own discipline.
however, you may benefit from owing a structural handbook that covers general aspect of structural engineering to gain understand of basic structural behaviors, and assist you in making better decisions. do a search on the web, you will get quite a few good ones that match your need, and may help you in the long run.
too many to suggest. good luck.   
if we were able to boil down 4 or 5 years of engineering school, 3 or 4 years of internship and at least 2 licensing exams into a few sentences and tables, we'd be magicians, not structural engineers.  
call in a licensed structural engineer or licensed mechanical engineer to do this for you....and while you're at it, drop the "engineer" from your title.  it violates state law in most states.
quote:
i hope you have your flame retardant coveralls with you because this forum is going to give it to you real good
and so it begins....
6 years of school, 6 years of internship (4 civil and 2 structural) and three exams totaling 32 hours, 30+ years of experience.
ron, reaqlistically, i think you'd have a problem with eliminating the term "engineer" here as it is a well used, long standing term in the maritime, military,  manufacturing, and maintenance industries.  i think the distinction though is partly being college educated in a specific engineering discipline, but mainly in the specific context of a licensed professional engineer in a specific recognized and regulated engineering discipline.  such is not the case in the terminology used in the four cases mentioned above.  
i do understand, however, that the perception of the general pubic is a problem here, with the vast majority unaware of any distinction.  it is up to us as licensed professional engineers to make that distinction and educate the public, our clientelle.   
mike mccann
mmc engineering
mike....i agree, it is a common term to be used in those areas.  just a pet peeve of mine when contractors and others bank off the title. this single point alone has cost our profession in credibility and professional stature.
engine-er. (train operator?)
i think this term was broadly applied to the skillful, crafts person, since the invention until modern day. interesting to note how much our profession has advanced and changed.
given another 100 years, i guess this title will belongs to people know how to work on computer, interpretate the out put, and check against code, maybe draw a line or two by cad.
i am long gone by then. lol
i feel the above threads have enabled people to vent some frustrations that have built up over the years...i can understand your points and do sympathize with your predicament. mike, in your case 12 years of input from your self to have the title of engineer, i understand. the reason for me asking the question has derived from the points you all made above. let me elaborate on my role. we obtain a building services contract from a client, normally a construction company, but more often a construction management team or land developer. we receive a 'design', a term, that due to consultants fees being put under considerable pressure is used very loosely, more like a design intent. it is then my job to interpret this design and check that it works. process this information to ultimately give an installation that achieves the design intent. this is then taken by our construction manager given to the on site supervisors, foreman and charge hands and built by the fitters, welders, plumbers, duct erectors, a/c  installers, controls specialists and electricians. if i,m not an engineer, then fine, it doesn't worry me, the above day does not change as a result of interpretation. anyway, the reason for me writing the first thread was that in one particular instance i have to support a 30 meter run of pipework, three lots of pipes to a range of chillers. the sizes are 250mm dia 200mm dia and 150mm dia, each of the three rows under slung. i gave the weights of full pipework to our structural engineer on site, he then produced a framework that would support the installation. the 'design' i received back was, on the face of it, so over the top it was laughable. my intention now is to gain an extremely basic knowledge of the types of material, sizes and the loads they are capable of being put under and the support spans that are required in order that i can question situations as above. anyone, in my view can look at the types of mass i deal with and assign a monstrosity to support it, its called 'over engineering', historically us english are good at that, its what i'm trying to get away from. if what i am asking for is not available then please feel free to say so, but can we please be polite.
ron,
get a second structural engineer's opinion.
just like you would if you questioned your doctor's opinion.
there's no difference.
i agree fully, get that second opinion.  shouldn't cost much to have another firm or individual that is a pe do a peer overview.  if he or she feel it is "overkill" by first look, then maybe a more thorough (and costly) review or redesign is warranted.  i don't think you will find anybody willing to train you on how to design the necessary support via this website.  but, if you think the original engineer overdesigned, get that second opinion and justify your existince to whoever your client is.