***Update: ANSI/MSS SP-58-2009 has been revised. The current edition, ANSI/MSS SP-58-2018: Pipe Hangers and Supports – Materials, Design, Manufacture, Selection, Application, and Installation, is available on the ANSI Webstore.
ANSI/MSS SP-58-2018: Pipe Hangers and Supports – Materials, Design, Manufacture, Selection, Application, and Installation serves as a guide giving standard practices for all steps associated with pipe hangers and supports, spanning from the choice of materials to the installation process.
The primary issue confronted by having pipe hangers and supports is handling the load that travels through the pipes. ANSI/MSS SP-58-2018 addresses this by giving specifications for the design of general hangers, hanger rods, multiple supports, riser supports, anchors, protection saddles and shields, and spring supports, among other types of supports. In addition, it gives requirements on the different metal and plastic materials that can be used to create hangers and supports and allowable stresses on them resulting from tension, bending, shearing, bearing, and compression.
As the standard is a complete guide on the entire usage of pipe hangers and supports, it covers not only their design, but also their shipping, installation, and general performance. Concerns raised with shipping primarily include proper labeling and packaging to prevent unwanted damages. Those relating to installation help to assure that the supports and hangers are correctly added to the pipe system. For example, brackets must withstand the gravity load and horizontal forces, so for those bolted-on brackets, it is important to tighten threaded fasteners equally to give proper load distribution.
Pipe systems also must be able to withstand a range of heat levels, depending on their specific service temperatures. ANSI/MSS SP-58-2018 covers issues such as spacing of hangers and supports on hot, ambient and cold systems.
For those who are currently using a past version of ANSI/MSS SP-58, it is highly recommended to transition into this latest revision, which has undergone many different changes. Due to previous revisions, this standard retains much of the information from the now-retired standards ANSI/MSS SP-69, MSS SP-77, MSS SP-89, and MSS SP-90. You can read about changes to the 2018 edition here: ANSI/MSS SP-58-2018: Pipe Hangers and Supports.
ANSI/MSS SP-58-2009 is a standard published by the Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and Fittings Industry (MSS). MSS is a standards developing organization that oversees the manufacturing and installation of valves, pipe fittings, pipe supports, flanges, and associated seals.
Does ANSI/MSS SP-58-2018 include any requirements for the gauge/thickness and length of the metal shields/saddles used to cradle insulated pipe? These are the curved metal shields/saddles in which the insulated pipe would sit. The ASHRAE Handbook of Refrigeration in the chapter on refrigeration insulation and the IIAR Piping Handbook chapter on insulation both contain the identical table that lists required metal shield/saddle gauge/thickness and length as a function of insulation outer diameter. However, these tables are very old and their origin and accuracy are unknown. The IIAR organization was wondering if the ANSI/MSS SP-58-2018 standard contains any guidance on this topic. Thank you for any help you can provide.