The design of lifting attachments for the erection of large diameter and heavy wall pressure vessels

Usually, the specific parameters of the vessel to be lifted and the lifting equipment available at the site will dictate the type of lifting attachments to be designed for the vessel. Once the type of vessel attachment has been chosen, careful consideration must be given to the design of attachments to the pressure vessel in consideration to ensure that the vessel and lifting components are not overstressed during the lifting process. The paper also discusses different types of lifting attachments that may be attached to each end of the vessel either by bolting or welding and discusses the pros and cons of each. The paper also provides an example of a finite element analysis (FEA) of a top nozzle, a FEA of a pair of lifting trunnions and a FEA of welded on lifting lugs for buried pipe. The purpose of the paper is to outline the effects on the vessel due to different types of lifting attachments in combination with the lifting parameters. It is not the intent of the paper to provide guidance on lifting lug design.