Revision No: 01

Date: 20/12/2024

Finite Element Analysis of Lifting Lug

1. Introduction
The lifting lug is a critical structural component designed to facilitate the safe and efficient lifting of skid
platforms during handling, transportation, and installation. Proper design and analysis of lifting lugs
ensure structural integrity, minimize the risk of failure, and comply with industry safety standards. This
report presents the finite element analysis (FEA) of a lifting lug for a skid platform, aiming to validate its
design against anticipated loading conditions. The analysis ensures compliance with safety factors and
highlights stress distributions under maximum load scenarios.

2. Scope of Document
In the FEA, particular attention is paid to high-stress regions, specifically around the inner surface of the
lug hole. Moreover, lateral bending was also considered around the minor axis of the lug. Following
things are included in this report
1. Detailed modeling and simulation of the lifting lug under specified loading conditions on Ansys.
2. Assessment of stress distributions and identification of critical stress locations.
3. Evaluation of the lug’s safety factor to determine stability.

3. Modeling
The lifting lug model was created on Autodesk Inventor using the drawings of the lug from
Civil/Structural Arrangement Drawings for CI Injection Package - MW009-520-Z001. The following figure
shows the CAD model of lug.

Figure 1-Drawing of lifting lug from Inventor.

A 1000 mm long I-beam frame was created, and a lug was attached at its center. The length of I-Beam
was estimated using General Arrangement Drawing for Skid (0410RP-137074-B07-0001). Then the lug
and I beam were welded with 6mm continuous fillet weld of structural steel material. The purpose of
using I-beam is that we will not have to fix the ends of the lug. I-beam welded to lug is closer to realistic
conditions.
Revision No: 01
Date: 20/12/2024

The welded assembly of I-beam and lifting lug is shown in the following figure:

I-Beam Frame

Lifting Lug

Fillet Weld
Figure 2-Welded Lug and Frame Assembly

4. Meshing
The model was meshed in ANSYS Mechanical, here consideration was given to regions around the hole.
The mesh size was selected to be 6mm. Further reducing the size of mesh does not show considerable
changes in stresses.
Hex-Dominant meshing was applied. Here the weld to frame and weld to lug contact is taken to be of
bonded type while lug to frame contact was considered as a frictionless contact (it allows sliding without
penetration.)

Figure 2-Meshing of lug-frame on ANSYS.

5. Boundary Conditions
The ends of the I-beam were fixed. It is important to note that there will be nothing fixed in the actual
loading scenario but for the sake of this analysis we assume the beam ends are fixed. This condition is an
estimation of what the real behavior will be, however the results will be conservative in this assumption,
because fixing the structure will elevate the level of stresses developed within the structure. In actual
stresses will be distributed in whole platform. Moreover, fixing the I-beam is better than fixing the ends
of the lug, because it would allow stresses from lug to flow into the beam as well.
Revision No: 01
Date: 20/12/2024

6. Load Application
The load calculation is taken from Structural Steel Calculations for CI Injection Packages (0410RP-137074-
G03-0001). The load used in these calculations is double of the actual load, for the sake of FEA analysis
we will be using the actual loading.
The sling is an angle of 66.1 degrees. The actual total load was 38.28kN. The load was divided into 35 kN
of vertical and 15.5 kN of horizontal component.
The vertical load was applied as bearing load to 35% (taken from 0410RP-137074-G03-0001) of total
inner surface of the hole in the upward direction. The load distribution in bearing load is as follows:

Figure 3-Bearing Load Distribution

Moreover, the horizontal load is assumed to be transferred from shackle to the side of the lug. As the
sling is 66.1 degrees tilted in the lateral direction of the lug the pin will move inside the lug and the side
of shackle will touch the side of the lug, this is where the lateral load will be transferred to the lug. This is
what was also seen during the lifting of RO-220216-HIPPS-Trunklines and Manifolds Programme IOPPS
and is shown in the following picture.

Shackle-Lug
Interface

Figure 3-Shackle Lug Interface

Taking this assumption that the shackle side will touch the lug, we consider that total horizontal load in
such scenario will be transferred from sling to shackle and then to the side of lug hole.

The load application is shown in the following image,

Figure 3-Lug Side Area taking Horizontal Load Figure 3-Lug Area taking Vertical Load

7. Analysis
The material properties were taken for S275 JR with elastic modulus of 210GPa and yield strength of 275
MPa. The poisson ratio was taken 0.3.

Large deflections were considered, and a bi-linear material was assumed with a tangent modulus of
2000 MPa. Non-linear analysis was performed. The load was divided into 10 sub steps and the maximum
sub steps were set to 100 to obtain convergence. The following pictures show the non-linear settings and
bi-linear material properties that were selected.

Figure 4-Bilinear Material Model. Figure 5- Non-linear setting on Ansys.

8. Results
The following figures show the equivalent con-misses stress developed in the lug and around the hole.
Moreover, directional stresses in vertical (Y-axis) and transverse (Z-axis) are also shown along with
displacements in both directions

Figure 6-Von-Misses Stress of Lug-Beam

The maximum stress developed around the lug hole is 221.2 MPa, which was our primary region of
concern. Similarly, the maximum deflection in the lug was 1.84 mm in front of the lug hole. The overall
maximum stress occurred at the top welded end of lug with a stress of 251 MPa. The overall safety factor
of lug against equivalent stress is 1.1.
Similarly, the von-misses stresses around lug hole are given in the following image.

Figure 7-Von-Misses Stresses around Hole of Lug

The total and directional stresses along with deformations are shown in the following table,

Description Maximum Saftey Factor Image

Von-Misses Stress 1.1

Normal Stress in 1.41

Normal Stress in
Z-direction
245 MPa
1.12
(transverse
bending)

Total Deflection in
1.84 mm
Lug
Revision No: 01
Date: 20/12/2024

9. Conclusion
From the above analysis the lug is safe under the current loading. The regions around lug hole which
were primary areas of concern have a safety factor of more than 1.25 and the overall safety factor is
greater than 1.1.