...
The third screen is usually the most important to pay attention to, especially the Auto-connect supports tab shown below. If coordinates match between the piping model and structural model, CSiPlant default settings usually work very well. The default -Z direction tells CSiPlant to search for beams underneath the pipe support locations in order to auto-connect. In cases such as rod hanger supports where the piping is supported from above, users can switch direction to +Z if most piping is supported from above. However, if only a few are supported from above, go ahead and use the default -Z and then come back later and assign individual pipe supports to frame members above using Assign>Support connection procedure. The fourth and final import log screen has no errors, and its warnings in this example can be ignored.
If the combined piping with support structure model involves requires analysis of static accelerations (static seismic or transportation loads) or any dynamic analysis load case, users will usually need to modify the default Mass Source in the combined model in order to obtain realistic reactions. The default mass source for CSiPlant includes piping and frame member selfweight, fluid contents, insulation, inner liner, and cladding if modeled. However, structural analysis models almost always consider the weight of heavy equipment, cable trays and other objects with significant weight and mass by assigning gravity-direction (-Z) distributed loads and/or gravity-direction concentrated point loads to represent the weight of those objects. The Mass source feature enables user to convert selected gravity-direction assigned loads into mass in all 3 translational directions (X, Y, and Z).
Below left is the default Mass source (MSSRC) after importing a SAP2000 model. This CSiPlant default Mass source ignores the gravity-direction assigned loads included in the SAP2000 model. In the screenshot below right we change the default Mass source to the one imported from SAP2000 (MSSSRC1). As you can see, this Mass source, like the default Mass source in CSiPlant, includes "Element self mass" which is the weight/mass of piping and structural elements based on the sections and material as well as mass from fluid contents and insulation. However, the Mass source from SAP2000 also includes mass from gravity-direction assigned loads for Equipment weight, cable trays and small diameter piping. Heavy equipment such as air cooled heat exchangers can weight over 150 kips each, and a battery of 4 or more air coolers on top of a pipe rack is not unusual. Mass for all that equipment plus mass from other objects need to be considered in static acceleration and dynamic analysis load cases. With most (every?) other pipe stress programs, if you were to assign a 50,000 lb. gravity-direction load to the piping or structure, it would not change the calculated natural frequency even one tiny bit, and that could be a problem.
After importing the SAP2000 structural model, go to Define>Load cases to modify the GR weight case to specify the Mass source as the one we just specified which was imported from SAP2000, and also add gravity-direction load patterns imported from SAP2000 which can potentially effect piping vertical displacements. Equipment loads, for example, are assigned to the structure, not piping, but they can nonetheless cause vertical (and lateral) displacements on the support structure which affects piping displacements and therefore can affect code stress calculations.
Selected pipe support reactions from the combined model can be automatically exported back into the SAP2000 structural model, thereby saving time, confusion and errors associated with marked-up isometrics, spreadsheets, and other manual methods of communicating pipe support reactions from piping stress to the structural team. See Define menu>Support reaction export request to view options to selectively export by Load case, pipe section, Pipeline label, design request, and by support. CSiPlant can export individual load cases as well as load cases that include a combination of loads. After defining a support reactions export request and analyzing the model, in order to export pipe support reactions to SAP2000, go to Analyze menu>Export support reactions where you will be prompted to select the support request as well as select the SAP2000 model to which the support reactions will be exported.
Other considerations
Structural engineers typically model heavy equipment, cable trays and other objects with significant weight as gravity direction (-Z) load assignments using concentrated point loads and/or frame distributed loads. Those objects need to be considered not only as loads, but also as mass for static acceleration load calculations and for all dynamic analysis cases. CSiPlant offers the unique ability to selectively define “mass sources” which auto-converts selected gravity direction loads to mass in all 3 translational directions (X, Y, and Z)analysis models typically include preliminary piping weight and friction loads. Smaller diameter piping (<12" NPS) are modeled using distributed gravity-direction loads on the beams based on tributary area, and larger diameter pipe loads are assigned as concentrated point loads or equivalent frame point loads. Structural models treat friction as an assigned load, typically 10% of the weight load. Friction is not treated as a load in piping stress models, but as a nonlinear boundary condition. All of these preliminary piping loads in the structural model ignore load redistribution due to thermal displacement and other applied loads. That's why structural engineers need realistic pipe support loads from the piping stress team which account for thermal displacements and nonlinear pipe support behavior.
It's important to be aware of these preliminary piping loads in the structural model to make sure that pipe loads and mass are not double-counted in the combined piping + structural model, particularly with larger diameter piping. Preliminary assigned piping loads from the structural model, both weight and friction loads, should be adjusted (reduced or deleted) to account for pipelines which are explicitly modeled with piping elements in the combined model.
It’s not uncommon for pipe rack structures to be designed for lateral drift of Height/100 or Height/200 (Height of pipe rack) under wind or seismic loading, lateral deflections which can cause significant imposed displacements at pipe support locations. If it’s important, for example, to consider local nozzle/vessel flexibilities with a 3/4” imposed displacement at an equipment connection, then it’s also important to consider support structure flexibility and imposed displacements at pipe supports from the structure, particularly support structure displacements from lateral loads. CSiPlant and SAP2000 make it easy to rigorously consider the effects of pipe-structure interaction.
...