Pipe Supports
CSiPlant offers a suite of commonly used pipe supports for convenient modeling and analysis. Pipe supports can be added to a group of selected point objects using an Insert command or Assign>Joint options. Alternatively, supports can be added using Draw commands. Selected pipe supports can be changed, rotated, or connected to another element using 2-point supports using one of the Assign>Support options.
CSiPlant pipe supports offer several unique capabilities to be aware of:
- CSiPlant pipe supports automatically connect to the outside diameter (OD) of the pipe with internal rigid links automatically generated from pipe centerline to the OD in each acting direction of the support.
- Anchors, guides, line stops, and distributed supports automatically follow the local axis of piping and frames. Local support reactions can be graphically viewed and reported for supports on skewed pipelines that don’t align with global axes.
- Guides, vertical stops, line stops, and distributed supports enable users to define different gaps, different friction coefficients, and different linear or multi-linear spring properties in each acting direction of the support. For example, a guide support could be defined to have a 2" gap to the right (local 3 direction) with friction coefficient of .3, with 0 gap to the left with a multi-linear breakaway spring.
- Once a pipe support has been defined, it can be reused without having to reenter support data, thereby saving time, and improving consistency by enabling users to create their own customized library of pipe supports.
- Damper/Snubber support not only applies stiffness (K), it can also apply energy dissipation (C) with nonlinear velocity exponent option as specified by some damper vendors. If a damper works with a column of fluid, there must be an energy dissipation aspect to its behavior in addition to stiffness.
Pipe support local axes can easily be rotated at any angle. Select 1 or more pipe supports, then Assign>Support>Local axes.
Anchors and guides align with local axis of the skewed pipeline
Users can create their own library of customized pipe supports within each support type category. Support properties can be different in each acting direction.
As a supplement to pipe supports, CSiPlant also offers 1-point and 2-point link objects for modeling specialized force-deformation relationships for applications such as base isolators, damper friction springs, and yielded damper coefficient behavior. Distributed supports are assigned on a per unit length basis and are typically used for soil modeling which is discussed in a different section of the wiki. Distributed supports can be assigned to pipe and structural structural elements, enabling users to model buried piles and sleeper supports on soil among other applications.
Spring Hanger Design
Using built-in vendor libraries, CSiPlant can automatically select variable or constant spring hangers which meet user specified design criteria for Max load variation percentage, displacement thresholds, and installation method. Users can evaluate multiple different spring hanger design criteria using Design requests to assess model sensitivity. Option to assign releases only for spring hanger sizing by selecting 1 or more pipes which need to be released for spring hanger sizing, then use Design menu>Assign Design properties>Object type is Pipe, then click Spring hanger sizing radio button.
