Pipe Stress Analysis Software - FRP Piping

[ABerghorst]

Good day all,

My company is in the process of upgrading our Pipe Stress Analysis Software.
We design, manufacture, install, and commission FRP piping (above ground, and below ground).
We are currently using an OLD version of Caesar II (4.5), and are happy with CII, but the cost is forcing us to look at alternatives.
We will need to perform static and dynamic analysis on our piping systems, and we are looking at the following options:

AutoPIPE
CAE Pipe
ROHR2
Caesar II

I have seen an old post talking about the merits of various pipe stress analysis software, however there was not reference to FRP Piping, and it was an older post. Since there (surely?) has been much advancement in this area, I would appreciate any feedback, comments, or suggestions.

I would prefer to just stick to CII, it's what I know, but the economics of the situation win. If CII is still that much better than all the rest then we will stick with it, but hopefully there is room for a change...

 

[DSB123]

PSA5 is useful for GRP piping!!! Caesar II was marketted aggressively in the past hence it's stronghold on the pipe stress market.

 

[XL83NL]

Ive enjoyed using AutoPIPE for it's great interface that allows easy re-modelling of pipe-routing. So far I havent heard of any (major) complaints on the software's accuracy, I believe it's comparable to CII.

AutoPIPE contains FRP piping modelling libraries and specific FRP codes (BS 7159), as well as B31.3 for piping design using FRP materials (Ch. VII of B31.3).
I think the Standard license includes what you require.

 

[stanier]

XL83NL,

BS 7159 is a design practice not a code. It is also a withdrawn document.

Any of the pipe stress software packages only approximate the behaviour of GRP. FOr a start they a linear beam and column type product. Thermoset plastic materials responses are non linear.

More intense standards such as ISO 14692 have merit comapred to BS 7159. The latter has size limitations and is overly conservative in some areas.

In the hands of a competent modeller some reliable results caan be achieved with CII or Autopipe. When it comes to cost it is NOT the software cost. It is the investment in time to get to use the product. Is it part of a suite of software documents that allow you to import/export data? For instance AFT's Impulse ( a waterhammer modelling package) allows the export of load cases to examine fluid structure intereaction in CII. What are your customers using? They may denmand one package over another.

I am amazed that you even worry about the cost of the software in a professional organisation in your industry.

Do you also skimp on buying Standards? Do you buy the cheapest company cars?

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”
---B.B. King

http://waterhammer.hopout.com.au/

 

[B.L.Smith]

All piping stress analysis software are based on GRP standards(codes). then it has no difference between software in calculation base on a similar code(such as UKOOA, BS7159)

 

[rd78]

I would stick with CII to cut down on the learning curve. The biggest thing is to know what CII is doing with various inputs and what various results mean. Make sure you are very confident of the inputs. In order to join the modern world you have to be prepared to address ISO 14692. Good Luck!

 

[mmsp]

I have used both Caesar and Autopipe for buried piping design including FRP pipelines and find that Autopipe is much easier to set up with as many different soil groups you want to apply to different parts of the model. Also it doesn't seem to have the non-linear convergence issues which Caesar can have. They seem to be adding a lot of new features in the last couple years including ISO14692 last year with with a lot of FRP manufacturers included. But also I like the new soil calculator similar but a few more features than Caesar including the built in traffic and soil pressure loading they have now which gives additional ASME/ASCE code calculations but looks like this is only for steel pipes at the moment, hopefully they will add it for FRP pipes. Since soil properties can vary a lot between summer and winter, they added a nice feature to analyze at low, average or high soil stiffness in the same model. There is one other feature which I haven't used yet, for calculating seismic wave propagation through soil which looks interesting as well. On the software accuracy, I know Autopipe has nuclear ASME class 1, 2, and 3 and support ASME NQA-1 QA standards for many years so assume that their quality is good.