STAAD and AutoPipe - Simplified Integration (wrong results)

[tutajrobert]

Dear Forum Users,
I'm calculating pipe and pipe supports stresses due to thermal expansion of pipes. I'm following this Bentley video: PipeLink - Simplified Integration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej6fFXog9MU)/watch?v=ej6fFXog9MU

.

According to the video I have to (in AutoPipe) calculate forces in supports, which are treated as rigid (Ground connection) and export them to STAAD. But these forces are pipes "internal thermal forces" not the forces, which I can apply to beam supports in STAAD. Because condition which cause to generate stress in beam is a pipe thermal displacement, not the "thermal force". So procedure from the movie leads to wrong results. Pipe displacements should be exported, not it's internal force. For example: exported "thermal" force which bends beam displaces it's free end by 30mm, pipe displacement in this situation equals to only 0.2mm.

Am i right in my considerations? Sorry for my english, but please watch the video and think about it.

I'll be grateful for your response.
Robert

 

[SethGuthrie]

The supports in AutoPIPE can be assumed rigid or flexible while still maintaining a link to STAAD.pro via Pipelink.
The reactions to the supports are transferred to the superstructure in STAAD.pro as external loads. In the case of the AutoPIPE thermal effects, these are imported to STAAD.pro as a reference load case with the Title "Pipe Thermal", but the forces in that loading are just static forces taken from the AutoPIPE analysis support reactions.
Getting the displacements of the supporting beam in STAAD.pro to match the support deformation in AutoPIPE is achieved by running through the process a couple of times, though one or two trips is usually sufficient for the work I see.