Different Load Cases in CAESAR II For Piping Stress Analysis

Piping Stress Analysis is the practice and discipline carried out behind the scenes of any piping
design project to ensure structural and operational integrity, and optimal design. All piping
systems are inevitably subjected to various kinds of loads in their design life cycle. These loads
develop stresses in the arrangement. Pipe stress engineers typically analyze such systems for
stress using reliable software such as Caesar II to check that the stress levels are within the
permissible limits as defined by the codes/standards. The following are some of the most
common type of loads considered during stress analysis.

Types of Loads:
 

 Thermal Loads at Various Operating Conditions

 Sustained Loads

 Seismic Loads

 Wind Loads

 PSV Reaction Force

 Slug Force

 Forces Induced by Surge Pressure

Thermal Loads at Various Operating Conditions
As temperature increases, so does the length of molecular bonds and solids typically
expand on heating and contract on cooling. The dimensional response to temperature
change is expressed by its coefficient in thermal expansion (CTE). Thus, to avoid
“fatigue failure” resulting from cyclic thermal loads, the piping system should be made
flexible (and not stiff).

Analysis Temperature
For thermal analysis, the design temperatures (minimum/maximum values as per line
list) are used. If lines have design temperature higher than 80 deg. And the difference
between operating and design temperature is more than 25 deg C then the
maximum/minimum operating temperatures, as derived from Process Group, can be
used in stress analysis instead of design temperature.
Additionally, Piping must also be analyzed for the normal operating temperature. Line
Design Pressure defined in the Line List shall be considered as the analysis pressure.

Sustained Loads
Sustained loads exist throughout the plant’s operation. These mainly consist of internal
pressure and dead-weight. Dead-weight is generally from weight of pipes, fittings,
components such as valves, operating fluid, test fluid, insulation, cladding, lining etc.
These are to be considered as follows:

 Design pressure

 Weight of Pipe and associated components such as Flanges, Valves,

Strainer, Sight glass etc., mounted on the Piping System.

 Weight of Fluid/contents in the piping

 Insulation and cladding weight

 Hydro test loads, if applicable

 Snow load, if applicable

Different international piping codes have set the limits that are also called “allowable
stresses for sustained loads”, on these axial stresses caused by dead-weight and
pressure in order to avoid “failure by collapse”. To achieve the allowable stresses for
sustained loads, it is often required to support the piping system vertically.

Seismic Loads
Projects that require Seismic design to be implemented, there needs to be an equivalent
static seismic analysis in the software to evaluate seismic stresses, displacements and
loads on the piping systems.
In case the Seismic coefficient has not been provided by the client, the calculation of
static seismic co-efficient in terms of ‘g’ – as per project specific information must be
calculated using relevant codes (UBC/ASCE/SNIP) and others. Here, the Seismic factor
calculation document has to be attached to the project stress analysis document.
Normal operating temperatures are used when considering occasional loads. Seismic
loads are considered to be acting along the horizontal axes – along North, South, East,
and West directions but not acting at the same time.

Occasional loads
These type of loads are imposed on piping by occasional events like wind, earthquake
etc. Wind loads are considered for lines with external diameter 14” NB (including
insulation) or above and at elevation 10 meters or higher from the ground level. Wind
normally blows in the horizontal plane and to protect piping from wind, it is standard
practice to attach lateral supports. In case of an earthquake, the earth seems to move
vertically and to protect the piping against both horizontal/vertical movement, some
resting supports might be constructed as integral two way lateral and vertical restraints.
Normal operating temperature is used when analyzing occasional loads.

PSV Reaction Force

If the piping system in question includes PSV (pressure safety valve), then the reaction
force due to PSV operation is considered as applicable. While analyzing PSV connected
stress systems, the reaction force needs to be calculated. A dynamic load factor equal
to 2.0 must be applied on the valve reaction force value. But in case of high reaction
force values, the DLF value calculated as per appendix-II of ASME B31.1 should be used.
This needs to consider valve data provided by vendor.
Slug Force
Slug force has to be considered in stress analysis for lines that have slug flow regime. It
is calculated as follows:
Fslug = (ρ) (A) (V2) [2(1 – cos θ)]1/2 DLF
Where,
Fslug = Force due to slug in Newton.
ρ = Density of the slug in Kg/m3
A = Inside area of pipe cross section in m2,
V = Velocity of moving slug in m/sec.
θ = inclusion angle at elbow or change of direction
DLF = Dynamic Load Factor (DLF) equal to two shall be used, unless more accurate
value is available.
Faxial = (ρ) (A) (V2) DLF
Forthogonal = (ρ) (A) (V2) DLF
Slug properties can be obtained from Process group.
The equivalent static analysis in Caesar-II is performed to simulate slug loading in
piping system using the above formula for calculating slug force.

Forces Induced by Surge Pressure

The effect of surge on any line is also considered in stress analysis when identified by
the Process group or a specialist agency. However it should be noted that two
concurrent occasional loading shouldn’t be considered in stress analysis.
Piping Stress Analysis is a complex discipline – highly interwoven with piping layout and
support design. Sufficient flexibility and proper routing are important for simplicity and
economy of design. In spite of optimal design tools and sophisticated software, the
best solutions are the ones that use clever engineering judgment, experience and
foresight.
What is the difference between WRC 107 and 537?
WRC 537 was published in 2010 and was meant to update and replace the widely
used WRC 107.
WRC 537 contains equations that represent the graphs found in the March 1979
Revision of WRC 107 making it both easier to program and more accurate.

What are the major difference between WRC 107 and WRC 297?
WRC 297 differs from the widely-used WRC 107 primarily in that WRC 297 is designed
for larger d/D ratios (up to 0.5). WRC 297 also computes stresses in the nozzle and
the vessel, whereas WRC 107 only computes stresses in the vessel.