CAESAR II 2017 (Version 9.00) Changes and Enhancements (7/16) - CAESAR II - Help

CAESAR II Users Guide

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CAESAR II
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CAESAR II Version
13

Technical Changes

  • Disabled the Search tab in the Online Help, due to an issue when your CAESAR II installation uses OpenGL drivers. You can change the Graphics Settings > Miscellaneous Options > Video Driver to Direct 3D in the CAESAR II Configuration Editor. If you use Direct 3D drivers, you can download a copy of the Help with the Search tab enabled from Smart Support.

Piping and Equipment Code Updates

  • Updated the software to the latest ASME B31.4 code standards, which included the ASME B31.4 2009, B31.4 2012, and B31.4 2016 code. The update included the following changes and improvements:

    • Updated materials applicable to the B31.4 code in the Material Database Editor.

    • Updated the Allowable Stress tab in the Piping Input module by including an Allowable Stress Indicator option for B31.4 and B31.4 Ch XI, and Design Factor and Hoop Stress options for B31.4 Ch IX.

    • Deprecated the B31.11 piping code, which is now included in the B31.4 main code standard.

    • Provided options for CAESAR II to automatically determine the restrained/unrestrained state of the pipe elements, or for the user to specify the state. The software defaults to automatically determining the state.

  • Added the evaluation of the creep condition using EN-13480 creep code standards. The update included the following improvements:

    • Expanded the Material Database Editor to support EN-13480 creep by adding material properties for 200k hours, in addition to existing properties for 100k hours. Refer to the Technical Discussion on evaluating creep conditions in the User’s Guide for more information.

    • Added a new Creep (CRP) stress type in the Static Analysis – Load Case Editor. The software does not include the CRP stress type when it recommends load cases.

  • Updated the software to support the June 2015 edition of Canadian Z662 and Z662 Chapter 11, the Canadian code for oil and gas pipelines.

  • Enhanced the software to support the 5th Edition of API-560, February 2016, the equipment code for fired heaters.

Piping Input

  • Added an option to select a new user-defined Custom type for nozzle flexibilities, in addition to the existing Nozzle Flex types of WRC 297, API 650, and PD 5500. The Custom nozzle type includes user-defined nozzle stiffness values for Axial (radial force), In-Plane Bending, Out-of-Plane Bending, and Torsional (moment). Many improvements have also been made to the Nozzles auxiliary panel layouts to improve usability.

  • Enhanced the existing right-click context menu options for restraints from within the graphics view. The Restraint > Insert Restraint option lets you right-click an element to break and insert restraints in one action, or you can insert restraints at existing nodes. From the new Insert Restraint dialog you can also define restraint options, such as distance from nodes.

  • Improved the Break at Element dialog box (accessed by selecting Model > Break or right-clicking and selecting Element > Break Element). The software now automatically populates the Insert Single Node option to the halfway-point node number and distance. If there is not an available halfway-point node number, the software defaults to the next available node number.

  • The Displacements grid displays free and fixed designations to eliminate confusion. The Fix DOFs option applies the fixed value of 0.0 to any undefined (free) degree of freedom.

  • Enhanced the Distance dialog box for better usability. When you choose Origin and Selected Element as your Measure Method, the Distance dialog box retains the selected Measure Method option for the duration of your use of the Distance dialog box.

Load Case Editor

  • Updated the Static Analysis – Load Case Editor by adding the ability to copy and paste complete load cases.

  • Enhanced the editor to allow the selection of multiple load cases in the List view and retain the selection when you switch to Group Edit view.

  • Added a new Creep (CRP) stress type in the Static Analysis – Load Case Editor.

3D Model/Graphics

  • Node numbers display in front of piping elements when you use Options > Node Numbers and rotate the graphics. Previously, the node numbers rotated with the elements and were sometimes obscured by piping elements.

  • Symbols for LIM restraints (axial limit stops) display on the outside of the pipe and remain visible when you use Options > Restraints.

  • Added a symbol for zero-length expansion joints on the model.

  • Displacements, rotations, forces, and moments display graphically as arrows (vectors) when you select Options > Displacements or Options > Forces. You can also change the default colors and arrow sizes in the Graphics Settings of the Configuration Editor or by using Plot Properties.

  • Displacements on CNodes display graphically as arrows with Options > Displacements.

User Interface

  • Added a news channel on the CAESAR II main window, where you can find out product version information, upcoming events, product training opportunities, and future webinars.

Integration

  • Combined the individual flexible nozzle input export options into a single Flexible Nozzles option on the Data Export Wizard to improve usability.

  • Improved integration with Smart 3D by adding a new LCASE_NAME column to files exported to Microsoft Access through the Data Export Wizard (ODBC). When you export to .mdb format, you can now see the Load Case Name (LCASE_NAME column) in applicable exported files for quick identification of your load cases.

Documentation/Help

  • Updated Restraints in the Piping Input Reference section of the CAESAR II User's Guide. Each restraint type includes a graphic example to assist identification.

  • Improved the Global Coordinates section of the CAESAR II User's Guide. The user's guide now references local coordinates as a, b, c to reduce confusion between local and global coordinates.

  • Added navigation information, such as the location on ribbons and menus, to command topics to aid discovery when browsing the help.

  • Updated the Hinged Joint section of the CAESAR II Application Guide. Updated the Hinged Joint Model graphic to include all of the necessary components to model a hinged joint.

  • Updated portions of the user documentation to the latest Intergraph PP&M standards for formats, which included adding more white space and indentation for field property formats.

  • Converted the CAESAR II 2017 readme document to .pdf format to comply with the latest Intergraph PP&M standards.

  • Updated the software to call the main CAESAR II Help file (C2ug.chm) when you press F1 in Equipment and Auxiliary modules. Previously, these modules displayed in a text-based help dialog box.