If due to any reason the piping fit-up mismatchs in welding/flange closure points are overcome by piping distortion with pull or heating, how can we consider whether the same is acceptable in engineering evaluation using Caesar-II beforehand ? I have noted one in LANL B 31.3 piping guide App-F.

As essentially these are cold pulls, isn't it proper to evaluate the same using Caesar-II for strain-sensitive eqpts, when in doubt?

Although the cold pull loads are secondary loads, self limiting, this can be reason for non-catastropic events like progrssive failure by local fatigue cracks, seal/bearing failures of rotating equipments.

Rather, the effect of the construction oversights connected with high primary loads like the unaccounted pressure thrust in tied expansion joints due to non-availability of tightened nuts in both sides of plates on the tie rods or locked/topped-out/bottomed-out spring hangers in the field can be more serious.

regards,

sam