Modeling supports

I found a strange hanger assembly in the field. A constant support with a variable spring between the constant support and the piping. The Constants design load is 10,000 lbs and the variable is reading approximatly 900 lbs. Has anybody out there modeled such a support? The constant is almost bottomed out cold (ideally moving up when hot) and the variable is at mid range. Somehow, using cnode, I will have to connect them together. Any ideas? Thanks for your help.

Michael Johnson
Reliant Resources Inc.

I would think you could put in the variable spring on the piping system segment, say node 20 on element 10-20, with a CNODE to another element, say node 1000 on element1000-1010.

That element would be a rigid of minimal length not connected to the model. You would model your constant spring on node 1000, and if you really wanted, CNODE it to a node on a structural model.

That's how I would attempt it. Whether Caesar will actually allow that to work, I don't know.