Hello all!

The guides and other supports to the pipe systems at higher than ambient temperature create thermal stresses and the program checks if these secondary stresses are within the stress range. That's fine. My question is whether the support elements and auxiliary steel structure which support the piping must be designed for the thermal loads ( or reactions ) as well. Because in some cases the thermal reactions are extremely high.
Thanks for your time and help

N.SEKAR

ABSOLUTELY! You may need to adjust your support & guide locations or revise the way your supports are modeled in CAESAR to more closely reflect your actual system if the loads are excessive.

Kevin Monroe

Thermal loads due to thermal expansion get transferred to the supports/supporting structures. If support or structure is not rigid enough to take this load it will fail or get displace. Caesar considers the supports/guides/axial stops as rigid and don't allow any displacement unless you specify some stiffness.
Every company has its own standard for support allowable loads according to construction and design of support. If loads exceeds these allowables, support need redesigning normally it is treated as special support.

Thank you very much for the replies. Yet another question. The thermal stresses (secondary) are compared with the STress range. Any such special consideration for the thermal loads while designing the piping support elements and support strucures? OR the usual allowable stress at operating temperature shall be conisdered ?

BEST REGARDS

I would suggest refer the support standard for the allowable loads for secondary supports (Brackets, tee post, etc),
u cannot keep on going designing every secondary support each time.

For auxiliary steel structure in civil/structural scope, contact them and ask them, what are the laods concern to them, generally they do not need
smaller loads, u have to get the cutoff fig from them.

For pipe racks u have to pass all weights to them for design of pipe racks.