1) I'm assuming the protrusion you mention adds stiffness to the pipe. Therefore I would suggest your "option b".

2) The answer here depends on the insulation/cover used.

3) Yes you can just adjust the "B" model, BUT there potential problems with this method. If you make multiple changes to the "B" model, and then the routing must change, the only proper way to make that adjustment is to make the changes in the original model. There is a potential to "lose" changes and refinements made in the "B" model if a larger modification is then needed in the original.

4) Not really. You can try to do this graphically, but you may end up deleting non-soil restraints also.

5) The buried pipe modeler removes restraints from the "buried" elements before remeshing the system and computing the new soil restraints.

6) Unless you have a really sensitive system, and very loose soil, the Zone 1 setting shouldn't be necessary for flanges or reducers.

7) The buried pipe modeler will do this for you.

8) The pipeline codes are interested in the thermal stresses in the pipeline. The assumption is that there is adequate support for the pipe, hence there will be no weight stresses. This is why CAESAR II zeros the densities. The soil restraint stiffness values are computed assuming there is no weight.

9) Yes.