Information Document

SST Systems, Inc. produced this document for distribution to piping analysis software evaluators.
Information contained herein is subject to change without prior notice.
CAEPIPE and CAdvantagE are trademarks of SST Systems, Inc. OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon
Graphics Inc. All other product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective companies/holders.
CAEPIPE Information Document Version 10.30
© Copyright October 2020, SST Systems, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Please direct inquiries to your local distributor or to
SST Systems, Inc.
1798 Technology Drive, Suite 236
San Jose, California 95110

Telephone: (408) 452-8111

Facsimile: (408) 452-8388
Email: info@sstusa.com

Page 2
 CAEPIPE - Pipe Stress Analysis Software
Rapidly Create & Analyze Piping Systems

of Any Complexity with the Least Effort

, Faster
Make Your Job Easier Become Twice as Productive
Why CAEPIPE
Easy to (re) Learn, Get DONE faster when you use CAEPIPE's carefully designed features for
Cuts your time in rapid modeling, powerful analyses with quick solution times, and easy
half results review. You will benefit from being able to quickly evaluate
alternate design solutions ("what-if" scenarios).
Acclaimed user-
interface, Quick to Avoid frustration when you work with the elegantly simple and intuitive
Learn and Use
user-interface to model or edit simple or complex piping systems.
Uniquely Quick
Iterative Studies Save your money because first, CAEPIPE costs less and second, you will
see dramatically increased productivity. CAEPIPE pays for itself faster
Most Cost-effective than others do, if at all.
Realistic Graphical
Visualization using
CAEPIPE - the first pipe stress analysis software on the PC back in 1983 -
industry-standard was an immediate success when it entered the energy, process and
OpenGL ® aerospace markets. Since that time, most of SST Systems' efforts have
been directed towards aggressively large and loyal
Verified results
accuracy installed user base with enhancements and improvements that have made
CAEPIPE comprehensive and robust.
30+ Years! Mature,
Robust and Now, in its latest generation, it allows you to perform complete static and
Comprehensive dynamic analyses, check your design for compliance with required piping
codes (ASME, B31, European, Canadian, Swedish and more) and with
guidelines (WRC, NEMA, API), among many other things.
Find out why more and more companies stuck with costly competing
More Productive software (with costly capital costs, needlessly required training costs, that
run in the thousands of dollars every year) are switching to CAEPIPE.
Download a free evaluation copy that you can learn to use in 20 minutes
or less. (go to www.sstusa.com).

This document contains a non-

We suggest you print this document before reviewing it.

Page 3
Recommended System Requirements
Processor: 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium IV or higher, AMD Athlon dual-core processor or higher
Memory: 2 GB RAM or higher
Operating System: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 or Windows Server all versions
Display: 1280 x 800 or higher, with True Color
Video Card: 256 MB or greater video RAM, OpenGL 1.1 or later, DirectX 9.0 or later, drivers
updated with the latest manufacturer's drivers (Motherboard-integrated video cards not
recommended for desktop systems.)

Modeling Capabilities
Native 32-bit Windows application (compatible with 64-bit OS) with an acclaimed user interface
Multiple, independently resizable windows
o View Results, Graphics, Input and Details all at the same time

Industry standard OpenGL® graphics, capabilities include:

o Zoom, pan and rotate
o 3D Rendering
o Selective showing and plotting of various entities
o View from any direction (automatic iso and plan views)
o Color coded stress contour mapping

Page 4
 o Copy image from the graphics window to the clipboard
o Several graphics output formats - HPGL, DXF, EPS, EMF
o Plot of single line graphics to AutoCAD format
o Specify title for plot separate from model
o Print in color (Low/Medium/High Resolution, and Black/White background)
o No anisotropic graphical distortions upon window resizing

Easy model generation and powerful editing features including numerous shortcuts
Instantaneous error checking of input data
Various element types
o Pipe
o Elbow/Bend (Flexibility factor, User SIF, Different material, Thickness, etc.)
o Miter bend (Flexibility factor, User SIF, Different material, Thickness, etc.)
o Jacketed pipe (with concentric core pipe being routed automatically along with jacket pipe)
o Jacketed bend (with concentric core bend being routed automatically along with jacket bend)

Page 5
 o Reducer (concentric and eccentric)
o Rigid element
o Valve
o Bellows
o Slip joint (with friction)
o Hinge joint (with friction and rotation limits)
o Ball joint (with friction and rotation limits)
o Beam (end releases, beta angle, shear deformation)

o Elastic element

o Tie rod (with different stiffnesses and gaps in tension/compression)

o Cold spring (cut short or long)
Various support types
o Tag names for all supports (including Anchors and Nozzles)
o Rigid and flexible anchor
o Release anchors during hanger design
o Two-way rigid restraint
o Skewed restraint (translational or rotational)
o Guide (with gap, friction and stiffness)

Page 6
 o Hangers
Variable spring support
Constant support
User defined
Rod hanger
o Limit stop (with gap, friction and stiffness)
o Snubber (rigid or flexible)
o Generic Support
o Supports can be connected to other nodes

Other useful data

o Flange
o Force and moment
o Jacket end cap (welds core pipe to jacket pipe)
o Spider (ties core pipe to jacket pipe)
o Nozzles attached to cylindrical and spherical shells
o Weld
o Threaded joint
o Concentrated mass
o SIFs (tee, branch, and such) as per Piping Codes listed below and ASME B31J
Built-in databases
o Pipe sizes (ISO, ANSI, JIS and DIN, including bend radius data)
o Insulation materials (densities)
o 35 spring hanger catalogs
o Flanges (weights, SIFs) for ASME and DIN
o Large Valve library (types, lengths, weights); User-definable too
o Material libraries for commonly used materials and codes (user-definable too)
o B31.1 and B31.3 Material libraries with over 400 materials
o Nozzle flexibilities according to WRC 297, API 650 and PD5500
o SIF values for different components from each piping code
o AISC library of beam sections (user-definable too)
o Spectrum Libraries corresponding to EL Centro, Uniform Building Code and Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) Guide 1.60

Page 7
Piping codes
o B31.1
o B31.1 (1967)
o B31.3
o B31.4
o B31.5
o B31.8
o B31.9
o B31.12
o IGEM
o ASME Section III, Class 2 (1980, 1986, 1992, 2015 and 2017)
o ASME Section III, Class 3 (2017)
o European EN 13480
o French RCC-M and CODETI
o Swedish
o Dutch
o Stoomwezen
o Norwegian
o British BS 806
o Canadian Z183
o Canadian Z184
o Canadian Z662
Rotating equipment
o NEMA SM-23 (Turbines)
o API 610 (Vertical and Horizontal pumps)
o ANSI/HI 9.6.2 (Rotodynamic pumps)
o API 617 (Compressors)
Internal and External Pressure Design of pipe and pipe fittings as per SS EN 13480-3 (2017)
Flange stresses as per ASME Sec. VIII Div. 1
Calculation of allowable loads on nozzles to spherical and cylindrical shells as per EN 13445-3 (2009)
Calculation of local shell stresses as per WRC Bulletin 537 and evaluation of those stresses as per ASME
Section VIII, Division 2 for Nozzles attached to Cylindrical and Spherical Vessels
Evaluation of Hollow Circular Attachment (Lug) and Solid Rectangular Attachment (Lug) welded to Pipe as
per ASME Section III, Division 1 (NC & ND) and EN 13480.
Computation of Design Wind Force as per ASCE/SEI 7-16
Computation of Static -16
Computation of Design Wind Forces as per EN 1991-1-4 (2010)
Non-linearities
o Friction in Ball, Hinge and Slip joints
o Gaps and friction in Limit stops and Guides

Page 8
 o Rotation limits in Ball and Hinge joints,
o Tension/compression stiffnesses and gaps in Tie rods
Nozzle stiffnesses
o WRC 297
o API 650
o PD 5500
Units in any combination
o SI
o Metric
o English
o Any combination of above
List window Fully editable and printable
o Display/edit itemized listings of components/materials/sections/etc. with all details
o Copy and Paste various element types and data types using list window

o Many keyboard shortcuts for quick and efficient operation

o Node search feature
Block and Edit operations
o Generate new piping from existing piping
o Comments in the model (make as many comments anywhere)
o Change material, pipe size, load and offset distance in one click
o Changes updated immediately in all open windows
o Edit, split and combine elements
o Merge models interactively
o Copy and Paste single or multiple elements with supports (including user defined allowable loads)
o Extensive Find and Replace command
o Powerful multiple UNDO and REDO command
o Finding and Editing of Comment texts

Page 9
Automatic backup and periodic saving of model data
Default settings for ease of use, for example
o When a bend is input, by default, the radius, radius type, thickness, material and flexibility factor
from the previous bend are used.
o When a hanger is input, the defaults are set from the previous hanger.
Conversion of a time function to a force spectrum
Local coordinate system shown graphically for most elements including nozzles
Automatic node number increment (can be turned off)
Specify slope for an element
Large model sizes (7,000 elements with node numbers up to 99,999)
Redefining a model's vertical axis without affecting the layout
Rotate sections of piping model

Analysis Features
Static linear/non-linear analysis
o Empty Weight
o Sustained
o Expansion
o Operating
o Design
o Occasional
o Hydrotest
o Cold Spring
Automatic spring hanger design
o 35 hanger catalogs (US, European, Japanese and Indian manufacturers)
Loads
o Weight and up to 10 pressures (i.e., up to 11 sustained cases)
o External pressure(s) can also be input
o External forces and moments for 10 thermal cases + 1 sustained case + 1 static seismic case
o Hydrotest case
o Up to 10 thermal loads with 50+ thermal ranges (expansion)
o Up to 10 thermal displacements for anchors and nozzles (expansion)
o Up to 10 operating cases (combination of weight, pressure and temperature)
o Design case (combination of weight, design pressure and design temperature)
o Flange equivalent pressures for 10 operating cases
o Rotating equipment reports for 10 operating cases
o Up to 4 wind loads (occasional cases)
o Seismic anchor movements (occasional)
o Static seismic acceleration (occasional)
o Force Spectrum load (occasional)

Page 10
 o Seismic response spectra (occasional)
o Harmonic loads, e.g., periodic excitation from equipment such as pumps (occasional)
o Time history loads, e.g., a fluid hammer (occasional)
o Non-repeated anchor movement: (settlement)
o Peak pressure for occasional loads
o 95+ load combinations
o Support Load Summary for 150+ load combinations
Analysis options
o Thermal case = Operating Sustained (recommended)
o Solve Thermal case independently
Modal analysis: Fast solver Includes Dynamic Susceptibility analysis
Seismic response spectrum analysis
o Combination method: SRSS or Absolute sum or Closely spaced modes as per NRC Guide 1.92
or Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) sum
o Spectrum Types: Frequency (or period) versus displacement, velocity or acceleration. Linear or
logarithmic interpolation, multiple units supported
o Spectrum entered interactively or through user created text file
o Export of element forces and moments in Local coordinate system contributed by each mode
participating in Response Spectrum analysis in .csv format
Missing mass correction for response spectrum analysis
Time history analysis
Force spectrum analysis
Harmonic analysis
Pressure Relief Value loading analysis
FRP piping analysis (user-definable allowables for different directions)
Refinement of Nodal Mesh based on Mass Modeling Frequency
Refinement of Branch Elements to compute Flexibility Factors at Branch in accordance with ASME B31J
Buried piping analysis including automatic discretization of elements as per ASME B31.1 (2014)

Page 11
Results Review
Output
o Displacements at
All nodes
Ball joints (with bending displacements)
Flexible joints (Bellows, Slip, Hinge and Ball joints)
Guides, Hangers, Limit stops
Minimum and maximum displacements for each load case
o Deflected shape (animation possible)

o Support loads for all load cases

o Support load summary (150+)
o Element forces and moments (local and global)
o Internal and External Pressure Design results as per EN 13480-3 (2017)
o Status of Nonlinearities such as pipe lifting off at resting/sliding supports, gap closure at supports
and tie rods, friction at supports and expansion joints
o Stresses
Code compliance stresses
Sorted code stresses
Von Mises, Maximum and Minimum stresses
Operating stresses for nondestructive examination (NDE)
Operating stresses for Impact Test as per ASME B31.5
Color coded stresses and stress ratios

Page 12
o Hanger report
o Flange report
o Rotating equipment reports
o Frequencies and mode shapes (animation possible)
o Response spectrum analysis results
o Center of gravity, weight of each element and total weight
o Clean, Concise, Clearly Organized, Formatted and Customizable reports

Overstressed nodes
shown in reverse text

Page 13
Quick review of key results under First-level Checks
Print preview for reports and graphics
Bill of Materials, Table of contents and Revision records in reports
Neutral file input and output (.mbf)
Export of input and output to ASCII and MS-EXCEL (.csv) file format
Export and Import of Material Library through ASCII Material Library Batch file (.mlb)
Export of stress model as 3D reference geometry to 3D plant design systems PDMS, E3D and CADMATIC
Export of Deflected shape as 3D reference geometry to 3D plant design systems PDMS, E3D and CADMATIC
Compact and fast: Program size still approximately 2.5 MB!

Related Features
Widest Support for Importing / Exporting data
Import data from plant design systems (optional)
o AVEVA PDMS
o Intergraph PDS and SmartPlant 3D
o
o CADMATIC
o Dassault Systemes
o oPLANT
o
o Other plant design software that produce piping layout in PCF format
Import data from pipe stress analysis programs (built-in)
o versions up to and including 10.0
o
Import Time History / Force Spectrum data from Computational Fluid Dynamics and Flow Analysis programs
(built-in)
o PIPENET
o FLOWMASTER
o ROLAST
Export to
o 2D DXF (built-in)
o PDMS (built-in)
o CADMATIC (built-in)
o Piping Component File (PCF) format (built-in)
o Hanger Report to LICAD software (built-in)
o CAESAR-II (optional)
o

Page 14
Advanced 32-bit Windows technology
o Multithreading: Layout, Graphics, Animation and Analysis run in separate threads
o Robust Exception handling: Better error diagnostics
o Memory mapped files: Really fast data access
o Ability to change display and print fonts for text and graphics
Advanced software features
o Super-fast dynamic scrollbar with tracking scroll box in real-time for text and graphics
o Dynamic updating of data in all open windows Layout, List and Graphics
o Synchronization of the highlight/cursor between all open text and graphics windows
o Simultaneous visual updates of deflected and mode shapes. Simply switch between different
load cases (or mode shapes) to show corresponding deflected (or mode shape).
o Flashing cursor in graphics window synchronized at all times with the input window
o A pop-up context menu of frequently used commands in Graphics window
o Graphics scales dynamically in real-time. Simply resize the window for fast and dynamic resizing.

Industries served by CAEPIPE

Power Oil & Gas production
(fossil & nuclear) (onshore & offshore)
Refinery Chemical & Petrochemical
Fertilizers Pharmaceutical
Sugar & Food Processing Paper & Pulp
Steel / Metal Process Water & Waste Treatment
Aircraft and Aerospace Building Services
Defense Industries Ship Building

SST continues to constantly enhance and improve CAEPIPE.

Please check with us if you do not see a feature listed in this document.
Tel: +1 408 452 8111, info@sstusa.com

Page 15