Piping stress analysis with CAESAR II and AutoPIPE
Complete flexibility analysis of process, utility and power piping to ASME B31.1, B31.3, B31.12 and EN 13480 — from input review to a report your client approves.
Piping stress analysis verifies that a piping system can carry its own weight, pressure and thermal movements without overstressing the pipe, leaking at flanges or overloading the equipment it connects to. Poor flexibility shows up late and expensively: pump and compressor nozzles out of tolerance, flange leaks, broken supports, fatigue cracks at branches.
The studio builds the model — or independently checks yours — defines the load cases required by the code and the project specification, and iterates with the layout team to find practical solutions: an extra loop, a guide moved, a spring instead of a rest. The result is a calculation that stands up to client review and can actually be built.
What the package covers
- Critical line list review and selection of the calculation method for each system.
- Model creation from isometrics or 3D export, or independent check of an existing model.
- Sustained, operating, expansion-range, occasional (wind, seismic, PSV, slug), hydrotest and settlement load cases.
- Spring hanger selection and support-load tables for the civil and structural teams.
- Equipment nozzle checks: API 610, 617, 618, 619, 661, NEMA SM23, vendor allowables; WRC 297 / 537 and FEA where required.
- Flange leakage checks, high-temperature and refractory-lined lines, cryogenic and GRP/fibreglass piping.
- Reconstruction of lost CAESAR II models from the input echo of the PDF report, delivered as a .cii neutral file.
Typical deliverables
- Native calculation model (CAESAR II or AutoPIPE) and input echo.
- Stress-analysis report with assumptions register and code-compliance summary.
- Support reaction and displacement tables; spring hanger data.
- Equipment / nozzle load assessment.
- Marked-up isometrics with recommended modifications.
Independent review of stress-analysis models
Before a model goes to the client — or when a vendor or subcontractor model has to be accepted — a third-party check finds the errors that cost most later: missing load cases, wrong boundary conditions at equipment, unrealistic friction or settlement, spring hangers that cannot be bought. The review ends with a short report of findings and, if you wish, the corrected model.
Lost model? Reconstruction from the input echo
If the native CAESAR II file is no longer available but the PDF report contains the input echo, the model can be rebuilt, delivered as a .cii neutral file and verified by rerun against the original results. How the reconstruction works →
Piping stress-analysis references
27 documented assignments in this field. All references →
| Project | Contract chain | Country | Calculation scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cortemaggiore fiscal metering Piping stress | Saipem / Stogit | Italy | Fiscal-metering station piping calculations; ASME B31.12. |
| Istrana H₂ test lines Piping stress | Saipem / SNAM | Italy | Hydrogen piping calculations; ASME B31.12. |
| Sergnano PUM Piping stress | Progetto 10 / Saipem / SNAM | Italy | Station piping calculations; ASME B31.3 and B31.12. |
| Hollandse Kust Noord wind park Piping stress | Incico / Rosetti Marino / CrossWind | Netherlands | Offshore wind-farm project piping calculations; ASME B31.12. |
| West Qurna Phase 2 Piping stress | Clauger / SICIM / Lukoil | Iraq | Piping stress-analysis calculations for package systems. |
| Livorno biorefinery Piping stress | PES Engineering / ENI | Italy | Industrial piping stress-analysis calculations. |
| Amiral Package 2 Piping stress | Tecnimont / Saudi Aramco & TotalEnergies | Saudi Arabia | Piping and specialist mechanical calculations. |
| Priolo TAR Piping stress | Euroset / ENI | Italy | Approx. 5 km of GRP / fibreglass piping calculations. |
Frequently asked questions
Which software do you use?
Licensed Hexagon CAESAR II and Bentley AutoPIPE Advanced, with NozzlePRO for local nozzle stresses. The model is delivered in the format your project uses.
Can you check a model made by someone else?
Yes. Independent review of third-party models and reports is a standard service, with a findings list and, on request, the corrected model.
Do you also produce isometrics?
The standard scope is calculation. Marked-up isometrics are included; drafting of new isometrics or fabrication drawings only when explicitly agreed.
What do you need for a quote?
The line list or number of critical systems, the applicable code, a sample of isometrics or the 3D model, equipment involved and the required schedule. See the checklist on the quote page.
Need a stress analysis, a calculation package or a second opinion?
Send the line list, isometrics or model and the applicable code: you receive a defined scope and a fixed-price proposal.