Pipes not merging when using Skelebrator with series pipe merging

  Product(s): WaterGEMS, WaterCAD, HAMMER
  Version(s): CONNECT Edition
  Area: Modeling

Problem

When using the Skelebrator feature Series Pipe Merging, two pipes that appear to satisfy the parameters entered are not merging as expected.

Solution

Junction has more than two links

Verify that the pipes that should be merging are not perpendicular to another pipe. In cases where two pipes that fit the parameters are at a tee with another pipe, the merge will not go through. This is because in the series pipe merge process, the conjoining junction is removed and the two pipes are replaced with a single pipe. However, as the junction at the tee is also the end node of the perpendicular pipe, it cannot be removed.

This also applies to inactive elements, Ensure that the option is set to display inactive elements in gray (or another color) so that you can visibly see if an inactive pipe is connected to a junction that would have been removed in order to perform the skeletonization. Skelebrator cannot merge two active pipes that meet the condition criteria if an inactive pipe connects to the junction that would need to be deleted in order to perform the merge. Even though the pipes may be inactive, Skelebrator cannot remove them because the user may want to make the active in other scenarios (while the act of deleting and creating elements as part of the Skeletonization applies to every scenario)

Adjust max length condition

Also, note that if a condition is created for pipes below a specified length, then that does not mean that any pipes under that length will be skeletonized. Pipes will only be combined if they both meet the length criteria. For example if the condition is set to length less than 5 meters, a 4 meter long pipe adjacent to two 6 meter long pipes will not be merged, because doing so would require altering one of those other adjacent pipes and since the other pipes do not meet the length criteria, they will not be skeletonized.

See Also

Series Pipe Merging in Skelebrator not working for pipes with zero diameter



 

Recommended
Related