How exactly is the snow load calculated for weight / Length in AutoPIPE?
Example: On the Snow Load dialog screen, how exactly is the snow load calculated for weight / Length = 0.5 lbs/in for both a 2 inch dia pipe and 12 inch dia pipe that are both 1 ft long piece of pipe.
For complete details on how snow load is calculated in AutoPIPE see following help sections:
Help > Contents> Contents Tab>
> Reference Information> Analysis Considerations> Snow Analysis> Overview
> Command Reference> Loads Commands> Environmental Group> Snow
To answer the question at hand, the answers would be identical because the pipe diameters are not considered. In this example, the user is entering the weight of snow per length of pipe that already considers a pipe diameter or another words:
Weight of snow for the 1 foot length of 2 inch dia pipe:
(0.5 lbs / inch) * (12 inch) = 6 lbs of snow
Weight of snow for the 1 foot length of 12 inch dia pipe:
Note:
1. AutoPIPE currently only consider the horizontal component of projected pipe area for snow loading. Another words, as the vertical angle increases only the horizontal length component of the angle will be used to calculate the snow load. For piping on the vertical axis, the program will automatically remove snow load that has been applied.
2. For dialog options Method = "Weight / Area" or "Density", the projected area is used in calculating the snow load; horizontal length component of the angle multiplied by the pipe's outer diameter.
3. Snow loads, like wind loads, are not currently applied to beams. This is has been logged as an enhancement for a future version.
4. Currently, AutoPIPE V8i 09.06.01.xx and lower does not handle snow loading for non-linear analysis and is not accurately nor realistically applied to non-linear models. As a work around, apply uniformly distributed loads along the relevant segments with the expected linear forces and combine this distributed load with a wind case.
"Snow Load" - Load Case
Bentley AutoPIPE