Technical
Everything you need to judge whether FlexPIPE fits the way you work. Something missing? Email me and you get a concrete answer.
- Anchor
- Guide
- Loop
- fixed
Geometry
Bends, flanges, supports.
Every element gets a length, a diameter, a wall thickness and a material. The nodes are where the sum happens.
Load
Temperature is a force.
Thermal expansion, internal pressure, dead weight, wind. A solution per load case, combined according to the code.
Result
Stress per node, checked.
Forces, moments, displacements and the ratio to the allowable stress: in one table, and in colour on the model.
Calculation
Codes and load cases
| Codes | ASME B31.1 (power piping) ASME B31.3 (process piping) ASME B31.8 (gas transmission piping) |
|---|---|
| Load cases | EXP, SUS, OPE, OCC, HYD and PRE |
| Loads | Pressure, temperature, dead weight, wind, wave loading |
| Method | Stiffness matrix with stress analysis across the full system |
| Iteration | Adjustable iteration parameters per project |
| Output | Forces, moments and displacements per node |
|---|---|
| Material | Material data and pipe schedules, with S-Cold and S-Hot per material |
| Visualisation | 2D and 3D plot of the piping system |
| Reporting | Short summary or full output |
| Batch | Multiple projects in sequence via an instruction file |
Structure
Modules
The numbering of the original software has been kept. Anyone who worked with it before finds everything where it was.
FLEX_100
Input and project management
FLEX_200
Geometry: elements, bends, branches
FLEX_300
Material data and pipe schedules
FLEX_400
Loads
FLEX_500
Calculation
FLEX_600
Results output
FLEX_700
Plot in 2D and 3D
FLEX_800
Reporting and summary
FLEX_900
FlexPLOT, the alternative plotting module
System
Requirements and licence
The application is self-contained: nothing to install beforehand and no administrator rights needed.
| Operating systems | macOS (Apple Silicon) and Windows 11 |
|---|---|
| Installation | Self-contained app; Windows installer included |
| Internet | Not required, works fully offline |
| Licence | One-time key per workstation, works without internet |
| Licence type | Per seat, one-time. No subscription. |
| Input format | .FLX (piping system definition) |
| Output formats | .OUT, .SUM and per load case (.EXP, .SUS, .OPE, .OCC, .HYD) |
What people ask
Straight answers
We already use Caesar II.
Fair enough: that is the standard, and FlexPIPE does not simply replace it. It gets interesting when you want a second check on a result, when licence costs pinch for occasional use, or when you already work with .FLX files.
How do I know the results are correct?
By checking it yourself. You get a temporary licence and run a project whose result you already know. That is the only test that counts.
Who is behind it?
Damian de Raad, mechanical engineering at Delft University of Technology. That matters: stresses in structures are not a side subject I picked up in order to build this software. You deal directly with the person who writes the code and studied the field.
What if you stop doing this?
The licence keeps working. There is no activation server that can go down, and the app needs no internet connection. That is not built in by accident.