Design Conventions For Catalogues and Specifications

Design Conventions
for Catalogues and Specifications

AVEVA Solutions Limited
Disclaimer
1.1 AVEVA does not warrant that the use of the AVEVA software will be uninterrupted, error-free or free from
viruses.
1.2 AVEVA shall not be liable for: loss of profits; loss of business; depletion of goodwill and/or similar losses; loss of
anticipated savings; loss of goods; loss of contract; loss of use; loss or corruption of data or information; any
special, indirect, consequential or pure economic loss, costs, damages, charges or expenses which may be
suffered by the user, including any loss suffered by the user resulting from the inaccuracy or invalidity of any data
created by the AVEVA software, irrespective of whether such losses are suffered directly or indirectly, or arise in
contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise.
1.3 AVEVA's total liability in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, arising in connection with the
performance of the AVEVA software shall be limited to 100% of the licence fees paid in the year in which the user's
claim is brought.
1.4 Clauses 1.1 to 1.3 shall apply to the fullest extent permissible at law.
1.5 In the event of any conflict between the above clauses and the analogous clauses in the software licence under
which the AVEVA software was purchased, the clauses in the software licence shall take precedence.
Copyright
Copyright and all other intellectual property rights in this manual and the associated software, and every part of it
(including source code, object code, any data contained in it, the manual and any other documentation supplied
with it) belongs to, or is validly licensed by, AVEVA Solutions Limited or its subsidiaries.
All rights are reserved to AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. The information contained in this document
is commercially sensitive, and shall not be copied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted without
the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Limited. Where such permission is granted, it expressly requires
that this copyright notice, and the above disclaimer, is prominently displayed at the beginning of every copy that is
made.
The manual and associated documentation may not be adapted, reproduced, or copied, in any material or
electronic form, without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Limited. The user may not reverse
engineer, decompile, copy, or adapt the software. Neither the whole, nor part of the software described in this
publication may be incorporated into any third-party software, product, machine, or system without the prior written
permission of AVEVA Solutions Limited, save as permitted by law. Any such unauthorised action is strictly
prohibited, and may give rise to civil liabilities and criminal prosecution.
The AVEVA software described in this guide is to be installed and operated strictly in accordance with the terms
and conditions of the respective software licences, and in accordance with the relevant User Documentation.
Unauthorised or unlicensed use of the software is strictly prohibited.
Copyright 1974 to current year. AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. AVEVA shall
not be liable for any breach or infringement of a third party's intellectual property rights where such breach results
from a user's modification of the AVEVA software or associated documentation.
AVEVA Solutions Limited, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HB, United Kingdom.
Trademark
AVEVA and Tribon are registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Limited or its subsidiaries. Unauthorised use of
the AVEVA or Tribon trademarks is strictly forbidden.
AVEVA product/software names are trademarks or registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Limited or its
subsidiaries, registered in the UK, Europe and other countries (worldwide).
The copyright, trademark rights, or other intellectual property rights in any other product or software, its name or
logo belongs to its respective owner.
Design Conventions for Catalogues and Specifications
Revision Sheet
Date Version Comments / Remarks

September 2011 12.1.1 Issued
January 2012 Copyright added to all pages.
Design Conventions for Catalogues and Specifications
Conventions for Catalogues and Specifications
Conventions for Catalogues and

Specifications
Contents Page
Design Conventions
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Who Should Read This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Purpose of the Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
What the Guide Contains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Other Sources of Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:2
Set Steelwork Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:1

Catalogues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:1
Standard Catalogue Reference Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:1
Administrative Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:2
Datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:4
Standard Profile Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:4
Standard Fittings Catalogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:5
Standard Structural Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:6
Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:10
Specification for Structural Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:11
Specification to Limit Panel Thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:11
Specification for Structural Fittings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:12
Specification for Structural Panel Fittings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:13
Specification for Structural Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:14
Materials in DESIGN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:15
Set Hangers and Supports Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1
Copyright 1974 to current year. i 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1
The Hanger Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1
Hanger Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:4
Catalogue Naming Conventions for Catalogue /PSL-HANG-CAT . . . . . . . . . . . 3:4
Design Parameters and Selector Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:1

Hangers and Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:1
Naming Conventions for Hanger Configuration Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:1
Hangers & Supports Configurations and Data Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:19
Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:19
Hanger Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:19
Hanger Configuration Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:26
Support Configuration Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:28
Data Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:29
Copyright 1974 to current year. ii 12 Series

About This Guide
1 About This Guide
1.1 Who Should Read This Guide

This guide is intended for specialists who are responsible for building up and maintaining
the standard Catalogue databases within a project team.
1.2 Purpose of the Guide

Although in principle you have a lot of flexibility in the ways in which you can construct the
database hierarchy for Catalogues and Specifications, in practice it is very important that
you follow strict conventions within any given project to ensure complete compatibility of all
data within that project. Further, unless there are exceptional reasons for not doing so, it is
sensible to adopt common conventions for structuring all PDMS databases within your
company, thus simplifying the exchange of data between projects.
If you intend to use the standard applications for building Catalogue databases (using
PARAGON) and for accessing those databases during the Plant Design process (using
DESIGN), it is important that your data structures are compatible with those expected by the
application macros. If this is not so, the transfer of information to and from the databases
might not work successfully and the applications could fail.
This guide explains, with some examples, the essential features of the conventions used in
building up the Catalogues and Specifications which are supplied by AVEVA. You must
follow these conventions in your own Catalogues and Specifications if you want the
standard AVEVA applications to work reliably with your data. In particular, some parts of the
Catalogue database have been used to store information which is essential for the
successful use of some design applications but which is not obvious catalogue data by the
conventional definitions; for example, the Hangers and Supports application uses data
stored in user-defined attributes in the Catalogues and Specifications to access associated
information needed by the application.
1.3 What the Guide Contains

This version of the guide includes the detailed data needed by two major types of
application supplied for use with DESIGN:
Set Steelwork Conventions details the conventions used for setting up the
structural Catalogues and Specifications used by the
Beams & Columns and Panels & Plates applications.
Set Hangers and Supports details the conventions used for setting up the
Conventions structural Catalogues and Specifications used by the
Hangers & Supports applications.
Copyright 1974 to current year. 1:1 12 Series

About This Guide
Design Parameters and details the Design Parameters and Selector lists.
Selector Lists
Hangers and Supports lists the full Specification Tables used to hold data
specific to the Hangers & Supports application.
1.4 Other Sources of Information

This guide does not attempt to tell you how to build Catalogue databases; it only
summarises the final format for the data which you should seek to achieve. For details of
the commands and specific applications which you need to use to carry out your work, refer
to the Catalogues and Specifications Reference Manual.

Set Steelwork Conventions
2 Set Steelwork Conventions
2.1 Catalogues
You must use the following conventions for structural catalogues so that the DESIGN
applications can recognise them and so that the PARAGON applications can use them:
The PURPose of the CATAlogue must be set to one of the following: STL, FITT, JOIN
or PFIT. This ensures that any specifications and applications which are built can
recognise the correct catalogue element. Thus the steel Profile specification looks for
the purpose STL, the Joint specification looks for the purpose JOIN, the Fitting
specification looks for the purpose FITT and the Panel Fitting specification looks for the
purpose PFIT. A meaningful DESCription is also beneficial.
The PURPose of the STSEction must be set to REF for Reference Data, PRFL for
Profiles, FITT for Fittings, JOIN for Joints and PFIT for Panel Fittings.
The PURPose of the STCAtegory must be set to REF for Reference Data, PRFL for
Profiles, FITT for Fittings, JOIN for Joints and PFIT for Panel Fittings.
The GTYPE of the Profile, Fitting, Joint or Panel Fitting must be set. This ensures that
specific restrictions can be applied to Joints and Fittings when building the
specifications. For example: any Section with a GTYPE set to BEAM can be used with
a Joint which has its GTYPE set to BEAM; any Fitting with a GTYPE set to FITT can be
used with any Fitting specification.
The purpose of a CSTANdard is to let you define in a text string the type of standard
that is being used. It is used purely for information and administration of the Catalogue.
For example, the CSTANdard for British Sections is BS 5950.
The diagrams in the following subsection illustrate the structure of the catalogues.
2.1.1 Standard Catalogue Reference Data

As with the piping catalogue, there are many ways in which you can structure your
steelwork catalogues. The same two ways of structuring both types of catalogue are
preferred, the difference being the types of administrative elements used. However,
whereas for piping there is only one type of catalogue (namely for piping components), the
following three types of catalogue are used for steelwork:
PROFILES
JOINTS
FITTINGS (FITT and PFIT)
The basic layout of the catalogues is the same as for piping, i.e. where the reference data is
stored, but the way in which the data is separated differs.

2.1.2 Administrative Elements
CATAlogue
Description Description of catalogue
Purpose Purpose should be the same as the SPEC with which the
catalogue is to be used (STL, FITT, JOIN, PFIT etc.)
Cstandard Catalogue standard
STSEction - Structural Section
Description Description of Section
Gtype- Generic type of element contained in section; this should be

the same as the type of element used in DESIGN,
e.g.BEAM
STCAtegory - Structural Category
Description Description of category
Purpose Purpose should equate to the STYP of the items as

defined in the Spec
Function Description
Gtype Identifies the Generic element type
Skey not applicable

Description Description of category
Ptref Point set reference
Gmref Geometry set reference
Ngmref Negative geometry reference
DataSetRef Data set reference
Pstreference Pline set reference
Gstreference Profile set reference
CDetail Detail reference
Ownconn Owning connection profile type
Attconn Attached connection profile type
CPlot Plot file for reference used in documentation
Icon Icon name
Cstandard Standard
PTSE - Point Sets
Description Description of point set
Skey Symbol Key to which point set relates
Purpose Purpose of point set
GMSE - 3D Geometry Set
Description Description of geometry set
Purpose Purpose of geometry set
NGMS - Negative Geometry Sets
Description Description of geometry set
Purpose Purpose of geometry set

DTSE - Datasets
Description Description of dataset
Purpose Purpose of dataset
PTSS - Point sets
Description Description of point set
Purpose Purpose of point set
GMSS - 2D Geometry Set
Description Description of geometry structural set
Purpose Purpose of geometry structural set
2.2 Datasets
The general purpose of Datasets is twofold :
To let you query catalogue parameters
To let you input design parameters via simple forms and menus
(See Catalogues and Specifications Reference Manual Section 3)
2.2.1 Standard Profile Catalogue

The Profile catalogue should be structured so that the separation of the data is sensible, e.g.
all sections of the same generic profile should be under the structural section. The
segregation beneath the section should be used to associate groups within the generic type;
for example, in the case of British Standards, each category should contain sections with the
same serial size, whereas in DIN standards the same class should be used (IPE, IPB, etc.).
In most instances there will only be one profile set and one geometry set for each generic
type of profile.

2.2.2 Standard Fittings Catalogue

The Fittings catalogue should be structured so that all fittings of a given generic type are
stored beneath the same section, e.g. lifting lugs, stiffeners, etc. Within each section the
fittings should be broken down into groups relating to the profile on which the fitting can be
used, e.g. I, H, L, COLU, BEAM etc.
The Panel Fitting catalogue should follow the same format as the Fitting catalogue except
that the panel fitting element is called a PFIT.

2.2.3 Standard Structural Joints

The Joints catalogue should be structured so that all joints of a given generic type are stored
beneath the same section, e.g. cleats, endplates, baseplates, etc. Within each section the
joints should be broken down into categories relating to the types of sections to which the
joint can be connected, e.g. I-I, I-Chan, I-L etc. The generic types of the sections should be
stored against Ownconn and Attconn attributes.




2.3 Specifications
The following conventions for structural specifications must be followed to ensure that a
correct specification is built. The application follows strict rules when building these
specifications and reads the specification in a tabulated format. Description should be given
at the correct level and any question of Tanswers must be input for the forms and menus to
be correctly built. The steelwork specifications work in a different way to piping
specifications, where there can be more than one answer. For example, a typical
connection for two beams can either be a bolted or welded connection; hence there can be
two answers to one question.

2.3.1 Specification for Structural Profiles
Attributes for Specification elements in hierarchical order :
Type Attribute Data Description

SPEC Description { str } display on form spec gadget
Purpose STL spec purpose
Question GYTP question for offspring
Matref { ref } material reference in Property DB
SELE Description { str } information on type of profile
Tanswer { word } generic type of profile
SPCO Catref { ref } pointer to HPRF in catalogue
Detref { ref } pointer to detail text
2.3.2 Specification to Limit Panel Thickness

Panel thickness availability in the DESIGN module can be controlled via the catalogue
Specification mechanism. Using Ans Maxans attributes on the SPCO can limit the
allowable minimum and maximum panel thicknesses.
Note: The CATREF is not used as the geometry is defined in the DESIGN module.


Question THK question for offspring
Purpose PLT spec purpose
Tquestions thickness specific question for offspring
SPCO Ans real min thickness
Maxans real max thickness
2.3.3 Specification for Structural Fittings


Purpose FITT spec purpose
Question TYPE question for offspring
Tanswer { word } generic type of profile that can own the
fitting. ANY will allow a fitting to be used
on any profile type.
Questions STYP question for offspring
SELE Description { str } display on form stype gadget
Tanswer { word } sub-type of fitting, e.g. LUG, HOLE, etc.
SPCO Catref { ref } pointer to HFIT in catalogue
2.3.4 Specification for Structural Panel Fittings


Purpose PFIT spec purpose
Question TYPE question for offspring
SELE Description { str } display generic type on form
Question STYP question for offspring
Tanswer { word } generic type of fitting
Tanswer { word } sub-type of fitting, e.g. Door, Window etc.
SPCO Catref { ref } pointer to PFIT in catalogue
2.3.5 Specification for Structural Joints

Attributes for Specification elements in hierarchical order

Purpose JOIN spec purpose
Question OTYP question for offspring
Tanswer { word } generic type of profile which joints can be
owned by. ANY will allow joints to be
owned by any profile, NONE will allow
setting of PJOI specrefs.
Question ATYP question for offspring

Tanswer { word } generic type of profile that can be attached
to joint. ANY will allow any type of profile to
be attached to the joint.
Question STYP question for offspring
SPCO Catref { ref } pointer to PFIT in catalogue
2.4 Materials in DESIGN

For the materials of a structural element (MATR) to be set in DESIGN, you must be able to
see a Properties DB containing the available materials.
To create a Material World, carry out the following steps:
1. In ADMIN, change the module definition for PARAGON so that it has Read/Write
access to the Properties DB, thus:
edit module PARAGON mode PROP rw
2. Create a Properties DB (if there is not one already) and include it into the relevant
databases. If there is a Properties DB with a Material World already existing, go to step
4.
3. Enter PROPCON in Read/Write mode and create a MATW.
4. Enter PARAGON in Read/Write mode (R/W to the Properties DB) and run the property
loading macro, thus:
$m/%PDMSUI%/DES/DATA/MLOADPROP
By default, the DENSITY.DAT data in the PDMSDFLTS directory will be loaded into the
first Material World found. Where elements already exist, the macro will modify them to
the values contained in the file.

If new material densities are required to be added to the system, DENSITY.DAT can be
modified to include your new materials. The format of the file is as follows:
# NAME \Description \Density kg/cu m
AL-CAST \Aluminium, cast \2560
Al-WROUGHT \Aluminium, wrought \2700
DURALUMIN \Aluminium, Duralumin \2790
The hash character ( # ) signifies a comment line: any line beginning with it will be ignored.
Note: All densities are in kg/cu m.
To load the new/modified materials into the system, follow step 4 above. If you moved the
file to some other directory, run the macro by passing the full pathname of the file, thus:
$m/%PDMSUI%/DES/DATA/MLOADPROP <pathname>

Set Hangers and Supports Conventions
3 Set Hangers and Supports Conventions
3.1 Introduction
3.1.1 The Hanger Catalogue

The Hanger catalogue is analogous to the Piping catalogue. Components are created in
much the same way, using the element types PCLA (Pipe Clamp), HELE (Hanger Element),
ROD, and SCLA (Steel Clamp). You are advised to study the sample catalogue provided by
AVEVA, together with these notes, before creating your own catalogue components.
Component Point Sets

In general, arrive and leave p-points should be in the same direction as the axes about
which the component can be rotated at the respective ends. For variable height
components, the positions of arrive and leave p-points should be related to the distance
between the leave of the previous and the arrive of the next, and not the actual height. If a
maximum or minimum distance is applicable to the component, p-points should be provided
from which this distance can be measured.
Bores
For hangers, the PBOR attribute is interpreted as the equivalent hanger rod diameter. It is
valid to have a zero-bore rod and still successfully use the CHOOSE command. Items
which are not sized by rod (or pin) diameter or which do not have a concept of rod diameter
(such as pipe shoes and welded attachments) should have PBOR set to zero. In such
cases, the system will not attempt to set the LSRO attribute of the component.
Pipe Clamps (PCLAs)

Pipe clamps should always have their P1 pointing in the direction of flow in the pipe as this
is the direction used for the hanger head. For PCLAs to be used on implied tube, the P2 will
be perpendicular to the P1. For PCLAs to be used on piping components (e.g. ELBOs) the
P2 will be opposite in direction to the P1. The PBOR of the pipe end of the PCLA (P1)
should be set to the equivalent nominal bore of the pipe. Some PCLAs (such as U-Bolts)
can be applied to sloping pipes and the angle between the P1 and P2 will be variable. In
such cases, put the DDANG on the P2.
Steel Clamps (SCLAs)
A p-point should be provided which will be used to orientate the SCLA with respect to the
steelwork to which it is attached. The direction should be that of the attached steel when
connected to the flange.

P-Point Connection Types:
NONE No connection
WELD Welded connection
FPIN Female pin
MPIN Male pin
BOLT Bolted connection
RHOL Right-hand-threaded hole
RROD Right-hand-threaded rod
LHOL Left-hand-threaded hole
LROD Left-hand-threaded rod
CLAM Clamped connection
HOLE Hole (for rod)
FSWA Female spherical washer
MSWA Male spherical washer
Material Texts
The supplied catalogue uses the XTEX attribute of HMTE elements to store material data
Detail Texts
The supplied catalogue uses the RTEX attribute of HDTE elements to store long
descriptions of components for drawings, etc.; the STEX attribute to store concise ordering
codes for MTO, etc.; and the TTEX attribute to store details of additional items which form
part of the component but which need to be ordered separately.
Datasets
The Hangers & Supports application makes great use of the catalogue Datasets. The
following rules apply to their use.
For Datakeys which tell the appware to set certain Design Parameters:
The PPROP attribute must be set to an expression which gives the value of the design
parameter; for example, (ATTRIB DESPARA[1]).
The PURP attribute must be set to DESP.
The NUMB attribute must be set to the number of the relevant design parameter.

The following Datakeys are reserved for use by the application and have the special
meaning shown:
POD Pipe outside diameter (e.g. for lugs)
SWID X -width of attached steel section (SCTN)
FLTH Flange thickness of attached steelwork
CRAD Component bend radius (e.g. for lugs/trunnions attached to bends)
RINA Rod insertion distance at P1 *
RINB Rod insertion distance at P2 *
VSLO Variable spring load (Note: PUNIT attribute should be set)
VSEX Variable spring extension/compression distance
DATA A special case where the design parameter is not set automatically, but
rather prompts the user to enter the data.
.(* These values are calculated from the Rod take-out values of the Prev/Next components
and represent the distance between the P1/P2 points and the actual ends of the
component.)
Datakeys which give information either to DESIGN appware for sizing purposes or to ADP
(automatic drawing production) appware for drawing data etc. are usually set to component
parameters or hard data. The PURP attribute is set to PARA to indicate that, while the
information is used by the DESIGN appware, it is not required for ADP or MTO:
RTVA Rod take-out value at P1 #
RTVB Rod take-out value at P2 #
THLA Thread length at P1
THLB Thread length at P2
VSPR Variable spring rate (units as set for VSLO)
MNLO Minimum load in working range
DHEI Loaded default height (for components which are adjusted, regardless
of load, to a fixed height)
(# These values represent the distances from P1/P2 that attached rods should extend in the
fitted position.)
Other Datakeys may be defined as a means of forcing an ADP application to output
database information on drawings and MTO lists. The PURP attribute of these Datakeys
should be set to DATA. The following settings of this type are used in the supplied
catalogue:
OLEN Component overall length
HEIG Height
DIMA Dimension A (as defined in the paper catalogue)

Naming Conventions
A naming convention for catalogue components has been developed following the
conventions of the ISOCAT style in use by AVEVA and a number of customers for many
years. This convention is detailed later in this section.
3.2 Hanger Specifications

In order for the CHOOSE command to function correctly, the first question in the hanger
specification must be PBOR0.
The sample specification supplied uses the more descriptive TANS instead of the usual
ANS, and this is recommended to make the configuration macro code more readable.
Because, by default, the system uses the CHOOSE command, it is safe to assume that
some questions will be left unanswered at design time. The specification should be
constructed taking this into consideration. For ease of use, the selectors STYP, TTYP and
UTYP have been used, in that order, where multiple levels of selector are required.
It is important to set the DESC, PURP and :VISI attributes of the hanger specification.
PURP and :VISI should be set to HANG and True, respectively.
Any Hangers & Supports specifications should reside in a SPWL with its PURP attribute set
to HSUP.
3.3 Catalogue Naming Conventions for Catalogue /PSL-

HANG-CAT
(Derived from the hanger catalogue of Pipe Supports Ltd)



















Design Parameters and Selector Lists
4 Design Parameters and Selector Lists
These lists are available in a separate PDF file and can be found here:
Design_Param_Sel_Lists.pdf.
Design Parameters & Selector Lists include two sections:
Design Parameters and Dataset Properties for PDMS Catalogue /PSL-HANG-CAT
Selector List for PDMS Specification /PSL

Design Parameters and Selector Lists

Hangers and Supports
5 Hangers and Supports
5.1 Naming Conventions for Hanger Configuration

Specifications


















5.2 Hangers & Supports Configurations and Data Tables
5.2.1 Configurations
The Hangers & Supports application makes use of catalogue information which describes
both support template and hanger configurations. This data is stored in catalogue elements
and is accessed by means of a specification. Configurations are thus similar to a
Specification Reference (SPREF) and both the Subframe (SBFR) and Hanger (HANG)
elements have :CONFIG UDAs. The referenced SPCO points, via an ACOM and a GMSE,
to a CATE which actually holds all the configuration data.
5.2.2 Hanger Configurations

Hanger Configurations store the following data:

Attributes and UDAs
DESC A text description of the hanger configuration
PURP Set to DATA
GTYP Hanger build macro suffix
:HCONN Head connection type (tells the application which type of ATTA is
being used for this configuration):
CATT: Component ATTA
ATTA: Tube ATTA
:TCONN Tail connection type (tells the application how to connect to the
steelwork or civil):
NONE: No connection (e.g. sliding)
BLTD: Bolted connection at back marker p-line
BOLT: Bolted connection at face of steel using back-marker

positions
SBOL: Bolted connection at face of steel with option of using back-

marker or central position
WELD: Welded connection
:DESINFO Not used at this release
:DRAINFO Not used at this release
:MAXLEN Maximum hanger length where not explicitly defined using hanger
length data table (see below)
:MINLEN Minimum hanger length where not explicitly defined using hanger
length data table (see below)
:PSLOPE Logical flag if pipe is permitted to slope wrt hanger direction
:ASLOPE Logical flag if steel/civil attachment is permitted to slope wrt hanger

direction
:PARHANG Logical flag if partial build available for parallel type configurations
Members
The configuration CATE may own any number of TEXT elements which are used to
describe the components used in the hanger. Each component has a TEXT element placed
in the correct order in the members list; the description is stored in the STEX attribute.
Hanger Build Macros

Every hanger configuration has an associated build macro which is situated in the DES/
SUPP applicationware directory. The macros have the form MHB-{suffix} (see CATE GTYP
above). These macros are PML-based, but make use of a specially designed toolkit which
lets you create a build macro for almost any hanger configuration.

It is recommended that you follow an example, of which there are many supplied with the
product, to aid your understanding of this section.
The toolkit subroutines which you can call in your build macros are as follows:
XHBPCLA To create, orientate and position a PCLA element
XHBFITT To reposition fitting once last component is known
XHBHELE To create, orientate and position a HELE element
XHBHORI To orientate a HELE element
XHBSCLA To create, orientate and position an SCLA element
XHBSTART To start Hanger building
XHBSTART To start Hanger building
XHBSPAC To create steel profile spacer between specified hanger elements
XHBHCLN To check the fitted length on any hanger element
Apart from these, the amount of PML writing you need to do is minimal, although some
knowledge of PML and macro writing would be useful. In some cases, the order of element
creation means that some additional work needs to be done by the build macro. For an
example of this, see the supplied macro MHB-CBWA.
Each of these subroutines is called by using the syntax
CALLSUP <subroutine name> <args>
and requires arguments which enable it to perform its task correctly. Each argument should
be enclosed in the delimiters $< ... $> if there is any whitespace. Each macro may also
require that a global variable is set, or may in turn set a global variable. For descriptions of
RTO values, see the section which details hanger catalogues and datasets.
XHBPCLA:
Arguments
1 PCLA STYP(s)
For tube ATTAs, single value (quoted if using TANS)
For component ATTAs, space or / separated list for TEE, ELBO, BEND components
(NONE if not applicable)
2 Any other selectors (quoted if using TANS)
3 COMP or TUBE
4 Hanger Direction p-point (for TUBE). This p-point will be orientated to point in the
direction of the hanger Rotation Direction p-point (for COMP). This p-point will be
orientated to point in the perpendicular direction of BENDs or ELBOs.
5 Angle flag. True if the component has a DDANG which needs to be deduced.
6 Connection/Fitting instructions:

1 PCLA STYP(s)
ATTA: Sets PCLA height to distance P0 to P3 of ATTA
FITH: Sets PCLA height to distance HH to HT
FITP: Sets PCLA height to half pipe OD
CONN: Does not set PCLA height
7 Spec from which to select component:
INSPEC: Select from current HSPEC
PSPEC: Select from attached pipe PSPEC
<gid>: Select from explicit specification
Globals used
None
Globals set
!!CDSNHB.RTOVAL1 Derived RTO value at P1 end
XHBFITT:
Arguments
None
Globals used
None
Globals set
None
XHBHELE:
Arguments
1 HELE STYP
3 HELE GTYP. Unique WORD attribute used to identify HELE for later operations
4 GTYP of element which will be at the arrive end of the new HELE
5 GTYP of element which will be at the leave end of the new HELE

1 HELE STYP
N.B. If argument 4 identifies an element which occurs later in the hanger's

members list than argument 5, this will cause the new element to be created in
backwards mode. This can be very useful in some circumstances
6 Arrive p-point/Leave p-point (e.g. 2/1)
7 Connection/Fitting instructions:
FIT: Fit the HELE into the available space (by setting HEIGHT attribute)
CONN: Connect the HELE to the previous element (or HH/HT)
DIST: Set the HELE at a specified distance from the previous element
PROP: Set the HELE at a specified proportional distance between the previous and
the next elements
DIST and PROP both have the format <keyword> <value> <p-point> (the p-point
designation is optional and defaults to P0)
8 Angle flag. True if the component has a DDANG which needs to be deduced.
9 Specification from which to select component:
Globals used
!!CDSNHB.RINS1 Rod insertion length at P1
!!CDSNHB.RINS2 Rod insertion length at P2
Globals set

XHBHORI:
Arguments:
1 HELE GTYP
2 Mode FORW or BACK
3 Connection/Fitting instructions
FIT: Fit the HELE into the available space (by setting HEIGHT attribute)
CONN: Connect the HELE to the previous element (or HH/HT)
DIST: Set the HELE at a specified distance from the previous element
PROP: Set the HELE at a specified proportional distance between the previous
and the next elements
DIST and PROP both have the format <value> {<p-point>}
The default p-point is P0.
4 Angle Flag to direct component arrive/leave
Globals used:
!!CDSNHB.RINS1 Rod Insertion Length at P1
!!CDSNHB.RINS2 Rod Insertion Length at P2
Globals set:
!!CDSNHB.RTOVAL1 Derived RTO value for component (P1-Rod End)
!!CDSNHB.RTOVAL2 Derived RTO value for component (P2-Rod End)
XHBSCLA:
Arguments
1 SCLA STYP
3 Fit flag. True if SCLA is to be fitted into the available space.
4 P-point to orientate towards previous component. The subroutine will attempt to

align the PA/PL, but if this in insufficient, then it will use this p-point. Default
orientation is determined by argument 5.
5 Default orientation:
TUBE: Pipe flow direction
STEEL: Steel direction (can be SCTN Y or X direction depending on hanger Tail

connection type)

1 SCLA STYP
6 Any other selectors (quoted if using TANS):
Globals used
None
Globals set
XHBHCLN:
Arguments
1 GTYP of element to be checked
2 Minimum/Maximum distance:
Explicit value
Parameter number (e.g. PARAM 1)
3 P-points which min/max distance applies to (in arrive-leave order)
4 Type flag: MIN or MAX
Globals used
None
Globals set
None
XHBSPAC
Arguments:
1 Arrive end GTYP
2 Leave end GTYP (or HT)
Globals used
None

Globals set
None
5.2.3 Hanger Configuration Specifications

Hanger configuration specifications should have their purpose set to HCFG, the DESC set
to indicate the configuration type (see below), and the first question set to TYPE. The
answer refers to the type of pipe element which the hanger will attach to. For tube
configurations, the TANS will be ANY (because an LSTU can occur after any component)
and for component types, there will be a selector for each type (TEE, BEND or ELBO). The
next question must be GTYP, which represents the generic type of the configuration
(Welded, Base Mounted, etc.). The description is put into the TANS attribute of the next
selector. The next question should be PBOR, so that the configuration specification can
determine a list of configurations which can be applied to the current hanger. The last
question should be STYP, and represents the actual configuration. The description is put
into the TANS attribute of the relevant SPCO.
There are three types of hanger configuration specification:
Template Configurations which have a fixed length and can be used to determine the
positions of support steel when creating a steelwork template
Tube Configurations which have variable length which can be applied to tube type
hangers.
Component Configurations which have variable or fixed length which can be applied
to component type hangers.
Support Configurations
Support configurations store the following data:
Attributes and UDAs
DESC A text description of the support configuration
FUNC An optional configuration code which appears on the selection form and
which may also be optionally stored in the design database when the
support is configured
PURP DATA
GTYP Joint type:
BUTT - Butt welded to joint owner
BACK - Back to back jointing
:DESINFO Name of plotfile in the PLOT directory which illustrates the configuration
and its associated parameters
DRAINFO Name of DRAFT drawing used for standard configuration types

Members
The configuration CATE may own any number of TEXT elements which are used to
describe the support template. The TEXT element's role is determined by the setting of the
:DESCR UDA and the data is stored in the STEX attribute.
The following TEXT elements are mandatory and are used to determine the numbers of
support members expected before and after configuration:
DESCR = #ST
STEX = <value>
where <value> represents the number of stanchions expected in the final

configuration and must be a non-negative integer or the letter N to indicate
any number, but it can have the following modifiers:
> There must be greater than zero before configuration
= The number before configuration must be the same as the number specified
DESCR = #XM
STEX = <value>
where <value> represents the number of cross-members expected in the final

configuration and must be a non-negative integer or the letter N to indicate
any number, but it can have the following modifiers:
> There must be greater than zero before configuration
= The number before configuration must be the same as the number specified
Each type of member enumerated above must be described by another TEXT element:
DESCR = <member type>_<member number>
where <member type> is XM or ST and <member number> is the number of

the stanchion/cross-member being described
STEX = <start connection info> <end connection info>
where <start connection info> takes the form
S:<member at start>/<joint position>/<Attached or Owner>:<clearance

code>
and <end connection info> takes the form
E:<member at end>/<joint position>/<joint ownership>:<clearance code>
<member at start> is a support member identifier of the start connection
<member at end> is a support member identifier of the end connection
Member identifiers can have the following forms:
<value> For a specific member number

N Representing the Nth member
< The most extreme ST/XM member in the XM/ST direction
> The least extreme ST/XM member in the XM/ST direction
<joint position> can take one of the following values:
Z At whatever ZDIST is required by the current position of the member
S At the start of the member
E At the end of the member
<joint ownership> is either of:
A Attached
B Owner
<clearance code> refers to the minimum clearance between the nearest pipe
and the respective end as defined in the clearance data table:
A Perpendicular joint at end
B Free end
C Angled (brace) joint at end
A final TEXT element stores data about the parameters, as follows
DESCR = PARAM
STEX = <parameter>/<descriptor> <parameter>/<descriptor> ...
where <parameter> is a single-character text string in the range A-I and

<descriptor> can refer to any of the following:
The length of a member; e.g. ST_1 or XM_N (length of 1st stanchion or
Nth cross-member)
A dimension between a member and the start/end of another section; e.g.
XM_1<ST_1 (distance of 1st cross-member from start of 1st stanchion)
A dimension between two members; e.g. XM_1-XM_2 (distance between
1st cross-member and 2nd cross-member)
5.2.4 Support Configuration Specifications

Support configuration specifications should have their purpose set to SCFG and the first
question set to TYPE. The TANS of the first selector is set to ANY and the next question is
set to GTYP. User-defined configurations should all be in the STD category which is the
TANS of the next selector. There is also another selector at this level with TANS set to
SPCL, but this is not to be changed and should exist in all support configuration specs. The
next selector represents the generic types of configuration (e.g. Goalpost) and can have any
TANS but the question should be CONF. The final SPCO level represents the specific
configuration and can have any TANS.

5.2.5 Data Tables

Data tables use the existing PDMS specification hierarchy as a way to extract cross-
referenced data, using many parameters, without having to read a lot of external files.
There are currently three forms of data which are stored this way:
Hanger Lengths
Hanger/Steel Clearances
Maximum Unsupported Spans
Data tables for Hangers & Supports should exist in a SPWL with PURP set to HSUP.
Hanger Length Table

The Hanger Length Table is used by the application to determine the minimum and
maximum Head to Tail lengths for a given configuration. This is checked every time a
hanger is created, but it is most important for template-type configurations which use the
minimum length to position the supporting members. The values derived from this table
override the values set in the configuration CATE :MAXLEN and :MINLEN attributes.
The Hanger Length Table should be in a SPEC with PURP set to HMML. An example
named /CADC/HS/SAMPLE/SPEC/HANGLEN is supplied with the product.
The following hierarchy is mandatory for the Hanger Length Table:
SPEC
QUES PBOR
:VISI false
PURP HMML
DESC <optional text description>
1st Level of SELE
ANS <pipe nominal bore>
QUES SMAT
2nd Level of SELE
TANS <steel material code> *
QUES PMAT
3rd Level of SELE
TANS <pipe material code> *
QUES HTYP
SPCO level
ANS <length type code> **
TANS <hanger configuration type code> ***
COMM <min length>/<max length> (including units, e.g. 0mm/60mm)

* Material codes are defined in the application defaults from the

Settings>Admin>Materials menu option.
** This can be set to 0 or 1:

1 - Lengths are calculated from outside of pipe. This is the default mode if a
configuration is not defined in the Hanger Length Table.
0 - Lengths are calculated from the C/L of the pipe. In this mode, the application
selects the PCLA to calculate the minimum length when creating support
templates
*** Code corresponds to the Hanger Build Macro suffix and the GTYP of the
configuration CATE.
Hanger Clearance Table

This table is used at two stages during the creation of a support (with steelwork). First when
initially applying a configuration to deduce the lengths of the supporting members, and
again when the profiles have been selected to maintain the minimum clearance between
hanger attachment points and supporting member ends. There are three types of clearance
code, depending on the type of joint at the member end:
A1 Free end (no joint) before profiles set
A2 Free end after profiles set
B Perpendicular joint
C1 Angled end (braced free end - only really used in the Braced Cantilever type
configuration) before profiles set
C2 Angled end after profiles set
The following hierarchy is mandatory for the Hanger Clearance Table:
SPEC
QUES PBOR
:VISI false
PURP HCLR
DESC <optional text description>
1st Level of SELE
ANS <pipe nominal bore>
2nd Level of SELE
TANS <clearance code>
QUES HTYP
SPCO Level
TANS <hanger configuration type code> *

SPEC
COMM <clearance> (measured from pipe C/L including units, e.g. 75mm)
* Code corresponds to the Hanger Build Macro suffix and the GTYP of the
configuration CATE
Maximum Unsupported Span Table

Some users base maximum unsupported spans for pipes on Span Tables. The Hangers &
Supports application provides a method whereby these tables can be entered into a data
table and the maximum spans can be graphically indicated in the 3D model by partially
highlighting the supported branches.
The PURP attribute of the Span Table SPEC should be set to HSPT, the :VISI set to false,
and the DESC attribute may have an optional description text.
The hierarchy for this data table is variable, depending on the number of parameters which
you wish to cross-reference, but the format is as follows:
At SELE/SPCO Owner
TDEF <expression>
This expression can be anything which yields a single numeric or text value based
on the current HANGER. It is recommended that the supplied user function
SELEATT be used, as this will return the value of any attribute or any pseudo-
attribute of any part of the hanger or related support or pipe. For example:
USRFUNC (SELEATT ATTA LBOR) returns the leave bore of the ATTA.
USRFUNC (SELEATT ATTA $<part (RTEX of DETREF of LSTU , 2)$>)
returns the schedule of the attached pipe (for the standard AVEVA pipe
specs).
USRFUNC (SELEATT BRAN TEMP) returns the temperature rating of the
attached branch.
(See the internal macro documentation of SELEATT for further details of this
function.)
At SELE/SPCO
TANS <test>
This test is used for the data returned by the owner's TDEF expression to yield a
logical true or false.
Suitable tests might be (for the above examples):

eq 20
eq 'SCH80' (notice the use of quotes '...' and not vertical bars |...| )
lt 177
Tests are performed in list order, so if multiple matches are possible, the first is
assumed. In this way, ranges can be defined (as with the temperature example
above) by using lt or gt and putting the test values in increasing or decreasing order
as applicable.

The actual span is stored in the COMM attribute of the SPCO. The application will return an
error value if matches cannot be made from the Span Table.

Index
Numerics DIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2D Geometry Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

3D Geometry Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
F
Fittings catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
A
Administrative Elements . . . . . . . . . 2-1, 2-2
H
Attconn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6 Hanger Build Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Automatic Drawing Production . . . . . . . . 3-3 Hanger Clearance Table . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Hanger Length Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
B Hash character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Bores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
British Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
I
BS 5950 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 ISOCAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
C J
Catalogues and Specifications Reference Manu- Joints catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
al . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
CHOOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
L
Clearance code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Component Configurations . . . . . . . . . . 5-26 LSRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Component Point Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Conventions for structural catalogues . . . 2-1 M
CSTANdard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Material codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
D Material Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Material World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Datakeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 MATR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4, 3-2 Maximum Unsupported Span Table . . . 5-31
Densities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16 Member identifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
DENSITY.DAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15, 2-16 Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-20, 5-27
Detail Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Copyright 1974 to current year. Index page 1 12 Series

N
Naming Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Negative Geometry Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
O
Ownconn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
P
PBOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Pipe Clamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Point sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3, 2-4
Profile catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Properties DB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
R
Rod take-out values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
S
Sample Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Specification Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Steel Clamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Structural Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Structural Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Subframe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Subroutines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Support Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
T
Tabulated format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
TANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Tanswers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Template Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Template-type configurations . . . . . . . . 5-29
Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tube Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
U
User-defined configurations . . . . . . . . . 5-28
V
Variable Height Components . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Copyright 1974 to current year. Index page 2 12 Series


Design Conventions For Catalogues and Specifications

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design Conventions For Catalogues and Specifications

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design Conventions

for Catalogues and Specifications

Date Version Comments / Remarks

Conventions for Catalogues and

Set Steelwork Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:1

Set Hangers and Supports Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1

Copyright 1974 to current year. i 12 Series

Design Parameters and Selector Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:1

Copyright 1974 to current year. ii 12 Series

1 About This Guide

1.1 Who Should Read This Guide

1.2 Purpose of the Guide

1.3 What the Guide Contains

Copyright 1974 to current year. 1:1 12 Series

1.4 Other Sources of Information

Copyright 1974 to current year. 1:2 12 Series

2 Set Steelwork Conventions

2.1.1 Standard Catalogue Reference Data

Copyright 1974 to current year. 2:1 12 Series

2.1.2 Administrative Elements

Description Description of catalogue

Cstandard Catalogue standard

STSEction - Structural Section

Description Description of Section

Gtype- Generic type of element contained in section; this should be

STCAtegory - Structural Category

Description Description of category

Purpose Purpose should equate to the STYP of the items as

Gtype Identifies the Generic element type

Skey not applicable

Copyright 1974 to current year. 2:2 12 Series

Description Description of category

Ptref Point set reference

Gmref Geometry set reference

Ngmref Negative geometry reference

DataSetRef Data set reference

Pstreference Pline set reference

Gstreference Profile set reference

CDetail Detail reference

Ownconn Owning connection profile type

Attconn Attached connection profile type

CPlot Plot file for reference used in documentation

Icon Icon name

PTSE - Point Sets

Description Description of point set

Gtype Identifies the Generic element type

Skey Symbol Key to which point set relates

Purpose Purpose of point set

GMSE - 3D Geometry Set

Description Description of geometry set

Gtype Identifies the Generic element type

Purpose Purpose of geometry set

NGMS - Negative Geometry Sets

Description Description of geometry set

Gtype Identifies the Generic element type

Purpose Purpose of geometry set

Copyright 1974 to current year. 2:3 12 Series

Description Description of dataset

Gtype Identifies the Generic element type

Purpose Purpose of dataset

PTSS - Point sets

Description Description of point set

Gtype Identifies the Generic element type