Refined inelastic analysis of piping systems using a beam-type program

A finite element for inelastic piping analysis has been presented, which enables accounting for local effects like thermal gradients and supplies local states of stresses and strains, while keeping all the advantages of a classical beam type program (easy to use, simple boundary conditions, cost effectiveness). Thanks to the local description of the cross section, geometrical non-linearity due to inertia modification can be introduced together with material non-linearity. The element can also be degenerated into a straight pipe element