Hello,

I am designing support lugs for a large pressure vessel, and just want to be clear on the terminology being used in Compress. In particular, I'm a bit lost on exactly the meaning of the following two inputs (copied from help file):

Distance to Load (d) -- Enter the distance to the center of action of the load (F) supported by the lug.
Force Bearing Width -- Enter the width of support in direct contact with the lug base plate.

This vessel will be supported by structural steel, which we are not designing. I just want to be sure that I am asking the right questions of our client to ensure I enter the correct values in these fields.

Distance to load - does this typically correspond with the bolt circle diameter?
Force Bearing Width - is this the circumferential width where the structural steel meets the underside of the base ring, or is it a radial width?

Thank you,