Three primary load cases are required for this structure.

UNIT METER KG
LOAD 1 DEAD LOAD
SELF Y -1.0
LOAD 2 EXTERNAL PRESSURE LOAD
ELEMENT LOAD
1 TO 6 PR GY -300
LOAD 3
TEMPERATURE LOAD
1 TO 6 TEMP 40 30

1. Change the units:
   Note: The pressure load value listed in the beginning of this tutorial is in KN and meter units. Rather than convert that value to the current input units, this tutorial will conform to those units. The current input units, which you last set by specifying the thickness was centimeter. Therefore, you need to change the force unit to Kilogram and the length units to Meter.
   1. Click the drop-down arrow beside the current Input Units in the application window status bar. The Set input Units dialog opens.
   2. Select the length units as Meter and the force units as Kilogram.
   3. Click Apply.
2. Add the dead load case:
   1. On the Loading ribbon tab, select the Primary Load Case tool in the Loading Specifications group.
      
      

      The Add New Load Cases dialog opens.

      
   2. Type Dead Load as the Title for Load Case 1.

      Leave the Number as the default (1) and leave the Loading Type as None.

      Note: The Loading Type list is used to associate the load case we are creating with any of the ACI, AISC, IBC, or other code-prescribed definitions of Dead, Live, Ice, etc. This type of association needs to be done if you intend to use the program's automatically generating load combinations in accordance with those codes. Note that there is a check box labeled Reducible per UBC/IBC. This feature is active only when the load case is assigned a Loading Type called Live when you create that load case.
   3. Click Add.

   The newly created load case will now appear under the Load Cases Details in the Load & Definition dialog.

   
3. Create the selfweight load:
   1. On the Loading ribbon tab, select the Load Items tool in the Loading Specifications group.
      
      

      The Add New Load Items dialog opens.

      
   2. Select the Selfweight Load option under the Selfweight item.
   3. Select the Direction as Y
   4. Type the Factor as -1.0.

      The negative number signifies that the selfweight load acts opposite to the positive direction of the global axis (Y in this case) along which it is applied.

   5. Click Add.
4. Assign the selfweight load to all of the elements:
   1. In the Load & Definition dialog, select SELFWEIGHT Y -1.
   2. Select the Assign to View option.
   3. Click Assign.

      A message dialog opens confirming you want to make this assignment.

   4. Click Yes.
5. Add the pressure load case:
   1. On the Loading ribbon tab, select the Primary Load Case tool in the Loading Specifications group.
      
      

      The Add New Load Cases dialog opens.

   2. Type External Pressure Load as the Title.

      Again, there is no need to associate the load case with any code based Loading Type so leave the selection as None.

   3. Click Add.
6. On the Loading ribbon tab Display group, select 2: External Pressure Load from the Load drop-down list.
7. Create the pressure load:
   1. On the Loading ribbon tab, select the Load Items tool in the Loading Specifications group.
      
      The Add New Load Items dialog opens.
   2. Select the Pressure on Full Plate option under the Plate Loads item.

      This type enables the load to be applied on the full area of the element.

      Note: The Concentrated Load is for applying a concentrated force on the element. The Trapezoidal and Hydrostatic options are for defining pressures with intensities varying from one point to another. The Partial Plate Pressure Load is useful if the load is to be applied as a "patch" on a small localized portion of an element.
   3. Type -300 kg/m² in the W1 field (force)
   4. Select GY as the Direction (global Y direction).
   5. Click Add.
   6. Click Close.
   
8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to create a third load case titled Temperature Load and then select it on the Loading ribbon tab Display group.
9. To generate and assign the third load type:
   1. On the Loading ribbon tab, select the Load Items tool in the Loading Specifications group.
      
      The Add New Load Items dialog opens.
   2. Select the Temperature option under the Temperature Loads item.
   3. Type 40 in the Temperature Change for Axial Elongationfield.
   4. Type 30 in the Temperature Differential from Top to Bottom field.

      Leave the Temperature Differential from Side to Side (Local Z) field as 0 (default).

   5. Click Add and then click Close.
   

10. To apply the pressure load and temperature load on all the plates, repeat step 4 for each load item.
    

    The pressure load applied to all plate elements