TR.32.4.1 Area Load Specification
Used for distributing a pressure load onto the beams that define a closed loop. The program will establish the direction of the shorter span and load the beams in that direction.
General Format
AREA LOAD
memb-list ALOAD f1 { GX | GY | GZ }
Where:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| f1 | The value of the area load (units of weight over square length unit). If Global direction is omitted, then this load acts along the positive local y-axis [for the members of a floor analysis, the local y direction will coincide with global vertical axis in most cases]. If Global direction is included, then the load acts in that direction. The magnitude of the loads calculated is the same as if the positive local y axis option was selected. (For detailed description, refer to G.15.3 Area, One-way, and Floor Loads.) |
Notes
- The structure has to be modeled in such a way that the specified global axis remains perpendicular to the floor plane(s).
- For the FLOOR LOAD specification, a two-way distribution of the load is considered. For the ONEWAY and AREA LOAD specification, a one-way action is considered. For ONE WAY loads, the program attempts to find the shorter direction within panels for load generation purposes. So, if any of the panels are square in shape, no load will be generated for those panels. For such panels, use the FLOOR LOAD type.
- The global horizontal direction options (GX and GZ) enables one to consider AREA LOADs, ONEWAY LOADSs, and FLOOR LOADs for mass matrix for frequency calculations.