Predefined Load Cases

Predefined Load Cases is a tool that helps to preview and create Load Sets with chosen settings and according to EN 13001, Eurocode0, ASCE 7-10 (LRFD) and ASCE 7-10 (WSD) standards.

To create Predefined Load Cases, execute Jobs - Job - Predefined Load Cases from the tree:

The following options have to be defined:

• Standard - the standard according to which load sets will be created;
• Category - category of the individual load based on a chosen standard. Category may be set both in the table for each load separately or to a number of loads by pressing button Apply to Selected;
• Load Factor - factor used for correcting default values of partial safety factor and dynamic factor. Load Factor may be set both in the table for each load separately or to a number of loads by pressing button Apply to Selected;
• Position - used to avoid putting individual loads either that have the same category or which do not act on a structure simultaneously into one load set. Position may be set both in the table for each load separately or to a number of loads by pressing button Apply to Selected;

Individual loads with position 0 all belong to one load set and are also put into the same load sets with other positions.

Example:

Predefined Load Case with different positions:

Predefined Load Case
Individual Load	Factor	Position
Wind	1.13	0
Gravity	1	0
Snow	1.5	1

Created Load Sets

Load Set 1. Position 0			Load Set 1. Position 1
Individual Load	Factor	Position	Individual Load	Factor	Position
Wind	1.13	0	Wind	1.13	0
Gravity	1	0	Gravity	1	0
			Snow	1.5	1

If a load sould be combined with a particular positions (e.g. only with positions 1 and 2), you should copy a Predefined Load Case and just change the positions of the load:



• Logic - used to duplicate load set but with an opposite sign to Factor for all selected Individual Loads. Logic may be set both in the table for each load separately or to a number of loads by pressing button Apply to Selected;

  Example:

  Predefined Load Case with logic:

  Predefined Load Case
  Individual Load	Factor	Logic
  Gravity	1	No
  Wind	1.13	Yes
  Hoist	1.5	Yes

  Created Load Sets

  Load Set 1.1		Load Set 1.2		Load Set 1.3		Load Set 1.4
  Individual Load	Factor	Individual Load	Factor	Individual Load	Factor	Individual Load	Factor
  Gravity	1	Gravity	1	Gravity	1	Gravity	1
  Wind	1.13	Wind	1.13	Wind	-1.13	Wind	-1.13
  Hoist	1.5	Hoist	-1.5	Hoist	1.5	Hoist	-1.5

Note: In ASCE 7-10 Standard there are some cases where loads (e.g. Ice Load) are used both with signs "+" and "-". Be careful when checking Logic as you may get combinations where loads will be with duplicate Model Factors. However the program will not recognize them as duplicate because of different Load Factor and Logic Ratio:

In the example showed above several load combinations with equal Model Factors will be created. However, they are still not duplicates, because all other factors (e.g. Load Factor, Logic Ratio are different). Pay attention to it when creating combinations in order to avoid duplicates.

Use Search to filter loads by text.

- clear all filters;

- if the checkbox is checked, load sets will be created after pressing OK button;

Note: In case that categories are set and the checkbox is checked, but no sets can be created, the following warning will be displayed on pressing OK button:

- if the checkbox is checked, duplicate load sets will be created after pressing OK button. In addition to this duplicate load combinations will be displyed after pressing Preview button.

Duplicate combinations are such combinations that have got the same category and all the factors. They may occure when trying to create combinations according to Eurocode0 standard within Set B/Set B-b and Accidental/Seismic cases. (Open an Information Window for detailed combinations rules)

Example: Assuming you have got the following initial settings:

The following duplicates may appear (check the highlighted combinations):

This means that if "Show Duplicate Combinations" is not checked, on pressing Preview or OK buttons, these messages will be displayed:

If you decide to check "Show Duplicate Combinations", all duplicates will be both displayed in the Preview window and created after pressing OK. Otherwise combinations will be created in the order that is shown in Choose Cases Window. For the example mentioned above: all combinations for Set B will be created (as it comes before Set B-b) and only those combinations that do not dublicate the created ones will be created for Set B-b (if there are such):

Note: If different positions are set to loads, they are not duplicates within the same case!

To summarize, if you want to create duplicate combinations you can either simply check "Show Duplicate Combinations" or copy Predefind Load Cases with the same settings from the tree and choose other cases to be created. By doing this, you will be able to create duplicate combinations through different Predefined Load Cases:

Note: In case every individual load's category is set to "None", a relevant error message will appear.

To edit created predefined load case, execute Jobs - Job - Predefined Load Cases - Edit from the tree.

- open the window with information about chosen standard;

Information Window

Look of the Information Window for EN 13001:

Look of the Information Window for Eurocode0:

Look of the Information Window for ASCE 7-10. ASD

Look of the Information Window for ASCE 7-10. LRFD

Dynamic Factors

Dynamic Factors button opens a window where dynamics factors may be edited. By default dynamic factors values are set according to the chosen standard.

Look of the Dynamic Factor Window for EN 13001:

- see the Calculate Dynamic Factors chapter.

Look of the Dynamic Factor Window for Eurocode0:

Note: In Preview Window dynamic factors for Eurocode0 will be labeled as ψi,j where i - stands for column number beginning with 0 and j - for row number beginning with 1.

Example: For the table given above ψ2,7 = 0.3

If there is a need to transfer values of dynamic factors within different Predefined Load Cases, it can be done with the help of files.

- press to copy to clipboard selected row(s) of dynamic factors.

- press to paste from clipboard to selected row(s) of dynamic factors.

Note: Only values can be paste here. Name of the dynamic factor cnnot be changed in any way. If you copy such a number of values that does not match with a number of dynamic factors, only first factors will be changed (or some of your values will be cut):

- press to import dynamic factors from the file with the corresponding content.

- press to export dynamic factors to the file and choose the destination directory, where they should be stored.

The dynamic factors are stored in a JSON file. Here is how a part of the imported data looks like for EN 13001:

And for Eurocode0:

• PredefinedLoadStandardType - represents a name of the standard. Make sure to choose a file with the correct standard name when importing the values. Otherwise the following message will be displayed:

  

  Also do not change the standard name itself, as it is going to cause problems while importing the content.
• Factors - represents a list of the factors. Do not add or remove any factors from the list because it will corrupt the file and a relevant message will be displayed on the import:

  

• FactorName - represents a name of the factor. Do not try changing its value (content of the quotation marks) because the name of the factor will not be changed anyway.
• FactorValue - represents a value of the factor. If you want to change it, make sure you do not omit the quotation marks and fill in the numeric value. Failing this, either of the following types of messages will be displayed:

  

To sum up, compare the look of the valid and corrupted files:

If you are not sure what the correct file looks like, export dynamic factors one more time and then alter them the way you need.

If the standard does not comtain Dynamic Factors, the button which opens this window will be blocked, e.g. ASCE 7-10:

Calculate Dynamic Factors

For EN 13001 there is a tool that helps to calculate Dynamic Factors by formula automatically:

If you want to calculate a particular factor, you should check a corresponding check box. If there is a need to check all of them, you can do it by pressing All button. In order to uncheck all check boxes, None button should be pressed.

Near every check box there is a button that opens a window with all needed information to calculate dynamic factor (formulas, explanation etc).

After filling input data, press Calculate button. If there is a need to calculate multiple factors at one time - press Calculate All button, which is located in the bottom of the window. Only checked factors will be calculated.

If any factor was checked but was not calculated, the following message will appear:

Cases

Choose Cases button opens a window where necessary cases for load sets may be chosen.

Look of the Cases Window for EN 13001:

Look of the Cases Window for Eurocode0:

Look of the Cases Window for ASCE 7-10 (LRFD ans ASD):

Preview

Preview button opens a window where possible load sets may be previewed before being created.

To find out a full title of the load hover a mouse over the table's header:

Note: In case any individual load's category is set to "None", a relevant warning will appear before Preview window is opened.

If the individual load's category is set to "None", that individual load will not be displayed in the table.

Note: In case there is no load set into which an individual load with a particular category can be put, a relevant warning will appear before Preview window is opened.

If the individual load can not be put into any load set, it will not be shown in the table either.

To preview load sets of created predefined load case, execute Jobs - Job - Predefined Load Cases - Preview from the tree.

Common Options

- export the table to Excel.

- copy the table to the clipboard.