Add Floor/Roof Panel - Area Loading and Construction (Pro)

 

Opening the Area Loading Editor

1.Select the Create item from the main tool bar at the top of the screen

 

2.In the list of dropdown items, click Add Floor/Roof Panels – Area Loading and Construction

          

 

Area Loading Panel Groups

This area provides you with the ability to create area loading groups. Each group can be tailored to include its own:

 

Span type                  

Span orientation            

Panel edge projection            

Loading                      

Construction details            

Composite loading            

 

Adding an Area Loading Panel Group

1.Open the Area Loading Editor

By default, the Area Loading Editor should open on the “Area Loading Panel Groups” tab. If it isn’t open, select it by clicking its icon .

          

1.Click the Add New Group button to create the group

2.Provide a title for your new area loading panel group

3.Click the Add/Remove Items button

4.Using the mouse, hover over a closed region of your model in which to add an area load

a)If the region is valid, its boundary members will be highlighted

                    

5.Click the highlighted region to apply an area load to it

6.Choose whether to make the area load a one-way or two-way spanning panel by clicking the Span Type radio buttons

                    

a)If you make the panel(s) two-way spanning, the “One Way Span Directions” options will be hidden

7.If required, enter a distance for the panel edge project and select whether it extends to the outer edge of the bounding members

8.Enter your level loading overrides if required

9.If composite construction is enabled, enter your construction and composite level overrides as required

 

All changes will be saved as you enter them.

 

Make Local Panel Changes

Instead of editing a whole group of panels in one go, you can edit an individual panel using the Make Local Panel Changes option.

          

This is useful when only localised panels need to be altered.

Click on the 'Make Local Panel Changes' button and select an individual panel.

Alter its loading, etc. as required. Click on the 'Make Local Panel Changes' button again to move back to the main menu.

 

Span Type and Orientation

If you chose to add one-way spanning panels , you will be able to precisely set the span direction using one of the following items from the “One Way Span Directions” area:

 

Span in X direction

Span in Z direction

Span parallel to a selected member(a)

Span perpendicular to a selected member(a)

Span at an angle to global X axis(b)

Span shortest distance(c)

 

1.These items will enable the “Pick” controls that allow you to graphically select a member with which you can align the panel parallel or perpendicular to. To pick your member, click the Pick button and select a member from the graphical area.

2.Span at an angle to the global X axis will enable the textbox next to the Pick button, allowing you to specify the angle

3.Span the shortest distance provides you with access to the Parallel to side and Average angle check boxes

                    

a)Parallel to side: this aligns the span to the shortest side, regardless of orientation

b)Average angle: this takes the average angle of all the corners in the closed panel and aligns the span based on it

You can also choose to have the panel as two-way spanning  instead in which case the program will automatically distribute the loads to the surrounding members.

 

Panel Edge Projection

You can project the edges of floor area loads beyond their bounding members. You simply need to provide:

 

An extension value for the edge project (in meters)

Whether the projection extends to the outer edge of the physical member

          

 

Area Loading Edge Projection

A basic edge projection facility is available to you through the Area Loading Panel Groups section. However, more powerful edge projections can be specified in the Area Loading Edge Projections. These projections are member based and can be applied in several ways:

 

1.Auto Side: the software automatically chooses the side on which to apply the projection

a)This will usually be the “free” side of the member (typically a side not enclosed by the structure or overlapping an existing edge projection)

2.Load Upper: this will apply an edge projection to the “upper” side of a member based on node numbering

3.Load Lower: this will apply an edge projection to the “lower” side of a member based on the node number

          

 

          Notes

Load upper and lower can be enabled at the same time

To view the edge projections, enable Gravity loads under the Gravity Area Loads category

Dummy members will not appear when 3D viewing is switched on – when selecting members to apply the edge projection to, it’s best to have 3D viewing switched off

When applying Auto Side, Load Upper, Load Lower edge projections, it may be necessary to manually refresh the graphics before being able to see your changes

•To do this, go to the Actions category in the menu bar, select the Undo dropdown and click Refresh

 

 

Loading – Override Level Defaults

The loading area allows you to override the default area loading values. It’s split into dead and live loads and can be specified for a range of load groups. This will cause the default loads to be overridden for this particular panel or group of panels only. This can be useful if you have a localised area where the loads differ from the defaults which have been applied to the rest of the floor.

 

For example, you could apply a dead load of 1 kN/m2 for load group D1 and a 1.5 kN/m2 for load group A1 as shown below.

          

 

Construction – Override Level Defaults

In this area you can override the default level construction settings. Without setting the Composite option from the Levels and Loading Defaults editor, you will be limited to applying either the default level slab settings, or a solid slab with a specified thickness.

          

 

With Composite construction enabled you will have access to the settings for:

 

Profiled slabs - slab thickness and density

          

Precast solid slabs - overall slab thickness, precast slab thickness and density

          

Precast hollow core slabs - as above and hole spacing, diameter and height

          

 

Each of these items comes with its own set of options, allowing you to customise the area loading panel to meet your exact specification. 

 

Composite – Override Level Defaults

With Composite construction enabled from the Levels and Loading Defaults editor, the composite construction override will become available. This area provides you with the option to include a custom composite loading for:

 

Partition loads

Service loads

Construction loads

Mesh/deck loads

          

 

 

Automatic Member Selection

          

Automatic selection of members can be achieved using the buttons found below the edge projects groups panel. Here, you have access to:

 

North and West Edge Beams

South and East Edge Beams 

Inner Beams

East-West Beams Only 

North-South Beam Only

Columns Only

Auto Select   

 

Using these controls, you can combine items to tailor your selection. Simply check the applicable items, and click the Auto Select button to apply the edge projection to the members.

 

Opening the Panel Edge Projection Editor

1.Open the Area Loading Editor

 

By default, the Area Loading Editor should open on the “Area Loading Panel Groups” tab. The Panel Edge Projections button is found to the right of it.

 

1.Click the “Panel Edge Projections” button

 

Adding an Edge Projection 

1.Open the Panel Edge Projections Editor

 

For more clarity when selecting members, ensure 3D viewing is off, and Gravity Loads are enabled

 

1.Click the Add New Group button to create the group

2.Provide a title for your new panel edge projection group

3.Click the Add/Remove Items button

4.Determine the projection selection type:

a)Auto Side

b)Load Upper

c)Load Lower

5.Enter a value for the edge projection in meters

          

6.Using the mouse, select the members from the graphical area to be included in the group

a)If the projection isn’t shown immediately, go to the Actions category in the menu bar, select the Undo dropdown and click Refresh

b)As an alternative to selecting or windowing members, you can make use of the Automatic Member Selection facilities to select members

 

Applying Edge Projections to All Levels

1.Open the Panel Edge Projections Editor

2.Using the group name dropdown, navigate to the edge projection group you want to copy

a)Alternatively, add a new panel edge projection

3.At the bottom of the editor, click the “Copy Current to All Levels” button

 

Common Area Loading Mistakes

The program can intelligently place area loading on panels which have numerous sides and shapes just by the user picking the panel. However, sometimes area loading panels have issues whereby the load doesn’t appear on the panel. Normally the panel would colour in, indicating that the load has been applied to it. If the panel does not colour in after being selected, there could be a few reasons as to why the load isn’t being applied.

1.Non-planar panels. These are panels that are not planar, i.e. the perimeter members don’t lie in the same planar surface. This plane doesn’t necessarily have to be horizontal, but it must ensure that a surface placed across the members is not twisted. There is a small tolerance built into the method to allow a slightly non-planar panel.

In the example below the lower ramp panels are slightly twisted because the Y coordinates on GL 2 don’t match whilst those on GL 1 and 3 do match. Therefore the lower ramp panels are twisted and the panel cannot be defined.

Once the Y coordinates of these nodes are consistent the panels will be easily completed.

 

2.Bracing Members in the panels perimeter members – bracing members are members that are by definition not loaded with area loading. Therefore if a bracing member makes up part of the panel perimeter, the load can’t be applied to it and hence the panel cannot be completed. Check the perimeter members have not been set as bracing members.

3.Panels in which perimeter members have not been split correctly where other members join them and so cannot be selected as a panel. In this case the members may seem to be connected graphically but are not actually connected in the model.

In the model below we want a panel to be included to the left of M247 and a stair void to the right. However, when the panel is being selected, the full panel is being picked up from M107/8 to M111. The member M247 in the middle of the panel is being ignored in the selection process as if it didn’t exist.

On closer inspection it can be seen that member M33 above the panel is not split where M247 is apparently joining it. To solve this issue use the Modify Geometry > Check and Modify Analytical Model > Model Auto Connect and Clean Up option to Auto Connect Members at Intersections. Since M33 is now split where M247 joins it, the left hand panel can now be applied leaving the void to the right.

 

 

Viewing Area Loading

The area loading, patch and line loading can be displayed graphically on the frame using the icons in the Gravity Area Load section of the top toolbar.

          

Using the drop arrows at each type of load, the values can also be displayed and the colour load legend (key) included. Thus you can verify the loaded areas and their values.

          

By dropping the arrow next to the Show Key icon, you can choose which types of loads to include in the legend.

          

Dead and live (D + L) loads are displayed by default, but you can select any load group from A to L. To display multiple load groups at the same time and in the same legend, first tick the box for ‘Multi Select’ and then tick as many groups as you require. You can also include the concrete slab thickness and weight if a slab has been specified. This is useful if you have defined a composite floor construction.