Alternate Load Groups

Alternate loading patterns can be set up along with the area loading if the loads have to be considered in a patterned fashion.

The alternate load groups area is used to help define this patterned loading. Here, the members are selected to be in one of several pattern groups. For example, in a floor plan, every other member would be selected to be in the dead D1 and live L1 group. The intermediate members would be selected to be in the dead D2 and live L2 group. Hence loading patterns can be set up in the loading combinations to provide maximum or minimum loading on members.

Opening the Alternate Load Groups Editor

1.Open the Area Loading Editor

By default, the Area Loading Editor should open on the “Area Loading Panel Groups” tab. The Alternate Load Groups button is the second button to the right of it.

1.Click the Alternate Load Groups button

Adding an Alternate Load Group

1.Open the Alternate Load Groups Editor

2.Select the load group number designation that you want to edit by using the dropdown

a)Number designations go from 0 to 9

3.Click on the members which you want to include in the Alternate Load group, eg, load group D1 L1

4.Move to the next load group, eg, D2 L2 and select the members that are to be in this group.

Now that groups have been set up, you can set the load combinations for the alternate loading patterns.

          Notes

You can rename the load group however it will not change the load combination number associated with the items in the load group

Load group numbers are limited to 0 – 9 and correspond to the designated load group letters.

For a visual representation of this, from the top menu bar, go to:

Loads > Load Cases > Load Combinations > Load Factors