Vertical Loads

Use the Vertical Loads to specify vertical UDL and concentrated point loads.

Concentric (Gku and Qku) and eccentric (Gk and Qk) unfactored dead and live line loads can be applied to each leaf, along with the offset for the eccentric loads.

When using the Advanced Yield Line analysis method, up to 10 concentrated dead and live point loads (eg, point load from the end of a floor beam supported by the wall) can be applied, analysed and the wall leaf design checked. Specify the distance X (m) from the end of the wall to the concentrated point load. Enter the point load length (Blen) and width (Bw) and eccentricity (ex) from the centre of the wall. Then enter the spreader or padstone length (SPlen) and depth (SPd). Note that the spreader is assumed to be the thickness of the leaf.

The additional compressive and wall buckling stresses due to the point loads are checked in the calculations.

To delete a line, right mouse click on the line to obtain the delete option.

The Buckling Force Strip Averaging Width is a factor of the leaf thickness 't' up to a max of 10t.

The buckling average width factor was introduced as a means of spreading a variable axial load on a design section over a sensible design strip.

For this factor have any influence the axial force needs to vary horizontally over the section of the wall being considered, with the maximum force section being less than the strip average width. In the image below, the leaf in 100mm thick. The max strip buckling Force Strip Averaging Width factor is 10 (the software will not allow above this), hence the max-width is 1m. The point load creates a section of max axial load over a width of 3.2m, hence the averaging will have no effect. If this max section of force were less than 1m, then the average would have had an effect.

Where buckling force strip averaging can make a difference is with load distributed from lintels of openings. These are distributed through the wall like a point load, and generally produce a shorter horizontal length of axial force pressure nearer the centre height of the wall. See image below.  In this case, you can see why this input for averaging is helpful, otherwise, the design for buckling might be based on the max axial force that may only occur over a very small horizontal section of the wall.

In the case of a single leaf masonry wall, the Outer Leaf tab becomes inactive and the Inner Leaf tab is renamed to simply “Leaf”, but still receives the same information.