User Guide

Tutorial 3 - Loading
Version 5.0 85
The Distributed Loads spreadsheet opens with the loads that were assigned to
BLC 5. Note that the drop-down list on the left side of the active window now
contains “BLC 5:Cladding”. To view distributed loads that belong to another
BLC you can use this list to select the BLC of interest.
You may also click on blank cells in the Basic Load Case spreadsheet to open
spreadsheets for load cases that have yet to be defined. This interaction provides
an easy way for you to get an overall view of the loads with the Basic Load
Cases spreadsheet and then quickly move through the loads you need to work
with.
We have yet to define the dead load listed on the Basic Load Case spreadsheet.
Also we haven’t discussed the Category and the Gravity columns.
Click to close the distributed loads and return to the Basic Load Case
spreadsheet.
Copying Loads
You may copy all or part of a basic load case to another basic load case. After
taking the time to define a complex load case you may realize that another load
case is very similar to it. In such a situation it is might be best to copy the first
case and then modify the copy rather than start from scratch.
We will use the copy feature to create a 90psf dead load from the 100psf live load
that we just created.
Click the Copy BLC button on the window toolbar and you are presented
with the Copy Basic Load Case dialog. Click on the down arrow in the first
field and select “3: Live Load”. Click on the down arrow in the second field
and select “4: Dead Load”.
The dialog should look like this:
Click OK and there is now a “32” in the Surface column of the Dead Load case.
Click on this “32” in the 4
th
row to open the Surface Loads spreadsheet.
We now need to change this load from 100psf to 90psf.