Load combinations

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Use Load combinations tool to set up load combinations for calculations or for importing and exporting load combinations.

When you select the Load combinations tool, a new dialogue window opens.

• Name - add or change the name of the load combination
• Type - select type of the load combination. There are 6 user-selectable types:
  • U - ultimate limit state
  • Ua - ultimate accidental limit state
  • Us - ultimate seismic limit state
  • Sq - serviceability limit state - quasi-permanent
  • Sf - serviceability limit state - frequent
  • Sc - serviceability limit state - characteristic
• Factor - set the final combination factor for the load case
• Included load cases - select a load case to include in the load combination
• Import/Export > - import or export the load combinations (read below in more detail)

Buttons for load combinations

• Generate - opens a new dialogue window for automatic load combination generation from load groups
• Insert - insert a new load combination either at the end of the list or in between the existing load combinations
• Copy - copy the selected load combination to another load combination. All load cases will be copied with the current factors.
• Delete - delete the selected load combination
• Delete all - deletes all load combinations

caution

With the Copy command none of the load cases in the destination load combination will be deleted - only new ones are added and combination factors for existing ones will be overwritten.

Buttons for load cases

• Insert - insert an existing load case to the selected combination
• New - create a new load case and insert it to the selected combination. It will open a new dialogue window. Read more below.
• Remove - remove the selected load case from the current load combination

info

These options are only available if you select one of the included load case or it's factor. Otherwise they are greyed out.

Import/Export

When you click the Import/Export > button, a new menu opens.

• Save as default - save the load combinations list to use as default for every new project
• Save - save the load combinations list to a file to use later
• Load - load a previously saved list of load combinations
• Copy - copy the load combinations list to clipboard
• Paste - paste the load combinations list from clipboard

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New load case

When you click the New button under the Load case label, a new dialogue window opens.

The Name, Type and Duration class here are exactly the same as in the main Load case dialogue.

note

To read about the Load case settings see the topic
User interface ➔ Tab menus ➔ Loads ➔ Panel Load case, combination, group & construction stage ➔ Load cases

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Generate

When you click the New button under the Load case label, a new dialogue window opens.

Load cases

Select load groups and load cases to include in the load combination generation. Load combinations can only be generated from load cases in groups - independent load cases cannot be used.

Load combinations

Select which load combination types you want to generate. There are 6 possible types:

• Ultimate (U)
• Accidental (Ua)
• Seismic (Us)
  • Signed load cases - use signed load cases
    • Consider torsional effect
    • Consider in Z direction
  • Unsigned load cases - use unsigned load cases
• Quasi-permanent (Sq)
• Frequent (Sf)
• Characteristic (Sc)

General options

• Ignore minimal safety factors of permanent load groups in U, Ua, Us combinations - if selected, then the favourable combination factors from the Load groups dialogue will be not used in load combination generation.
• Always select a load case from each temporary load group - if this is selected, then at least one load case from each temporary load group will be used in each load combination (based on the Load cases' relationship). If this is unselected, then separate load combination will be generated with load cases from one, multiple (or all) load groups - this means that more load combinations will be created in total.

Name generation

• Short load combination names - select to shorten load combination names. Short name includes only the load combination number and type (for example "LC34Sq"). Long names include all the load cases' names and their factors (for example, "self + case fire + 0.50xcase snow").

note

To read about the Load groups settings see the topic
User interface ➔ Tab menus ➔ Loads ➔ Panel Load case, combination, group & construction stage ➔ Load groups