Form: Load Patterns
Use the Define menu > Load Patterns command to access the Load Patterns form and define static load pattern names and their associated load types, self weight multipliers, and other parameters if the load type is pattern live. An unlimited number of static load pattern names can be defined.
Add Load Pattern button. Click this button to add a row to the Load Patterns spreadsheet and then make the appropriate changes/selections/entries to add a new load pattern to the model file.
Load. Enter the name of the static load pattern. SAFE does not allow duplicate names. Default load patterns of DEAD and LIVE are created by the program.
Type. Select the type of the static load pattern from the drop-down list. SAFE uses these identifiers when automatically creating design load combinations and for pattern loading.
Auto Pattern Live. When the Load Type is Auto Pattern Live, SAFE loads each slab panel defined by the intersection of Layer A column design strips with Layer B column design strip with a separate automatically created pattern live load pattern. The magnitude of these load patterns is based on the sum of all defined live and reducible live load patterns. These load patterns are created when an analysis is performed. The live load in these patterns is not reduced.
Pattern Live Load. When load combinations that include live load are created, only one pattern live load is added to any load combination.
Self Weight Multiplier. The self weight of the structure is determined by multiplying the weight per unit volume of each object that has structural properties times the volume of the object. The weight per unit volume is specified in the material properties.
A portion of the self weight can be applied to any static load pattern. The self weight multiplier controls what portion of the self weight is included in a load pattern. A self weight multiplier of 1 means to include the full self weight of the structure in the load pattern. A self weight multiplier of 0.5 means to include half of the self weight of the structure in the load pattern.
Typically, a self weight multiplier of 1 should be specified in one static load pattern only, usually the dead load pattern. All of the other static load patterns then have self weight multipliers of zero. Note that if a self weight multiplier of 1 is included in two different load patterns, and then those two load patterns are combined in a load case, the results for the load case are based on an analysis where double the self weight of the structure has been applied as a load.
Notes. Double click in the Notes cells to display the Load Pattern Notes form and add notes to the model file.
Delete Load Pattern button. Click in any cell of a row of data and click the button to delete the selected load pattern.
Note: Load Patterns also can be accessed by right clicking an item under Load Patterns of the Load Definitions node on the Model tab of the Model Explorer window.
See Also