Form: Assign Frame Output Stations
For each load pattern and load combination, the frame object internal forces and moments are computed and reported at each output station on the frame. The spacing of the stations may be based on a maximum spacing size or a minimum number of stations that are then spaced equally along the frame. Click the Assign menu > Frame > Output Stations command to display the Assign Frame Output Stations form. Assign output stations as follows.
Select the frames for which the output station is to be specified.
Use the Assign menu > Frame > Output Stations command to access the Assign Frame Output Stations form.
Select one of the two options provided on the form:
Max Station Spacing, and provide spacing; or
Min Number of Stations, and provide number of stations.
By default the Intersections With Other Elements and Concentrated Load Locations check boxes are checked. With them checked, the program adds output and design stations where other object frame into the selected frame and where concentrated loads are present on the selected frame(s) . Uncheck one or both of these boxes to eliminate these additional output stations.
Click OK.
The output results will be computed and displayed on these specified stations.
Note: The locations of the output stations are identified by the absolute distance to the station measured from the i-end of the object in the frame output, which can be displayed in a tabular form, on the computer screen, printed to a printer or printed to a file.
Note: Output stations will always be located at the two ends of the clear length of an object.
Tip: It is advisable to specify a different number of output stations for columns than for beams, since columns typically are designed using only the two end values of forces and moments, whereas beams may be designed at the maximum values occurring somewhere in between the length because of the presence of point or distributed loads on the span of the beam.
Example: Use of this command is demonstrated in Problem I.
See Also