RISA Loading question
RISA Loading question
(OP)
I am fairly young engineer, but I still insist on checking a lot of the program's results with hand calcs. This is always beneficial, because I checked the RISA results for a plate loading on a metal building. I noticed that the plate load was not being distributed correctly. From the old days of hand calculations, I new that 0.02 ksf distributed over beams 20 feet long @ 3 feet O.C. should give a Shear (V) result that is (0.02 ksf * 3 feet * 20 ft)/2 however the results are not even close to this.
When I apply a distributed load of 0.02 ksf over the beam, I get a Shear (V) equal to approximately (0.02 ksf * 3 feet * 20 ft)/2.
Can anyone help me find out what I need to do to get the plate loading to show up correctly?
When I apply a distributed load of 0.02 ksf over the beam, I get a Shear (V) equal to approximately (0.02 ksf * 3 feet * 20 ft)/2.
Can anyone help me find out what I need to do to get the plate loading to show up correctly?






RE: RISA Loading question
Without seeing your model, there is no way to know for sure why this would be. However, my suspicion is that you have not correctly meshed your plate elements. The first time anyone uses plate elements the tendency is to us one large plate and apply an surface load to the area of that plate. But, plate elements only have connectivity to their corner joints. So, they do not behave well unless they have been sub-meshed. Without that sub-meshing, the plate will probably carry the load directly into the support bypassing the beam completely.
RE: RISA Loading question