Thermal loads

[UcfSE]

I've looked through the help, and website, and google.

How does RISA account for joint thermal loads? Can these be factored per ASCE in the TL basic load case? It doesn't seem there's a way to input a joint temperature and associate it with a load case.

I've been using the T uniform loads, which can be applied to a load case, but I would like to compare the results of a beam uniform temperature load to the results of the two beam nodes being at an elevated temperature.

Also, is there a way to apply joint temperatures without clicking on every joint and applying the load one at a time?

 

[sbouvia]

It appears that the joint thermal load listed is just used to determine the baseline (ambient) temperature of the structure. The program uses the start and end temperatures to determine an ambient temperature along the member. See loads - thermal loads in the RISA manual and Joint Coordinates spreadsheet in the RISA Manual.

You can use the joint spreadsheet to apply thermal loads to multiple joints in lieu of clicking on them individually.

 

[JoshPlumSE]

RISA defines joint temperatures. Think of that as the temperatures of the unstressed state of the structure. Usually, I leave all the joints with a temperature = 0. Then I apply a member distributed load (with the direction = T for tmemperature) to members that will see expansion due to a temperature increase. I can do the same with plate surface loads as well. Leaving the baseline tempeatures as zero makes it easy to understand exactly what thermal loads you are applying to your members and plates.