Load on Top Half of Beam Only

Question

Load on Top Half of Beam Only

WTFD4V1D (Structural)

(OP)

18 Jul 13 01:07

I have a plan check comment to check torsion on the upper half of a steel beam (I'm using an HSS section). Is there a way to model a load that acts uniformly across only a section of the beam? See attached PDF.

bootlegend (Structural) · Answer 1 · 2013-07-18 09:37:55

You could model it as an equivalent distributed torque along the beam.

UcfSE (Structural) · Answer 2 · 2013-07-18 09:57:52

Are you asking if the load can be placed with only half of the beam actively participating, or if the load can be placed on the top instead of the centroid?

WTFD4V1D (Structural) · Answer 3 · 2013-07-18 10:41:57

If I'm looking at the beam with the depth dimension facing me, I want to only load it from the centroid up. My case is a window above the beam and door below the beam. The plan checker wants me to check torsion on the top half (if doors are open so the bottom half of the beam gets no wind).

UcfSE (Structural) · Answer 4 · 2013-07-18 11:06:37

The most direct way to do this I think would be to follow the previous suggestion, apply a distributed torque along the beam. You could achieve this other ways, with rigid links that get loaded, or perhaps by changing the detailing in the member properties. I'm not sure about the second one.

JoshPlumSE (Structural) · Answer 5 · 2013-07-18 11:16:35

Yes, I think a distributed load and a distributed torque would be the most rational way to handle this situation.

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Load on Top Half of Beam Only