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Add Load

1.0 Introduction

This tutorial will demonstrate how a distributed load can be added to a specific surface area of the model. In Slide3 2017, users were required to imprint geometry to add a load to a specific area; Slide3 2019 no longer requires that loads be imprinted on geometry using a polyline. Loads are now defined using two different menu options: 1) Add Loads, and 2) Add Loads to Selected (first select face, edge, vertices, or entity). This tutorial will provide step-by-step instructions for adding a load using the new and improved Add Loads option.

2.0 Add Load

Loading and Support Tab

  1. Select File > Recent > Tutorials and read in the file Add Loads – starting file from the installation folder.
  2. Select Loading > Add Loads add loads icon
  3. Begin by defining the load Shape and Properties under the Shape/Property tab. Enter the following parameters:
    • Shape = Rectangle
    • Width (m) = 10
    • Height (m) = 20
    • Load Type = Uniform Load
    • Magnitude = 200
    • Leave the Basepoint as the default

    Add Load Dialog

  4. Select the Surface tab, and before selecting OK, select Projected on Terrain as the surface that the load will be applied to.

    Add Load dialog
  5. Finally, select the Location tab.
  6. Notice that the load can be placed on the model using either freehand manipulation or by entering X, Y coordinates.

  7. Enter (75, 50) for the (X, Y) coordinates. This will place the load on the model, with the basepoint (defined in the Shape/Property tab) at the coordinates entered. The load will now appear on the model.
  8. Select OK to finalize the placement of the load.

Add Load Dialog - Location Tab

If you need edit the load settings after adding the load, you can do so by clicking edit beside Applied Property in Properties pane.

Properties Dialog

The final model with the load added should now appear.

Final Model with Load Added View

3.0 Results

  1. Save the file and Compute compute icon
  2. Select Interpret > Show Contours or select Show Contours show contours icon from the toolbar.

You should see the following results. The Bishop safety factor is about 0.9. You can clearly see the effect of the load on the normal stress contours for the global minimum slip surface.

Results Dialog

4.0 Search Options

We will use following settings in the Slip Surface dialog:

  1. Select Surfaces > Slip Surface Options Slip surface options
  2. Select:
    • Surface Generation Method = Search Method
    • Surface Type = Spline
    • External Geometry Composite Surfaces = OFF
    • Search Method = Particle Swarm Search
    • Surface Altering Optimization = ON

      Slip Surface Options Dialog

5.0 Results

  1. Save the file and Compute compute icon
  2. To see the results, go to the Results tab results workflow tab


    With Surface Altering Optimization you obtain a much lower safety factor. Compared to the spherical surface search, the Bishop safety factor is now about 0.7.

    Figure

    This concludes the Add Loads tutorial.

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