Multiframe allows you to create a number of different types of load cases to manage different loading conditions

You can apply up to 500 load cases to a structure at a time.  You may define some of these load cases to be factored combinations of existing load cases.  If you make a change to a load case that is used by other load cases, the factored load cases will automatically be updated to reflect the change.  You can automatically construct a load case that includes the self weight of the structure as outlined in the previous section.

Initially, one load case is defined titled 'Load Case 1'.  You can edit one load case at one time. The current load case is indicated by a check mark on the appropriate item in the lower part of the Case menu and is shown in the lower left hand corner of the Load window and the Plot windows when two dimensional views are displayed.  If the load case is a factored combination of other cases, it will have (Combined) displayed after the name of the case in the Load window.  You cannot edit or remove loads from a factored load case .  If you change loads in a load case that is used by a combined load case, the combined case will be automatically updated.

Note that a factored load case can be a factored combination of a factored load case, but cannot include a factored combination of a load case higher in the load case list.  For example, load case 3 can include combinations of load cases 1 and 2 but could not include load case 4.

To add a new load case

§    Choose Add Case  from the Case menu

§    Select Static from the Add Case sub-menu.

§    Type in a name for the load case.

The name you give to the load case must not contain any of the following characters; ^ ! < / (

§    Select a Loading Type and the Design classification.

This information will be used in future when doing design using Steel Designer.

§    Click on the OK button

If you turn on the "Duplicate current load case" check box, the new load case will initially contain the loads in the current load case. This is useful if you have two load cases that are very similar, and one can be made from a small variation on the other.

To add a new load case

§    Choose Add Case  from the Case menu

§    Select Static Combined from the Add Case sub-menu.

§    Type in a name for the load case (or leave the default name if you wish)

The name you give to the load case must not contain any of the following characters; ^ ! < / (

§    Enter the load factors for the existing load cases

§    Select Design classification.

This information will be used in future when doing design using Steel Designer.

§    Click on the OK button

To add a new load case

§    Choose Add Case  from the Case menu

§    Select Envelope from the Add Case sub-menu.

§    Type in a name for the load case (or leave the default name if you wish)

§    Select load cases the load cases to be enveloped

§    Select the results to be enveloped, either Linear or Nonlinear.

§    Click on the OK button

To change the name or load factors of a load case

§    Choose Edit Case  from the Case menu

§    Type in a new name for the load case if required

§    If the current load case is a factored case then type in the new load factors if desired

§    Click on the OK button

The name you give to the load case must not contain any of the following characters ; ^ ! < / (.

If you use the Edit Case command to change the name of a load case after analysis, your results will not be lost if you only change the name and not any load factors.

You can edit the names and factors of load cases numerically in the Load Case table that may be displayed in the Data window. This table displays load case names and load case factors.

To change a load case name or factor

§    Click on the value to be changed

§    Type in the new value

§    Press the enter key

You can remove a load case from the structure.  This will remove the case and all its loads.  To delete a load case

§    Choose Delete Case  from the Case menu

A dialog box will appear with the current load cases in a list

§    Select the load case you wish to remove

§    Click the Delete button

You select a load case in the list by clicking on its name.  If you wish to remove more than one load case, hold down the shift key while clicking on the names.  Holding down the shift key while clicking in the list adds the name to the selection or removes it if it is already selected.

You can change the order that the load cases appear in the list of cases.  To sort the load cases

§    Choose Reorder Cases  from the Case menu

A dialog box will appear with the current load cases in a list.

Click and drag on a load case name to drag it to a different location in the list. Load cases which are used in a factored load case must appear before the factored case in the list.