Defining Global Loads Page 1 of 2

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Concept: Defining Global Loads

Defining Global Loads
Simulate provides a large number of options to apply global loads to a model. Global loads are gravitational,
centrifugal, and temperature loads which always impact the entire model. Loads can be edited in the model
tree. Information can be obtained in this way, and they can be hidden. Loads can be assigned to load sets.
Then, each load set can be solved separately in a linear static analysis run.

The following global loads are available:

• Gravitational – When defining gravitational loads, enter components of earth acceleration in one of the
offered units systems.

Figure 1 – Gravitational Load

• Centrifugal – Define vector of rotation axis and angular speed in one of the three offered units (rad/sec,
deg/sec, RPM) by selecting the corresponding option and enter the corresponding values. You can also
define a rotational acceleration (in rad/sec2 or deg/sec2).

Figure 2 – Centrifugal Load

• Temperature – Define the actual and reference temperature. The actual temperature may be constant
for the complete model, a function of coordinates (to be defined by a symbolic or tabular function), or
imported from a file containing the externally calculated temperature field (*.fnf – FEM Neutral Format).
The reference temperature is the temperature before the load is applied.

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Defining Global Loads Page 2 of 2

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Figure 3 – Temperature Load

A MEC/T temperature load can also be applied. Structural calculations with MEC/T loads are based on
the results from Simulate Thermal.

The loads are defined by default in the currently active coordinate system. Other coordinate systems may be
selected if required. Only for constraints defined in the World Coordinate System can reaction load measures
be calculated.

For global structural loads in structural and in transient thermal analyses, the density has to be specified
correctly; otherwise, volumetric forces and the heat capacity are calculated wrong.

Since global loads are not taken into account when using the Review Total Load command, the only
way to check the effect of global loads is to review the *.rpt-file (for example, the resulting force of a
gravity load). In this case, reactions must be requested in the Structural Analysis Definition dialog box
as an output quantity.

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