Edge Load

Add an as a force or moment distributed along an edge (for the Plate interface add it to boundaries). The load is defined in the given local coordinate system.

Coordinate System Selection

Select the coordinate system to use for specifying the load. From the list select from:

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(the standard global coordinate system).

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	For details about the definition of local edge systems, see Local Edge System.

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Any additional user-defined coordinate system.

Face Defining the Orientations

This setting is used in conjunction with and. When the load is applied to an edge which is shared between boundaries, the coordinate system can be ambiguous. Select the boundary which should define the edge system. The default is .


	This section is available only for edges in the Shell interface and is only visible if the selected coordinate system is Local edge system or Shell Local System.

Through-Thickness Location

Select a surface — , , or . The default is that the load is applied at the midsurface. The effect of using another surface than the midsurface is twofold:

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For a curved boundary, the difference in area between the midsurface and the selected surface is taken into account.

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For a tangential load, the distance from the midsurface is used to compute an additional equivalent moment load.

To place the load at another distance from the midsurface, select the check box, and enter a value for the offset, zoffset.

If the material model is , there may physically not be a well-defined top and bottom surface. If the load is applied at such a surface, the thickness value used to compute the load is taken from the settings in the node.

If a selected edge is connected to boundaries having different thicknesses, then the result of specifying or is not well-defined.

Force

Select a — (the default), , or . Enter values or expressions for the components (x, y, z).

Table 5-18:
Load Type	variable	SI unit	Geometric Entity Level	Space Dimension
Force per unit length	FL	N/m	edges boundaries	3D 2D
Force per unit area	FA	N/m2	edges boundaries	3D 2D
Total force	Ftot	N	edges boundaries	3D 2D


	After selecting a Load type, the Load list normally only contains User defined. When combining the Shell interface with another physics interface, it is also possible to choose a predefined load from this list.

Moment

Select a to define the moment load — (the default) or . Enter values or expressions for the components (x, y, z).

This section is available only in the Shell and Plate interfaces.

Table 5-19:
Load Type	variable	SI unit	Geometric Entity Level	Space Dimension
Moment per unit length	ML	N	edges boundaries	3D 2D
Moment per unit area	MA	N⋅m/m2	edges boundaries	3D 2D
Total moment	Mtot	N⋅m	edges boundaries	3D 2D

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You can add the Phase subnode to specify the phase of this load in a frequency domain analysis.

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You can specify this load to be a Harmonic Perturbation in a frequency domain analysis.

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You can assign this load to a load group. See Load Cases in the Structural Mechanics Modeling chapter.

Location in User Interface

Context Menus

Ribbon

Physics tab with or selected:

Physics tab with selected: