Add Loads Overview
In RS3, loads can be applied directly to external geometries using one of two methods: Define Projected Load or Add Loads to Selected.
- Define Projected Load allows users to specify the location, orientation, shape, and magnitude of a surface load.
- Add Loads to Selected offers a more straightforward method for applying loads directly to selected faces, edges, or vertices of external volumes.
Both methods support staging and are limited to external geometries—they cannot be applied to interfaces.
RS3 supports multiple load types. Uniform Load and Elevation Load are available in both approaches. However, Non-Uniform Load is exclusive to Define Projected Load, while Ponded Water Load is only available through Add Loads to Selected.
Uniform Load
Uniform loads can be applied to boundaries (vertices, edges, or faces) with Uniform Load Load Type option.
Elevation Load
Elevation loads can be applied to boundaries (edges or faces) on which there is an elevation difference (i.e. difference in the z-coordinate) with the Elevation Load Load Type option.
Non-Uniform Load
Non-uniform loads can be applied to model using the Load Type option in the Manage Loads dialog.
Ponded Water Load
To define the distributed loading due to Ponded Water (e.g. impounded water against a slope or dam), a specialized Load Type option is provided, the Ponded Water Load option. This allows you to easily define hydrostatic loading due to Ponded Water by specifying the total head boundary conditions on user-selected boundary segments.