GGU-CONSOLIDATE: "Load increase" menu item

This menu item is only active if you have selected one of the numerical methods.

Consideration of a continuous load application during a structure's entire manufacturing phase can be achieved using this menu item. Using the "x load increments to edit" button in the following dialog box you first define the number of load increases.

The load increase need not necessarily be defined as linear but can be entered as any kind of polygon course. Define the time and corresponding percentage load increase. It is also possible to model a load decrease.

A given, repetitive load pattern can be automatically created using the "Repeat" button. This makes it unnecessary to enter the entire sequence using individual values.

For long consolidation periods it may be useful to define the load increase by specifying dates (see the "Example with date.kon" file). Click the "Switch to entering "Time as date"" button. The previously entered times are automatically converted to the start date (see dialog box "File/New"). After changing the button reads "Switch to entering "Time as number"". It is possible to change back to entering the loads in the selected time units, e.g. in days, by clicking the button.

The defined load increase is converted to a step function. The exact form of the step function depends on the time steps selected for use in the consolidation analysis (see menu item "Edit/Define times").

The more consolidation times are defined in the region of the load increase, the more precise will be the approximation of the real function to the step function.