topic Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding in Robot Structural Analysis Forum

Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 14:38:01 GMT

I know how to add a point load or line load on a cladding, but how to avoid the warnings (Isolated node for example) after adding a node for that point load on the cladding, since I am using the cladding to distribute the load on the steel structural element and I want to add a point loads at specific locations on cladding not on the steel members. Is there any way?

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Rafacascudo — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 17:46:51 GMT

If the cladding is distributing the load , just ignore the isolated node warning.

But ,as load distribution for claddings works using tributary areas , it can be a very bad idea to use it for point , linear or distributed on contour load types.

Imagine a one way load distibution cladding with a point load applied sligthly ,1cm, off the center line. Load will entirely go to cladding edge which is closer to the point load.

I only use claddings for loads distributed on the whole area.

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

DonBAE — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 17:57:13 GMT

"Imagine a one way load distibution cladding with a point load applied sligthly ,1cm, off the center line. Load will entirely go to cladding edge which is closer to the point load."

What, if the cladding is set to one-way distribution I would expect that the point load would be split among the supported edges similar to beam theory Pa/l or Pb/l , if it does it the way you describe then I would think the cladding element was broken.

"I only use claddings for loads distributed on the whole area."

so then how would you accomplish what @Anonymous is trying to do then, model beams under every point load?

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

DonBAE — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 18:21:43 GMT

so a line load that does not cross the cladding midpoint is not distributed to both support edges, this is not at all the behavior I would expect from this.

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:56:46 GMT

you mean that if we add a point load or line load on a cladding, then the load that we add is nothing and not any participation in the distribution of the load over the entire members?

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Rafacascudo — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 20:56:28 GMT

No , I am saying that it can distribute it very wrongly in some cases depending on the load position . See below comparison between meshed panel and cladding panel.

1- Point load on center of slab - Load on cladding distributed to both sides equally

2- Point load placed 1cm off the slab centerline. Cladding point load goes entirely to just one side of the slab because the load is "inside" the dark grey tributary area . Reactions on cladding model are only on the loaded side

3- Uniform load on contour that is also inside dark grey tributary area. Again , distribution and results are very wrong

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 21:02:17 GMT

thank you so much for clarifications, but when you assign a point load on cladding, you add a node for that right, but you don't got a warning as isolated node found?

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Rafacascudo — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 21:06:06 GMT

I used " force in a point" instead of "nodal force"

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

DonBAE — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 23:27:14 GMT

@Rafacascudo thank you for those demonstration models. If you wouldn't mind explaining how did you display the grey and blue/purple regions for the trib area?

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Rafacascudo — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 11:52:11 GMT

It's on View/Display/Loads/Load distribution regions

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

DonBAE — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 02:54:30 GMT

@Rafacascudo

understanding the diagrams in your post more this means that claddings are essentially worthless unless looking at textbook questions that apply fully uniform loads on a floor or wall. So the only way to get proper load distribution for partial area loads, linear loads, and point loads is to use a meshed panel which requires significantly more modeling attention and computation time?

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Rafacascudo — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 21:36:46 GMT

Exactly !!!

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

begracioli — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:33:24 GMT

What would be the solution then? I read once something about using curtain wall settings on the panels, but it does not seem to be working.

Any other solution to not needing to use FEM?

Re: Point load/ Line load on Cladding

Rafacascudo — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:42:36 GMT

no, if you don´t use FEs ,RSA load distribution will use the simplified method(tributary areas)