a question about column

zhangchuanchao · Post by **zhangchuanchao** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:23 pm

Hi all
If I want to let the lateral load at the middle of the column ,how can I deal with ?
Whether could I do like this : define the column with three node ,the node 2 in the middle of the column ,define the column into two elements element 1 2 and element 2 3 Is this OK?
Thank you very much

silvia · Post by **silvia** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:56 pm

you can apply the load via the eleLoad command, in the load pattern.

zhangchuanchao · Post by **zhangchuanchao** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:12 am

I could not clear about that command
Thanks
pattern Plain 200 Linear {; # define load pattern -- generalized
eleLoad -ele 1 -type -beamPoint $Hload [expr $LCol/2]
}

But I can not find out the mistake,could you help me?/Thank you very much

zhangchuanchao · Post by **zhangchuanchao** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:12 am

I want to use the displacement control ,where the lateral load at the middle of the column ,that no node at the middle of the column. how can I due with it ?

silvia · Post by **silvia** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:24 am

if you want to monitor the displacement there then yes, just put a node there and two elements.
also, if you have [expr $something/2] you might get zero since 2 is an integer, do: [expr $something/2.]

zhangchuanchao · Post by **zhangchuanchao** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:05 pm

Thank you very much ,please tell me that whether opensees could define the two element into two columns ? the two elements should be two parts of one column ,do you think so?

silvia · Post by **silvia** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:19 am

depends on what you are trying to model.

zhangchuanchao · Post by **zhangchuanchao** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:45 pm

I want to model a column which are fixed at both ends , and a lateral load at the middle of the column ,then I use the Displacement control where the lateral load at . I have to do a displace-controlled cyclic analysis.
Thank you very much .

silvia · Post by **silvia** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:51 pm

just use two elements.