Model description

• Create new model from template: simple span, 40m long, with steel girders cross-section.

• Release the bearing at the end abutment to achieve a simply supported condition.

• Define point, line, and area loads in separate load cases as follows:
  
  
  • Point load: 10kN load applied at station 20, transversely centered.
    
    
  • Lineal load: 1kN/m load applied between stations 15 and 25, transversely centered.
    
    
  • Area load: 0.1kN/m^2 load applied between stations 15 to 25 across the width of the deck.
    
    These loads will all cause an effect equivalent to loading the bridge midspan with a 10kN point load

• Run the analysis and check the midspan moments. For point loading, the theoretical midspan moment is given as follows:

Model Development

Define and apply loads

Use "Loads > Loads - Point" command to define new point load:

Use "Bridge > Loads > Point Loads" to assign the previously defined point loads:

Using similar approach as described above, define and apply lineal and area loads.

Results

The moment diagrams below show that the maximum midspan moment is as expected:

Attachments

• SAP2000 model (Zipped Model files)