Question:
The load distribution on my members looks different when using the Load Transfer surface vs. the Load Wizards. What is the reason?
Answer:
The Load Transfer surface and Member Loads from Area Load (Load Wizards) use different approaches to distribute loads to the members. Therefore, they cannot be compared directly.
The Load Transfer surface divides the surface into stripes in a specific direction, then investigates the loads on each stripe separately. The stripe width can be adjusted by activating the Advanced distribution settings option. If necessary, a larger stripe width may be used to “smooth out” the high jumps that are shown graphically (Image 2).
On the other hand, the Load Wizards uses isotropic distribution, creates Voronoi cells, and investigates the load at each cell.