Moments

Note: The information in this section applies to all linear and nonlinear analysis types in which nodal and surface moment loads are supported.

A moment is a load that is applied to a node or surface. A moment can be applied about any direction specified by a vector.

Apply Moments

If you have nodes or surfaces selected, you can right-click in the display area, select Add and click Nodal Moment or Surface Moment, as appropriate. You can also apply moments via the ribbon - select a node or surface and click Setup Loads Moment.

Note: You can use nodal moments only on plate and beam elements, while you can use surface moments only on plate, brick, and tetrahedron elements. Plates do not support nodal moments about the axis normal to the face of the element.

Specify the magnitude of the moment that is to be applied to each selected object in the Magnitude field and the direction of the moment in the Direction section. Click the Flip Direction button () to invert the sign of the applied moment, reversing its direction. The data you enter for nodal moments applies to each object. For example, if you select 10 nodes and specify a 10 in-lb nodal moment about the X axis, you are applying 100 in-lbs (10*10) to your model.

Specify the load case or load curve in which you want the moment placed in the Load Case/Load Curve field. If you want a moment to be applied in multiple load cases, you can copy it to a new load set and change the Load Case/ Load Curve value.

Tip: See the comments under the Application of Loads and Constraints at Duplicate Vertices heading on the Loads and Constraints page for information about how nodal loads are applied at duplicate vertices.