The Load Combination Database is used to manage the load combinations that you can use across all of your Project Files.

 

The load combinations specified in this section are stored in a
separate file and ARE NOT specific to a particular Project File.

 

With the Load Combination Database you can create many load combination sets. These are listed in the Code Reference column.

 

For each set, you can then specify the individual load combinations for both factored load and service load cases, which are used for LRFD and ASD respectively (also referred to as strength design and allowable stress design).

 

Please see the descriptions for the numbered keynotes on the screen capture below.

 

 

(1)  This area lists the load combination sets that you have specified.  We have named the column Code Reference because typically the load combinations specified to be run for a particular project or design are specified by the governing building code for the project location.

 

(2)  Use these buttons to add or delete load combination sets. The button with the triangle symbol means "Change" or "Edit" and is used to edit the displayed reference name for the set.

 

 

(3)  This is the area that displays all the load combinations for the Factored or Service level load analysis types.

 

(4) Use these buttons to add or delete individual load combinations. The button with the triangle symbol means "Change" or "Edit" and is used to edit the numeric factors applied to each type of load for the load combination that is highlighted.

 

When clicking the [Add] or [Edit] button, the following dialog is displayed:

 

 

Use this dialog to specify the reference name and the values for each load factor.

 

(5) Click the [Factored Combinations] or [Service Level Combinations] buttons to select the category of load combinations to display.

 

(6) Use the button to make the highlighted name in the Code Reference column the default combination set that will be used in all new ENERCALC calculations.

 

 

Using Load Combinations

 

When creating a NEW calculation in the Project Manager (or when using Quick Calc), the default load combination set is automatically loaded into the Load Combination tab in the module.

 

In the image below you can see that the load combinations have been loaded and are displayed on Load Combinations tab in the Masonry Column module.

 

The design method has been set to LRFD, so the software is displaying Factored Combinations.

 

We have clicked the [Change Load Combination] button (a triangle) to pop open a list of the available load combination sets from the Load Combination database. Selecting one of them from this pop-up list will load those new load combinations into this particular calculation only.