Total Load
Use this option to distribute a load along the length or area of the entity such that the integral of the load over the selected entity equals the total prescribed value. For curves and edges, the load is distributed as load per arc length. For surfaces, the load is distributed as load per surface area.
Follow these guidelines:
If you select more than one entity, Creo Simulate distributes the total load across all selected entities.
For 3D models, Creo Simulate distributes the total load you enter on the selected entities in the following ways:
Entity
Total Load Distributed As
curves, edges
load/sum of the lengths of the edges or curves
surfaces
load/sum of the areas of the surfaces
Because all modeling data for 2D plane strain models is in terms of per unit depth, you enter the total load on a curve or edge in terms of the total load applied per unit depth.
For 2D axisymmetric models, a load on a curve or edge defines what is physically an area load. You enter the amount of such a load on the surface that the curve, edge, or 2D shell represents.
A load on a surface in 2D plane strain or axisymmetric models defines what is physically a volume load. You enter the amount of such a load on the volume that this surface represents.
The total load remains the same even if the length or area changes, either through changes you make to the model or through changes that Creo Simulate makes during a sensitivity or optimization design study.
For example, if you define a load of 100 pounds for a 25x25 inch surface, each 1x1 inch area of the surface sees 0.16 pounds of the load. Should Creo Simulate optimize the surface such that it shrinks to a 1x1 inch area, the remaining area would see the entire 100 pounds. Thus, although the overall 100 pound load remains steady for the model, a much smaller surface area bears the load.