TR.32.

14 Notional Loads
A notional load is a lateral load (horizontal load) which is derived from an existing vertical load case. This load
type has been introduced to accommodate a requirement in design codes. The AISC 360-05 speci cation for
example de nes notional loads as lateral loads that are applied at each framing level and are speci ed in terms
of gravity loads.

Description
Both Principal and Reference load cases can be selected and moved into the Notional Load De nition where the
required factor and direction can be speci ed. The notional loads are calculated and applied as joint loads. 

Note: The actual values of the applied loading are not displayed in the User Interface until after the analysis has
been performed.

General Format
LOAD nLoad LOADTYPE type TITLE title

Load items

NOTIONAL LOAD

n { X | Z } (f1)

Where:

Parameter Default Value Description

n - Load case number of the primary load case or reference load case
which contains the vertical load items.

f1 0.002 Factor by which the contents of LN are to be multiplied. Typically,

codes recommend 0.2 to 0.3 % (0.002 to 0.003). The default is 0.002
(or user- or the factor speci ed in DIRECT ANALYSIS de nition block.
speci ed)
Multiple load items can be speci ed under any NOTIONAL LOAD and there can be one or more blocks of NOTIONAL
LOAD command(s) in any load case.

Note: Notional Loads can be derived from gravity load cases speci ed under the DEFINE REFERENCE LOAD table
which are described in TR.31.6 De ning Reference Load Types.

Example 1
LOAD 1 : DEAD
JOINT LOAD
13 TO 16 29 TO 32 45 TO 48 61 TO 64 FY -100
LOAD 2: DEAD NOTIONAL LOAD
NOTIONAL LOAD
1 X 0.002
…
LOAD 10: IMPOSED
JOINT LOAD
13 TO 16 29 TO 32 45 TO 48 61 TO 64 FY -50
LOAD 11:IMPOSED NOTIONAL LOAD
NOTIONAL LOAD
10 X 0.002

Example 2
If we want to combine the load cases in Example 1, two methods are available:

LOAD 3 : DEAD LOAD + IMPOSED LOAD + Notional Loads

REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 10 1.0
NOTIONAL LOAD
1 X 0.002 10 X 0.002

As an alternative, the following could be used:

LOAD 3 : DEAD LOAD + IMPOSED LOAD + Notional Loads

REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 2 1.0 10 1.0 11 1.0

Example 3
Similarly,
 Load 1 LOADTYPE None TITLE DEAD
SELFWEIGHT Y -1.15
MEMBER LOAD
143 145 CON GY -16
*
Load 2 LOADTYPE None TITLE DEAD-NOTIONAL
NOTIONAL LOAD
1 X 1.0
*
Load 3 LOADTYPE None TITLE DEAD AND NOTIONAL
REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0
NOTIONAL LOAD
1 X 1.0

Alternatively the following could be used to de ne load case 3:

Load 3 LOADTYPE None TITLE DEAD AND NOTIONAL

REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 2 1.0

Example 4
Using Notional loads with REFERENCE loads

DEFINE REFERENCE LOADS

LOAD R1 LOADTYPE Dead TITLE REF DEAD LOAD
SELFWEIGHT Y -1 LIST 1 TO 120
FLOOR LOAD
YRANGE 19 21 FLOAD -0.05 GY
YRANGE 39 41 FLOAD -0.05 GY
LOAD R2 LOADTYPE Live TITLE REF LIVE LOAD
FLOOR LOAD
YRANGE 19 21 FLOAD -0.03 GY
YRANGE 39 41 FLOAD -0.03 GY
END DEFINE REFERENCE LOADS
**********************************************
* LOAD COMBINATIONS INCLUDING NOTIONAL LOADS *
**********************************************
*
*DEAD + LIVE +/- NOTIONAL LOAD
*
LOAD 1
REFERENCE LOAD
R1 1.2 R2 1.6
 NOTIONAL LOAD
R1 X 0.0024 R2 X 0.0032
LOAD 2
REFERENCE LOAD
R1 1.2 R2 1.6
NOTIONAL LOAD
R1 X -0.0024 R2 X -0.0032
LOAD 3
REFERENCE LOAD
R1 1.2 R2 1.6
NOTIONAL LOAD
R1 Z 0.0024 R2 Z 0.0032
LOAD 4
REFERENCE LOAD
R1 1.2 R2 1.6
NOTIONAL LOAD
R1 Z -0.0024 R2 Z -0.0032

If a PRINT STATIC CHECK or PRINT LOAD DATA command is added with any analysis speci cation in the input le,
the generated NOTIONAL LOADs would be printed as in the following:

NOTIONAL LOAD - (POUN,FEET)

LOADING 4 DL+NDLX
JOINT DIRECTION LOAD
…
6117 X -0.00200 X 74124.266 = -148.249
6118 X -0.00200 X 115504.569 = -231.009
6119 X -0.00200 X 38397.157 = -76.794
6120 X -0.00200 X 15551.155 = -31.102
6121 X -0.00200 X 17347.718 = -34.695
6122 X -0.00200 X 29341.723 = -58.683
6123 X -0.00200 X 39771.147 = -79.542
6124 X -0.00200 X 39712.750 = -79.426
6125 X -0.00200 X 34006.254 = -68.013
==============================================
48554642.872 -97109.290