# How to apply load on beam not at a node **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [July 15, 2022, 12:43pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160 "2022-07-15T12:43:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grahamwillis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/grahamwillis/32/751_2.png) [@grahamwillis](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/grahamwillis)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 12:43pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/1 "2022-07-15T12:43:15Z")
I’d appreciate advice on how to apply a load on a 3 node beam at a location that is not a node, if that can be done. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Calc\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Calc\_em](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Calc_em)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 4:55pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/2 "2022-07-15T16:55:47Z")
If you want to apply a concentrated force or moment in a particular location, you should place a node there. Of course, you can also define a distributed load (\*DLOAD) acting over a specific length of the beam. ---
**Author:** ![JuanP74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JuanP74](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/JuanP74)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/3 "2022-07-15T21:45:34Z")
consider using \*DISTRIBUTING COUPLING ---
**Author:** ![grahamwillis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/grahamwillis/32/751_2.png) [@grahamwillis](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/grahamwillis)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 1:22am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/5 "2022-07-16T01:22:38Z")
That would mean the nodes are not evenly spread. How will that affect the calculations? ---
**Author:** ![grahamwillis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/grahamwillis/32/751_2.png) [@grahamwillis](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/grahamwillis)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 1:23am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/6 "2022-07-16T01:23:35Z")
Does that spread the load across an element? I think that is not suitable for what I need. ---
**Author:** ![grahamwillis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/grahamwillis/32/751_2.png) [@grahamwillis](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/grahamwillis)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 1:51am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/7 "2022-07-16T01:51:52Z")
Can you give an example of using \*DLOAD, applying a load only to a portion of a beam? Is that what you mean you can do with \*DLOAD? ---
**Author:** ![JuanP74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JuanP74](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/JuanP74)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 4:58am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/8 "2022-07-16T04:58:01Z")
In finite element analysis all loads are in the end transformed into nodal loads (forces and moments). The coupling element allows to distribute a load applied at any point to a set of nodes, thus you have an equivalent set of loads in equilibrium and only local discrepancies may take place dependind on your choice of nodes for the coupling but that’s part of the modelization effort. I recommend performing some simple examples to check its behaviour. ---
**Author:** ![Calc\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Calc\_em](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Calc_em)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 10:49am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/9 "2022-07-16T10:49:16Z")
> [@grahamwillis](#): > > That would mean the nodes are not evenly spread. How will that affect the calculations? You may have to increase the mesh density (not necessarily globally) to place a node in the desired location. Preprocessors do this automatically. > [@grahamwillis](#): > > Can you give an example of using \*DLOAD, applying a load only to a portion of a beam? Is that what you mean you can do with \*DLOAD? I’m talking about a distributed load that can be full or partial like this (from the book “Wzory, wykresy i tablice wytrzymalosciowe” by Niezgodzinski): ![beam](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/1X/bf329b188ce8d6afa15c57b4b59d1ca6bef5bdf5.png) Check the beamd.inp file in CalculiX test examples library, ---
**Author:** ![JuanP74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JuanP74](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/JuanP74)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 11:05am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/10 "2022-07-16T11:05:13Z")
I don’t think DLOAD has that capability (I think only uniform distributed load along complete length is available), you should calculate equivalent nodal loads like in here [Lecture 10: Equivalent Load on nodes in beam element - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFGLWWhWPhU). Commercial preprocessors usually have that capability built-in for productivity but I guess that’s not a primary objective for ccx/cgx developers. ---
**Author:** ![Calc\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Calc\_em](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Calc_em)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 11:42am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/11 "2022-07-16T11:42:29Z")
> [@JuanP74](#): > > I don’t think DLOAD has that capability (I think only uniform distributed load along complete length is available) Yes, it’s applied to the whole element but you can have multiple elements modeling a single beam structure. That’s what I was thinking about. ---
**Author:** ![grahamwillis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/grahamwillis/32/751_2.png) [@grahamwillis](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/grahamwillis)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 1:52pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/12 "2022-07-16T13:52:31Z")
Thanks for your help. I tried the DISTRIBUTED COUPLING which seems to do what I need. To give context, I am modelling a power pole 10m high, using 5 beam elements. I compared applying a 10kN load at 8, 9, and 10m directly to nodes at those positions against using the coupling giving appropriate weights to the nodes, to determine deflection of the pole tip. There is a good correlation between the 2 methods, and using the coupling method for intermediate heights is also consistent. _However, I only understand the basics of FEA and Calculix, so I’d appreciate comments about whether I have modelled this correctly._ ![dc2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/1X/a9e8be6f8fb1d18e62159a93ed13fc3bddc0fa45.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![xyont](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/xyont/32/3553_2.png) [@xyont](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/xyont)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/13 "2022-07-16T16:17:24Z")
> [@grahamwillis](#): > > I’d appreciate advice on how to apply a load on a 3 node beam at a location that is not a node, if that can be done. Thanks hi, if you mean B32 or B32R element, no it’s required the beam element to be split with new node at the point of concentrate loads. and some notes, mid point of quadratic beam element can not be used as applied nodal forces. best, ---
**Author:** ![grahamwillis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/grahamwillis/32/751_2.png) [@grahamwillis](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/grahamwillis)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 11:42am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/how-to-apply-load-on-beam-not-at-a-node/1160/14 "2022-07-20T11:42:24Z")
Thanks for all your help. I think I have found a working solution.