In such cases, you may not want to use the Automatic option and apply the offset lengths manually.
Structural Engineer, PhD
Structural engineering software
If you decide to use more than one materials to model it, you shall also consider the relative slip between them, in order to be able to design the reinforcement. Such modelling principles are very difficult, with great non-linearitites and should be carried out with attention.
Structural...
It depends... The thicker the shells the more do they prevent the beams from buckling. Some regulations use equivalent spring models to catch this effect arithmetically.
Structural Engineer, PhD
Structural engineering software
"Exposure from extents of rigid diaphragms" is very helful for buildings, where only horizontal wind force components are assumed to act.
On the other hand, "Expose to area object" covers a greater range of cases, such as sloped roofs, but requires some more input action by the user.
Structural...
If you don't want to consider the vertical component of the building modes you can ignore the value UZ. Is the excitation applied to Z axis as well or only horizontally?
Structural Engineer, PhD
Structural engineering software
I would add that you shall in every case include the cracking limit state design in your project as well, which in such structures is very likely to be the most unfavourable effect (critical design).
Structural Engineer, PhD
Structural engineering software
i would first calculate the equivalent uniform temperature change, considering all factors and parameters according to the regulation you are using, and then load the finite elements directly with a thermal load. I use to ignore the time-dependent load for such cases.
Structural Engineer, PhD...