# Apply stress in 3DEC

**URL:** <https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607>\
**Category:** 3DEC\
**Created:** [June 8, 2022, 12:35pm UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607 "2022-06-08T12:35:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rdhoaziz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5e9695/32.png) [@rdhoaziz](https://forum.itascainternational.com/u/rdhoaziz)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 12:35pm UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607/1 "2022-06-08T12:35:40Z")

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Hello, I would like to ask question about how to apply a stress to a column. I have a column or block bar with 0.5m x 0.5m x 5m (x,y,z) as an elastic body. I would like to apply a triangular stress 3MPa at the top of the column for 0.02s, but I would like to make it as a point loading (apply in a coordinate) not an area loading (not apply to a block face). How can I set it ? Thank you.

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**Author:** ![pprasad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19b73/32.png) [@pprasad](https://forum.itascainternational.com/u/pprasad)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607/2 "2022-06-08T19:56:33Z")

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Stresses can be applied on block faces & forces can be applied on block gridpoints.  
Refer to the manual  
[http://docs.itascacg.com/3dec700/3dec/docproject/source/modeling/problemsolving/boundarystress.html?node2053#changing-boundary-stresses](http://docs.itascacg.com/3dec700/3dec/docproject/source/modeling/problemsolving/boundarystress.html?node2053#changing-boundary-stresses)

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**Author:** ![jhazzard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@jhazzard](https://forum.itascainternational.com/u/jhazzard)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607/3 "2022-06-09T18:27:26Z")

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If you don’t have a gridpoint at the location where you want to apply the point load, you can still do it with the BLOCK FACE APPLY POINT-LOAD command (see here: [block face apply command — 3DEC 7.0 documentation](http://docs.itascacg.com/3dec700/3dec/block/doc/manual/block_manual/block_commands/block.face/cmd_block.face.apply.html?node2575)).

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**Author:** ![rdhoaziz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5e9695/32.png) [@rdhoaziz](https://forum.itascainternational.com/u/rdhoaziz)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 6:36am UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607/4 "2022-06-10T06:36:33Z")

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Can it also be implemented in a old version of 3DEC (version 5.20) ? or Maybe it has another code for this version ?

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**Author:** ![jhazzard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@jhazzard](https://forum.itascainternational.com/u/jhazzard)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607/5 "2022-06-10T12:51:28Z")

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This is in 5.2 as well. The command is BOUNDARY POINT …

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**Author:** ![Babish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b77776/32.png) [@Babish](https://forum.itascainternational.com/u/Babish)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607/6 "2026-05-11T15:23:45Z")

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And this command only works for deformable blocks right? (Using 3DEC 7)  
On rigid block still isn’t a way to apply point load?

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**Author:** ![jhazzard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@jhazzard](https://forum.itascainternational.com/u/jhazzard)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://forum.itascainternational.com/t/apply-stress-in-3dec/607/7 "2026-05-11T16:28:03Z")

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This works with rigid blocks too.