Final answer:
Assembling a global load vector in structural engineering involves organizing forces and moments according to the nodes and degrees of freedom in a frame, maintaining a consistent order that reflects the physical connections and constraints.
Step-by-step explanation:
Assembling a global load vector for a frame is a process found in structural engineering, particularly when analyzing structures using the finite element method. The construction of a vector equation is a part of this analysis, and it's important to maintain a consistent order of subscripts to correctly reference the coupling between elements in a frame.
In the context provided, it is noted that 'the subscripts for the coupling reference frame appear consecutively on the inside'. This means that when you are constructing your global load vector, you have to ensure that the nodes and the corresponding degrees of freedom (DOF) are organized in a way that reflects the actual physical connections and constraints of the frame elements.
For example, if you have a frame with nodes labeled A, B, and C, and each node has two degrees of freedom (such as displacement in the X direction and rotation about the Z axis), you might denote these as Ax, Az, Bx, Bz, Cx, and Cz. The global load vector would then list the forces and moments at each degree of freedom in the order they appear in the structure's configuration.