Case Study 1

Cantilevered Beam – Modelling using beam Element

Problem description
A cantilevered beam is fixed at one end and is subjected to a vertically downward point
load of 10 kN at the free end.
The cross-section is a solid rectangular of 50 mm x 100 mm.
The Young's modulus value for the steel material is 200 kN/mm2 and Poisson’s ratio is 0.25

Idealisation
The cantilever beam can be modelled as a:
1 line using a beam element
2 plane stress surface (ABCD) using membrane elements
3 plate surface (AEFB) using plate elements
4 three dimensional solid (ABCDEFGH) using solid elements

1- Using beam element (i.e. B21) available in ABAQUS, find the vertical deflections U2
along the beam.
In this case study, you should run 4 models with deferent mesh density, as shown below:

2- To verify the finite element (FE) results calculate the theoretical deflections along the
beams using the double integration method.

3- Upon obtaining the FE and theoretical deflections, comments on these results.

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 1- Familiarize yourself with Abaqus interface

You interact with Abaqus/CAE through the main window. Figure below shows the components
that appear in the main window

The components are:

Title bar

The title bar indicates the version of Abaqus/CAE you are running and the name of the current
model database.

Menu bar

The menu bar contains all the available menus; the menus give access to all the functionality in
the product. Different menus appear in the menu bar depending on which module you selected
from the context bar.

Toolbars

The toolbars provide quick access to items that are also available in the menus.

Context bar

Abaqus/CAE is divided into a set of modules, where each module allows you to work on one
aspect of your model; the Module list in the context bar allows you to move between these
modules. Other items in the context bar are a function of the module in which you are working;

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for example, the context bar allows you to retrieve an existing part while creating the geometry
of the model.

Model Tree

The Model Tree provides you with a graphical overview of your model and the objects that it
contains, such as parts, materials, steps, loads, and output requests. In addition, the Model Tree
provides a convenient, centralized tool for moving between modules and for managing objects.
If your model database contains more than one model, you can use the Model Tree to move
between models. When you become familiar with the Model Tree, you will find that you can
quickly perform most of the actions that are found in the main menu bar, the module toolboxes,
and the various managers.

Results Tree

The Results Tree provides you with a graphical overview of your output databases and other
session- specific data such as X–Y plots. If you have more than one output database open in your
session, you can use the Results Tree to move between output databases. When you become
familiar with the Results Tree, you will find that you can quickly perform most of the actions in
the Visualization module that are found in the main menu bar and the toolbox.

Toolbox area

When you enter a module, the toolbox area displays tools in the toolbox that are appropriate for
that module. The toolbox allows quick access to many of the module functions that are also
available from the menu bar.

Canvas and drawing area

The canvas can be thought of as an infinite screen or bulletin board on which you post
viewports.

Viewport

Viewports are windows on the canvas in which Abaqus/CAE displays your model.

Prompt area

The prompt area displays instructions for you to follow during a procedure; for example, it asks
you to select the geometry as you create a set.

Message area

Abaqus/CAE prints status information and warnings in the message area. To resize the message
area, drag the top edge; to see information that has scrolled out of the message area, use the
scroll bar on the right side. The message area is displayed by default, but it uses the same space
occupied by the command line interface. If you have recently used the command line interface,

you must click the tab in the bottom left corner of the main window to activate the message
area.

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Command line interface

You can use the command line interface to type Python commands and evaluate mathematical
expressions using the Python interpreter that is built into Abaqus/CAE. The interface includes
primary (>>>) and secondary (...) prompts to indicate when you must indent commands to
comply with Python syntax.

The command line interface is hidden by default, but it uses the same space occupied by the

message area. Click the tab in the bottom left corner of the main window to switch from the

message area to the command line interface. Click the tab to return to the message area.

What is a module?

As mentioned earlier, Abaqus/CAE is divided into functional units called modules. Each module
contains only those tools that are relevant to a specific portion of the modeling task. For
example, the Mesh module contains only the tools needed to create finite element meshes, while
the Job module contains only the tools used to create, edit, submit, and monitor analysis jobs.

2- Set up the model

Create your own directory in drive D/C. Do not save on desktop. Open Abaqus CAE and create a
new model by clicking on “With Standard/Explicit Model”

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From the Main menu bar: File → Set Work Director... Insert your chosen directory. This will
ensure that all the output files will be in this directory.

3- Model the geometry as a single part

Double Click on the “Parts” in the Model Tree and choose 2D Planar and the options shown
below. Base Feature is Wire. Name the part “Beam”.→ click “Continue”

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A sketch window will open and sketch tool buttons will appear. Click on “Create Lines:
Connetcted”

Sketch tool

Insert coordinates: 0,0 Enter 1200,0 Enter

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Use the resize button “Auto-Fit View” to fit the line on the window. Then Click “Cancel
Procedure” and “Done”

So that you obtain:

Save the file.

4- Define Material and Section and assign Section

Double click on “Materials” in the model tree. Name the material “Steel”. Choose “Mechanical” →
“Elasticity” → “Elastic”

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Insert the “Young’s modulus” and the “Poisson ratio” and click on “OK”.

Double click on “Sections” in the model tree. Name the section “cantilever beam” and choose
Beam from Category and Beam from Type as below. Click on “Continue ...”

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Accept material “Steel” and click on the “Create Beam Profile” to define a cross-section for the
beam. Choose “Rectangular”→ “Continue”. Enter a=50 and b=100 (a and b are the dimensions
for the cross-section of the beam. Then click “OK”.

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Expand the model tree clicking on “Parts”, then on “Beam” and then on “Features” and double
click on “Section Assignments”.

Select the beam and then click on “Done”

Accept the settings and click on “OK”.

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Go to assign from Menu bar→Beam section orientation →click on the beam then
“Done”→Enter→”Ok”

Save the model.

5- Create the Assembly

Expand “Assembly” in the model tree and double click on “Instance”. Choose “Independent
(mesh on instance)” and click on “OK”.

Note: By choosing Independent (mesh on instance), you can only mesh you model on instance
(in the assembly) not on the part

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 6- Create a Load Step

We will now create a step in the analysis.

From the model tree double click on “Steps”. This will automatically create a new step which
you can name “Top loading” as below:

We are going to conduct a static analysis, whereby you can accept the option “Static, General”
and click on “Continue”. The following window will appear:

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Firstly, we want to conduct an elastic analysis, for which neither increments nor iterations are
needed. Hence, one single increment will be sufficient to apply the entire action that, in this
case, will be the prescribed displacements on the top line. Therefore, you can accept the default
settings and click “OK”.

9- Apply Boundary Conditions

To apply the boundary conditions (BCs), click on “BCs” on the model tree.
A BCs window will appear. You can name this BC as “Ux = 0, Uy = 0, UR=0”, or any other name
you wish (Note: this is just a name that serves the purpose of remembering what this condition
is, we are not enforcing anything just by putting the name “Ux = 0, Uy = 0, UR=0”):
Choose “Displacement/Rotation” and click on “Continue”.

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Click on the left end point the beam and then on “Done”. Tick “U1” and “U2” and “UR3” then
insert values of zero and then on “OK”. Note that the U1=U2=UR3=0 represents the fixed
boundary condition.

10- Apply the loading

Click on the “Load Manager” →Create →Name “Point load”→ type is “Concentrated force
”→Continue.

Click on the right end of the beam then ”Done”

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Enter CF2=-10000 N. The CF1 is the forces in the x-direction and CF2 is the force in the y-
direction. The sign (-) means the load is downward. You should note the coordinate system on the
top right corner or on the bottom left corner of the modelling area.

11- Mesh the Model

Now we need to mesh the model to make it a real “finite-element” model. To this end, from the
module drop-down list choose “Mesh”.

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Click on the “Seed Edges” button then click on the beam and “Done”

Enter “Number of elements” 1 and click on “OK” first and then on “Done”.
In this case, the total number of element is 1.

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Click on the “Assign Element Type” button and select the beam, then click “Done”.
Choose “Linear”. Choose the family “Bema”.. Notice below the name of the element B21. Accept
the other settings by clicking on “OK”.

Now, to mesh the model, click on the “Mesh Part Instance” button and click on “Yes” at the
question “Ok to mesh the part instance”.

Save the model.

12- Run the Analysis and View the Results

The model now is ready to be analysed. To this end, you need to create a job.

From Module, choose “Job”→”Job manager”→create→Name the job as “1_element_beam” (no

spaces in the name). Click on “Continue” and accept all the other settings.

Click on “Submit”.

Wait until the analysis is completed.

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To view the results, right click on the “Results”.
In this way, you will automatically open the “.odb” file, i.e. the “Output Database”.
Click on “Plot Contour on Deformed Shape” to see the deformed shape of the beam.

- To obtain the deflection in the vertical directions, Choose U then U2. (U2 is the
displacement in the y-direction. Please check the coordinate system at the top right
corner of the model.)

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To obtain the deflection over along the beam will create a path over the beam length then obtain
the deflection values, as follow.

Go to Tools→Path→Create. A window appears and you should choose “Node list” then Continue

Edit Node List Path window will appear and click on “Add After..”.

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Click on each nodes of the beam from left to right, as shown below.

Click “Done” and “OK” in the Edit Node list path.

Go to Tools→XY Data→Manager→Path→ Continue→X distance→ Save as→OK. Make sure that

the field output variable is U, U2.

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Double click on XYData-1 as shown below, the distances and the deflections appear. Fill the
table at the end of this tutorial with the deflections.

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Repeat the same starting from “13- Mesh the Model” by choosing 2 then 4 and finally 8
elements number

Results – U2 - Vertical deflection (mm)

Distance from Theory FE FE FE FE

fixed end (mm) 1 Element 2 Elements 4 Elements 8 Elements

150

300

450

600

750

900

1050

1200

Plot Graph

Plot on the same graph the span wise vertical deflections, for the four meshes superimposed on
the theoretical values (You can use excel sheet).

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 Case Study 1-Solution

Cantilevered Beam – Modelling using beam Element

Problem description

A cantilevered beam is fixed at one end and is subjected to a vertically downward point
load of 10 kN at the free end. The cross-section is a solid rectangular of 50 mm x 100 mm. The
Young's modulus value for the steel material is 200 kN/mm2 and Poisson’s ratio is 0.25

Results – U2 - Vertical deflection (mm)

Distance from Theory FE FE FE FE

fixed end (mm) 1 Element 2 Elements 4 Elements 8 Elements

0 0 0 0 0 0

150 -0.16 -0.16

300 -0.59 -0.60 -0.60

450 -1.28 -1.29

600 -2.16 -2.12 -2.16 -2.17

750 -3.21 -3.22

900 -4.37 -4.38 -4.39

1050 -5.63 -5.65

1200 -6.91 6.49 -6.83 -6.92 -6.940

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The Theoretical deflection:

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