This is an introductory text designed to give new users guidance in analyzing continuum, shell, and framework problems with ABAQUS/Standard and viewing the results in ABAQUS/Viewer. You do not need any previous knowledge of ABAQUS to benefit from this guide, although some previous exposure to the finite-element method is recommended.
This document covers only stress/displacement simulations, concentrating on both linear and nonlinear static analyses. Some very simple types of dynamic analyses are introduced, but dynamic simulations are not covered comprehensively. Other types of simulations, such as heat transfer and mass diffusion, are not covered.
The examples contained in this guide focus on how to create models using keyword options. If you wish to use ABAQUS/CAE to create the models, a companion volume called Getting Started with ABAQUS is available that discusses how to create the models needed for the examples interactively.
There are 11 chapters in this guide, each of which introduces one or more topics. Most chapters contain a short discussion of the topic or topics being considered and one or two tutorial examples. You should work through the examples carefully since they contain a great deal of practical advice on using ABAQUS. The capabilities of ABAQUS/Viewer are introduced gradually in these examples.
This chapter is a short introduction to ABAQUS and this guide. Chapter 2, “ABAQUS Basics,” which is centered around a simple example, covers the basics of using ABAQUS. By the end of Chapter 2, “ABAQUS Basics,” you will know the fundamentals of how to prepare input data for an ABAQUS simulation, check the data, solve the analysis, and view the results in ABAQUS/Viewer.
Chapter 3, “Finite Elements and Rigid Bodies,” presents an overview of the main element families available in ABAQUS. The use of continuum (solid) elements, shell elements, and beam elements is discussed in Chapter 4, “Using Continuum Elements;” Chapter 5, “Using Shell Elements;” and Chapter 6, “Using Beam Elements;” respectively.
Chapter 7, “Nonlinearity,” introduces the concept of nonlinearity in general, and geometric nonlinearity in particular, and contains the first nonlinear ABAQUS simulation. Material nonlinearity is introduced in Chapter 8, “Materials,” and dynamic analyses are discussed in Chapter 9, “Dynamics.” Chapter 10, “Multiple Step Analysis,” introduces the concept of multi-step simulations, and Chapter 11, “Contact,” discusses the many issues that arise in contact analyses.
Different text styles used in the tutorial examples follow:
Input in COURIER FONT should be typed into the input file, ABAQUS/Viewer, or your computer exactly as shown. For example,
*SOLID SECTION, ELSET=LUG, MATERIAL=STEELwould be entered into an input file.
abaqus job=skew_nlwould be typed on your computer to run ABAQUS.
Items in <italics> indicate that user data such as a name or value should be substituted:
*SOLID SECTION, ELSET=<element set>, MATERIAL=<material name>
Menu selections, tabs within dialog boxes, and labels of items on the screen in ABAQUS/Viewer are indicated in bold:
ViewGraphics Options Deformed Shape Plot Options