Gasket sections are used to define the section properties of thin sealing components that are positioned between structural components. For more information, see “Defining the gasket behavior directly using a gasket behavior model,” Section 26.6.6 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual. “Modeling gaskets,” Section 21.6, describes the entire modeling process for an analysis involving gaskets.
To specify gasket section properties:
From the main menu bar, select Section
Create.
A Create Section dialog box appears.
Tip:
You can also click Create in the Section Manager or select the create section tool 
in the Property module toolbox.
Enter a section name of your choice. For more information on naming objects, see “Using basic dialog box components,” Section 3.2.1.
Select Other as the section Category and Gasket as the section Type, and click Continue.
The gasket section editor appears.
Select a material for the gasket section. If desired, click Create to create a material; see “Creating or editing a material,” Section 12.6.1, for more information.
Specify the Stabilization stiffness that is used to stabilize gasket elements that are not supported at all nodes, such as those that extend outside neighboring components.
Toggle on Use default to use the default value of 10–9 times the initial compressive stiffness in the thickness direction. This default value is usually appropriate.
Toggle on Specify, and enter a value for the desired stabilization stiffness in units of stress (FL–2).
Specify the Initial thickness of the gasket.
Toggle on Use nodal coordinates to obtain the initial gasket thickness from the nodal coordinates.
Toggle on Specify, and enter a value for the initial gasket thickness.
Enter a value for the Initial gap, which is the gasket closure that is needed to generate a pressure.
Enter a value for the Initial void, which is the inter-layer spaces in a gasket.
Enter a value for the Cross-sectional area, width, or out-of-plane thickness, depending on the gasket element type. For two- and three-dimensional link elements the cross-sectional area of the element should be given. For axisymmetric link elements and three-dimensional line elements the width of the element should be given. For general two-dimensional elements the out-of-plane thickness is required. For three-dimensional area elements no additional quantities are needed to define the element geometry.
Click OK to save your changes and to close the gasket section editor.