What kinds of elements must be generated outside the Mesh module?

Abaqus/CAE provides support for most of the elements that are used by Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit. However, some elements are not supported and must be generated outside the Mesh module.

The following list describes the elements that are not supported by Abaqus/CAE. If you want to assign these element types to a model, you must use a text editor to add them to the input file generated in the Job module. For information on generating the input file, see Basic steps for analyzing a model.

  • Acoustic interface element (ASI1)

  • Coupled thermal-electrical-structural elements (Q3D4, Q3D6, etc.)

  • Distributing coupling elements (DCOUP2D and DCOUP3D)

  • Drag chain elements (DRAG2D and DRAG3D)

  • Elastic-plastic joint elements (JOINT2D and JOINT3D)

  • Frame elements (FRAME2D and FRAME3D)

  • Gap elements, coupled temperature-displacement and heat transfer (GAPUNIT and DGAP)

  • Infinite elements (CIN3D8, CINAX4, etc.)

  • Line spring elements (LS3S and LS6)

  • Membrane elements, 9-node quadrilateral (M3D9 and M3D9R)

  • Membrane elements, cylindrical (MCL6 and MCL9)

  • Particle element (PC3D)

  • Pipe-soil interaction elements (PSI24, PSI34, etc.)

  • Slide line elements (ISL21A and ISL22A)

  • Stress/displacement variable node elements (C3D15V, C3D27, etc.)

    Note:

    After you submit the analysis for execution, Abaqus/Standard automatically converts any C3D20(R)(H) element that is adjacent to a secondary surface in a contact pair into the corresponding C3D27(R)(H) element. (Neither element is available in Abaqus/Explicit.) Otherwise, there is no way to generate variable node hexahedra with Abaqus/CAE.

  • Surface elements, cylindrical (SFMCL6 and SFMCL9)

  • Thin shell element, 9-node doubly curved (S9R5)

  • Tube-to-tube contact elements (ITT21 and ITT31)

  • Poroelastic acoustic elements (C3D4A, C3D6A, and C3D8A)

Some pyramid elements, such as C3D5 and AC3D5, are supported by Abaqus/CAE in that they can be imported from and written to input files. However, Abaqus/CAE has no meshing algorithms that generate a pyramid shape. You can assign a different pyramid element type to existing pyramid elements in the Mesh module.

You cannot assign some elements, such as CONN2D2 and SPRING1 in the Mesh module; however, you can create equivalent connectors in the Interaction module or engineering features in the Property module or Interaction module as shown in Table 1. These elements are written to the input file.

Table 1. Abaqus/CAE support for connectors and engineering features.
Elements Abaqus/CAE support
CONN2D2, CONN3D2 Equivalent connector in Interaction module
DASHPOTA, DASHPOT1, DASHPOT2 Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module (linear behavior independent of field variables)
Equivalent connector in Interaction module
GAPCYL, GAPSPHER, GAPUNI Equivalent connector in Interaction module
HEATCAP Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module
ITSCYL, ITSUNI Equivalent connector in Interaction module
JOINTC Equivalent connector in Interaction module
MASS Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module
ROTARYI Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module
SPRINGA, SPRING1, SPRING2 Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module (linear behavior independent of field variables)
Equivalent connector in Interaction module

For more information, see Understanding connectors, Inertia, and Springs and dashpots.