Selecting section point data by category

When you are displaying a contour plot, you can use the Section Points dialog box to control the section points from which Abaqus obtains integration point results and material orientations by selecting a category and the section points that represent the bottom and top locations.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
Selecting model data and analysis results to plot

Context:

Reinforcement (rebar) layers in membrane, shell, and surface elements are treated as section points for output purposes; each reinforcement layer has a unique name. For example, you can request results from the section points at the top surfaces of certain shells in the model, from the middle section points of certain beams in the model, or from a named reinforcement layer in certain membrane elements in the model.

Contour plots displaying output at two section points vary in appearance depending on the type of shell. In a conventional shell the two contours appear as a double-sided shell with different contours on each side, while in a continuum shell (or a composite solid) the two contours appear as distinct two-dimensional contour fronts at each section point location. Axisymmetric shells, which are composed of line elements swept to form a three-dimensional surface, exhibit neither behavior because they are not considered three-dimensional shells; instead, these shells display output at a single section point only.

In many cases the location of a section point is described in terms of its position relative to the midpoint of the cross-section. For two-dimensional beams this relative position is reported as a fraction of the distance between the midpoint of the cross-section and the top or bottom surface of the section. For shells this relative position is reported as a fraction of the distance between the midpoint of the cross-section and the SPOS or SNEG surface of the section. Reinforcement layers are indicated by their unique name.

For beams with three-dimensional sections, the relative position of a section point can be reported as a fraction of the distance between the midpoint of the cross-section and

  • the top or bottom of the section (along the local 2-axis of the section) or

  • the left or right side of the section (along the local 1-axis of the section).

For circular beams the section point locations are defined as a relative position with respect to the section radius and an angle rotated from the positive 1-axis about the midpoint of the cross-section.

For more information about where section points are located in different section types, see the following:

For more information about reinforcement layers, see Defining Reinforcement.

Abaqus/CAE provides the following methods for choosing the section points to display:

  • Display a category of elements and a location. Examples of element categories include element types and materials. The location can be the top or bottom surface or both.

  • Display the section point containing the critical value (absolute maximum, maximum, or minimum). Abaqus/CAE searches for the critical value across all of the section points in each element. The resulting plot is called an envelope plot.