Connector Element Library

This section provides a reference to the connector elements available in Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit.

This page discusses:

See Also
Connector Elements
Connection Types
In Other Guides
*CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
*CONNECTOR LOAD
*CONNECTOR SECTION

ProductsAbaqus/StandardAbaqus/ExplicitAbaqus/CAE

Element Types

Connector in a Plane

CONN2D2

Connector element between two nodes or ground and a node.

Active Degrees of Freedom

1, 2, 6 for the most general connection types.

Additional Solution Variables

In Abaqus/Standard there can be up to three additional constraint variables related to forces and a moment associated with the connector. The number of additional constraint variables depends on the connection type.

Connector in Space

CONN3D2

Connector element between two nodes or ground and a node.

Active Degrees of Freedom

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for the most general connection types.

Additional Solution Variables

In Abaqus/Standard there can be up to six additional constraint variables related to forces and moments associated with the connector. The number of additional constraint variables depends on the connection type.

Nodal Coordinates Required

CONN2D2: X, Y

CONN3D2: X, Y, Z

Element Property Definition

Input File Usage

CONNECTOR SECTION

Abaqus/CAE Usage

Interaction module: ConnectorSectionCreate

Element-Based Loading

Use connector loads to apply loading to the available components of relative motion. Prescribe connector motion to specify relative kinematics (zero or nonzero values) for the available components of relative motion. See Connector Actuation for details.

Element Output

Total Force Components

CTF1

Total force in the 1-direction.

CTF2

Total force in the 2-direction.

CTF3

Total force in the 3-direction.

CTM1

Total moment about the 1-direction.

CTM2

Total moment about the 2-direction.

CTM3

Total moment about the 3-direction.

The total force is obtained as CTF = CEF + CVF + CUF + CSF + CRF – CCF.

Elastic Force Components

CEF1

Elastic force in the 1-direction.

CEF2

Elastic force in the 2-direction.

CEF3

Elastic force in the 3-direction.

CEM1

Elastic moment about the 1-direction.

CEM2

Elastic moment about the 2-direction.

CEM3

Elastic moment about the 3-direction.

Elastic Relative Displacement Components

CUE1

Elastic displacement in the 1-direction.

CUE2

Elastic displacement in the 2-direction.

CUE3

Elastic displacement in the 3-direction.

CURE1

Elastic rotation about the 1-direction.

CURE2

Elastic rotation about the 2-direction.

CURE3

Elastic rotation about the 3-direction.

Plastic Relative Displacement Components

CUP1

Plastic relative displacement in the 1-direction.

CUP2

Plastic relative displacement in the 2-direction.

CUP3

Plastic relative displacement in the 3-direction.

CURP1

Plastic relative rotation about the 1-direction.

CURP2

Plastic relative rotation about the 2-direction.

CURP3

Plastic relative rotation about the 3-direction.

Equivalent Plastic Relative Displacement Components

CUPEQ1

Equivalent plastic relative displacement in the 1-direction.

CUPEQ2

Equivalent plastic relative displacement in the 2-direction.

CUPEQ3

Equivalent plastic relative displacement in the 3-direction.

CURPEQ1

Equivalent plastic relative rotation about the 1-direction.

CURPEQ2

Equivalent plastic relative rotation about the 2-direction.

CURPEQ3

Equivalent plastic relative rotation about the 3-direction.

CUPEQC

Equivalent plastic relative motion for a coupled plasticity definition.

Kinematic Hardening Shift Force Components

CALPHAF1

Kinematic hardening shift force in the 1-direction.

CALPHAF2

Kinematic hardening shift force in the 2-direction.

CALPHAF3

Kinematic hardening shift force in the 3-direction.

CALPHAM1

Kinematic hardening shift moment about the 1-direction.

CALPHAM2

Kinematic hardening shift moment about the 2-direction.

CALPHAM3

Kinematic hardening shift moment about the 3-direction.

Viscous Force Components

CVF1

Viscous force in the 1-direction.

CVF2

Viscous force in the 2-direction.

CVF3

Viscous force in the 3-direction.

CVM1

Viscous moment about the 1-direction.

CVM2

Viscous moment about the 2-direction.

CVM3

Viscous moment about the 3-direction.

Uniaxial Force Components

Connector uniaxial behavior can be defined only in Abaqus/Explicit; therefore, there is no uniaxial force output available in Abaqus/Standard.

CUF1

Uniaxial force in the 1-direction.

CUF2

Uniaxial force in the 2-direction.

CUF3

Uniaxial force in the 3-direction.

CUM1

Uniaxial moment about the 1-direction.

CUM2

Uniaxial moment about the 2-direction.

CUM3

Uniaxial moment about the 3-direction.

Friction Force Components

CSF1

Force due to frictional stress in the 1-direction.

CSF2

Force due to frictional stress in the 2-direction.

CSF3

Force due to frictional stress in the 3-direction.

CSM1

Frictional moment about the 1-direction.

CSM2

Frictional moment about the 2-direction.

CSM3

Frictional moment about the 3-direction.

CSFC

Force due to frictional stress in the instantaneous slip direction. Available only for predefined or user-defined coupled friction interactions.

Contact Force Components Generating Friction

CNF1

Contact force generating friction in the 1-direction.

CNF2

Contact force generating friction in the 2-direction.

CNF3

Contact force generating friction in the 3-direction.

CNM1

Contact moment generating friction about the 1-direction.

CNM2

Contact moment generating friction about the 2-direction.

CNM3

Contact moment generating friction about the 3-direction.

CNFC

Contact force generating friction in the instantaneous slip direction.

Total Overall Damage Components

CDMG1

Overall damage variable in the 1-direction.

CDMG2

Overall damage variable in the 2-direction.

CDMG3

Overall damage variable in the 3-direction.

CDMGR1

Overall damage variable about the 1-direction.

CDMGR2

Overall damage variable about the 2-direction.

CDMGR3

Overall damage variable about the 3-direction.

Connector Force-Based Damage Initiation Criteria

CDIF1

Connector force-based damage initiation criterion in the 1-direction.

CDIF2

Connector force-based damage initiation criterion in the 2-direction.

CDIF3

Connector force-based damage initiation criterion in the 3-direction.

CDIFR1

Connector force-based damage initiation criterion about the 1-direction.

CDIFR2

Connector force-based damage initiation criterion about the 2-direction.

CDIFR3

Connector force-based damage initiation criterion about the 3-direction.

CDIFC

Connector force-based damage initiation criterion in the instantaneous slip direction.

Connector Motion-Based Damage Initiation Criteria

CDIM1

Connector motion-based damage initiation criterion in the 1-direction.

CDIM2

Connector motion-based damage initiation criterion in the 2-direction.

CDIM3

Connector motion-based damage initiation criterion in the 3-direction.

CDIMR1

Connector motion-based damage initiation criterion about the 1-direction.

CDIMR2

Connector motion-based damage initiation criterion about the 2-direction.

CDIMR3

Connector motion-based damage initiation criterion about the 3-direction.

CDIMC

Connector motion-based damage initiation criterion in the instantaneous slip direction.

Connector Plastic Motion-Based Damage Initiation Criteria

CDIP1

Connector plastic motion-based damage initiation criterion in the 1-direction.

CDIP2

Connector plastic motion-based damage initiation criterion in the 2-direction.

CDIP3

Connector plastic motion-based damage initiation criterion in the 3-direction.

CDIPR1

Connector plastic motion-based damage initiation criterion about the 1-direction.

CDIPR2

Connector plastic motion-based damage initiation criterion about the 2-direction.

CDIPR3

Connector plastic motion-based damage initiation criterion about the 3-direction.

CDIPC

Connector plastic motion-based damage initiation criterion in the instantaneous slip direction.

Connector Lock or Stop Status

CSLSTi

Flags for connector stop and connector lock status (i=1,6).

Friction-Related Accumulated Slip

CASU1

Accumulated frictional slip in the 1-direction.

CASU2

Accumulated frictional slip in the 2-direction.

CASU3

Accumulated frictional slip in the 3-direction.

CASUR1

Accumulated frictional rotation about the 1-direction.

CASUR2

Accumulated frictional rotation about the 2-direction.

CASUR3

Accumulated frictional rotation about the 3-direction.

CASUC

Accumulated frictional slip in the instantaneous slip direction.

Frictional Instantaneous Velocity in the Slip Direction (Available Only If Friction Is Defined in the Slip Direction)

CIVC

Friction-related instantaneous velocity in the slip direction.

Reaction Force Components due to Kinematic Constraints, Connector Locks, Connector Stops, and Prescribed Connector Motion

CRF1

Connector reaction force in the 1-direction.

CRF2

Connector reaction force in the 2-direction.

CRF3

Connector reaction force in the 3-direction.

CRM1

Connector reaction moment about the 1-direction.

CRM2

Connector reaction moment about the 2-direction.

CRM3

Connector reaction moment about the 3-direction.

Connector Concentrated Force Components due to Connector Loads

CCF1

Connector concentrated force in the 1-direction.

CCF2

Connector concentrated force in the 2-direction.

CCF3

Connector concentrated force in the 3-direction.

CCM1

Connector concentrated moment about the 1-direction.

CCM2

Connector concentrated moment about the 2-direction.

CCM3

Connector concentrated moment about the 3-direction.

Relative Position Components

CP1

Relative position in the 1-direction.

CP2

Relative position in the 2-direction.

CP3

Relative position in the 3-direction.

CPR1

Relative angular position in the 1-direction.

CPR2

Relative angular position in the 2-direction.

CPR3

Relative angular position in the 3-direction.

Relative Displacement Components

CU1

Relative displacement in the 1-direction.

CU2

Relative displacement in the 2-direction.

CU3

Relative displacement in the 3-direction.

CUR1

Relative rotation in the 1-direction.

CUR2

Relative rotation in the 2-direction.

CUR3

Relative rotation in the 3-direction.

Constitutive Displacement Components

CCU1

Constitutive displacement in the 1-direction.

CCU2

Constitutive displacement in the 2-direction.

CCU3

Constitutive displacement in the 3-direction.

CCUR1

Constitutive rotation in the 1-direction.

CCUR2

Constitutive rotation in the 2-direction.

CCUR3

Constitutive rotation in the 3-direction.

Relative Velocity Components

CV1

Relative velocity in the 1-direction.

CV2

Relative velocity in the 2-direction.

CV3

Relative velocity in the 3-direction.

CVR1

Relative angular velocity in the 1-direction.

CVR2

Relative angular velocity in the 2-direction.

CVR3

Relative angular velocity in the 3-direction.

Relative Acceleration Components

CA1

Relative acceleration in the 1-direction.

CA2

Relative acceleration in the 2-direction.

CA3

Relative acceleration in the 3-direction.

CAR1

Relative angular acceleration in the 1-direction.

CAR2

Relative angular acceleration in the 2-direction.

CAR3

Relative angular acceleration in the 3-direction.

Connector Failure Status

CFAILSTi

Flags for connector failure status (i=1,6).

Node Ordering on Elements