Stress Check Analysis Guide

StressCheck
ANALYSIS GUIDE
Release 6.1
April, 2002
Revision 3
For Windows Operating Systems
Copyright 2002
Engineering Software Research & Development, Inc.
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StressCheck includes portions of Raima Data Manager version 3.21. Copyright 1984-
1996 by Raima Corporation. 1605 N. W. Sammamish Road, Suite 200, Issaquah, WA
98027. All rights reserved.
StressCheck includes portions of FLEXlm license manager version 6.1. Copyright

1997 by Globetrotter Software Inc., 1530 Meridian Avenue, San Jose, GA 95125. All
rights reserved.
Tech Soft America (www.hoops3d.com) supplied the following core technology:

HOOPS 3D Application Framework 1998
HOOPS 3D Graphic System 1998
Portions of StressCheck are owned by EDS, Inc. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved.
StressCheck incorporates MeshSim a product of Simmetrix Inc.
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Table of Contents
1 Planar Elasticity 1
Setting the analysis type and choice of units 1
Entering geometric data 2
Entering mesh data 5
Assigning thickness 9
Entering material properties 10
Entering load data 18
Entering constraint data 25
Defining the solution ID 28
Setting discretization parameters 29
Writing an input file 30
Executing a linear analysis 31
Quality assessment and extraction procedures 34
Model problem: Tension strip with a circular hole 46
Principal directions 54
Using beam elements 57
Analysis Guide Table of Contents i

Table of Contents
2 Axisymmetric Elasticity 71
Setting the analysis type 71
Entering geometric and mesh data 72
Model problem: Floyds vessel 89
3 Plate Bending 99
Assigning thickness 101
Model problem: Built-in square plate 130
4 Three-Dimensional Elasticity 139

ii Table of Contents Analysis Guide

Table of Contents

Model problem: Plate in tension 174
Extrusion 182
Thin Solids 191
Post-processing 201
5 Modal and Buckling Analyses 215

Input data preparation 215
Modal analysis 217
Modal analysis for beams 225
Buckling analysis 229
Using the eigensolver 235
6 Conduction Heat Transfer 239

Input data preparation 239
Model problem: Pipe with cooling fins 240
Verification example 254
Stresses caused by thermal loading 261
7 Network License Management 265

What is License Management? 265
License Server and Password Installation 267
License Management Trouble-shooting 267
Analysis Guide Table of Contents

Table of Contents
8 References 269
Error and Warning Messages 277
iv Table of Contents Analysis Guide

1
1 Planar Elasticity
This chapter contains guidelines for the preparation of input data, for obtaining a linear solution and for
performing post solution operations for problems in Planar Elasticity. It is recommended that you
become thoroughly familiar with this chapter prior to attempting other analysis types, such as axisym-
metric, plate bending or 3D analyses.
Setting the analysis type and choice of units

After opening a new database, adjust the reference and theory selectors to Planar
Elasticity. Under this analysis mode, all the input forms will contain the appropriate
fields and functionality supported for the reference and theory.
Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 1

Entering geometric data
1
The choice of units Any length unit can be chosen, the only requirement is that the units must be
consistent throughout the data set. It is good practice to work consistently
either with standard U.S. units or SI units. By standard U.S. units we under-
stand the following system of units: pound force (lbf), inches, seconds and
degrees Fahrenheit. SI units are mass (kg), meters, seconds and degrees
Kelvin. When using SI units in mechanical engineering practice then it is often
convenient to use millimeters for length units, Newtons for force units and
MPa for stress units.

From the Main Toolbar select the Create Model icon and then select the Geom-
etry tab in the Input dialog window (FIGURE 1). Geometry provides for the
specification of the solution domain using points, lines, circles, ellipses, rect-
angles, etc. StressCheck lets you separate the definition of boundaries from the
definition of the finite element mesh. You will find that this feature gives you a
great deal of flexibility and convenience. You will be able to change the mesh
and the new elements will be assigned the correct boundary conditions by
StressCheck automatically. Refer to the Modeling Guide for a detailed descrip-
tion of geometry construction in StressCheck.
Select the Mesh tab when you are ready to define nodes and elements. Nodes
may be associated with previously defined points, specified as intersections of
two boundary curves, assigned as offsets on boundaries, defined directly, etc.
The process of entering geometric data is demonstrated through an example in

the following. Additional examples and exercises are presented to highlight
important features.
Example StressCheck makes it very convenient to specify solution domains bounded by

lines, circles, ellipses, and curves created by data fitting. Consider, for exam-
ple, the domain shown in FIGURE 2, representing part of a linkage arm.
To specify the domain, select the Geometry tab in the StressCheck Input dialog
box, and then construct a rectangular domain using the following steps:
Class tab: Geometry > Action: Create > Object: Rectangle > Method: Locate
> Input: (Make sure the toggle switch is ON) X: 0.0, Y: -10.0, Z: 0.0, width:
2 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

1
FIGURE 1 Geometry input.
80, height: 20, rot-Z: 0.0 > Button: Accept. If the rectangle is not visible, click on
the Center Model icon.
Note that the logical sequence was to select the Class (GEOMETRY), an Action
(CREATE), an Object (RECTANGLE), and the Method by which the object is to be
created (LOCATE, that is, specify the data which define the rectangle: the coordi-
nates of a vertex point, the width and the height, measured from the vertex point).
The resulting rectangle consists of four lines and four points.
Define next the inner circle by the commands:
Create > Circle > Locate > Input: X: 100.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, radius: 10, P1-Min: 0.0,
P1-Max: 360.0, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept
Similarly, create the outer circle with a radius of 20 units. Finally, create the fillets
using the commands:

1
Circular fillet, radius = 15
y
B
10
20
x
A 20
100
FIGURE 2 Part of a linkage arm. The length units are in millimeters.
Create > Fillet > Selection > Input ON > radius: 15. Then using the mouse,
click on the upper horizontal line and the outer circle (in either order) close to
the points where the points of tangency are expected.
A circular fillet will appear on the screen. The end points are nodes. The radius
of the fillet will be exactly 15 units, the center of the circle and tangent points
(nodes) are computed by StressCheck automatically. Repeat for the lower hori-
zontal line and the outer circle. It is possible that the fillet will not turn out as
you expected. This is because fitting a circle of a fixed radius tangent to a cir-
cle and a line can have as many as five solutions. If you encounter such a prob-
lem then click on the DeLast button (delete the last command) and try again,
clicking on the circle and the line close to where you expect the tangent points.
This completes the specification of the solution domain.

Entering mesh data
1
Entering mesh data
Elements types
Four types of elements are available in Planar Elasticity: quadrilateral, triangular,
beam, and fastener elements.
Quadrilateral elements: They are constructed by selecting 4 nodes in any order.
Triangular elements: They are constructed by selecting 3 nodes in any order.
Beam elements: They are constructed by selecting 2 nodes in any order.
If neighboring nodal points lie on a boundary, for example a circle, then that bound-
ary is automatically associated with the element. This means that the mathematical
description of the boundary curve will be used for computing the stiffness matrix
and load vector for the element.
When the elements are displayed, an inscribed 3x3 mesh represented by dotted
lines, appears on the screen. These lines are there to help you see the element
clearly. If you do not wish these lines to be displayed then turn off the Element
Handles icon, or select View/ Display Options Toolbar/ Element Handles and the
inscribed mesh will disappear.
Fastener elements: Special elements that can be attached to circular boundaries.
Designing the mesh

A general rule is that finite element meshes should be so constructed that the vertex
angles of triangular elements are as close to 60 degrees as possible, and the vertex
angles of quadrilateral elements are as close to 90 degrees as possible. The p-ver-
sion is much more forgiving with respect to deviation from the optimal vertex
angles than the h-version; nevertheless it is recommended to keep vertex angles
between 10 and 150 degrees.
There are simple rules for designing finite element meshes for problems in Catego-
ries A and B (Refer to the Advanced Guide, Theoretical Background Chapter, for
the classification of problems in Categories A and B). These rules are outlined in
the following.

Entering mesh data
1
Consider, for example, the linkage arm detail shown in FIGURE 2. Assuming
that the applied loading is smooth and the constraints do not introduce singular
points, the solution of this problem will be very nearly in Category A. Strictly
speaking, the solution will not be perfectly in Category A because the curva-
ture of the boundary changes abruptly at the endpoints of the fillets. The solu-
tion is not analytic at these points which therefore must be nodal points. Note
that StressCheck automatically inserts nodes at the endpoints of fillets. The
abrupt changes in curvature will not introduce high stresses, nor will they
cause the computed stresses to oscillate. Therefore no mesh refinement is nec-
essary around these points.
Node numbers
Elements numbers
FIGURE 3 Portion of a linkage arm. Mesh details.
Example Let us now construct the mesh shown in FIGURE 3. The first step is to define
the nodes. Note that nodes 1 to 4 were created automatically by the program

Entering mesh data
1
where the fillets were created. Nodes 5 and 6 can be created by the method of inter-
section.
Class tab: Mesh > Action: Create > Object: Node > Method: Intersection. Click
on the two boundary objects near the intersection points where a node is to be
located.
StressCheck will indicate the node by a small square. The numbering sequence for
the nodes is unimportant. Nodes 1 and 7 shown in FIGURE 3, should be on a radial
line, or nearly so, to ensure that the angles of the neighboring quadrilateral elements
are nearly 90 degrees. To create nodes 7 and 8:
Create > Node > Projection. Click on node 1 and then on the inner circle. Node 7
will be created over the circle as a projection (shortest distance) from node 1.
Repeat by choosing node 3 and the circle to create node 8.
The rest of the nodes can be created as offsets on the given circles. To create nodes
9 through 12:
Create > Node > Offset > Repeat # = 4 > Input ON > offset: 0 + 90. Then click on
the inner circle.
To create nodes 13 through 15:
Create > Node > Offset > Repeat # = 3 > Input ON > offset: -90 + 90. Then click
on the outer circle. The result should be the set of nodes shown in FIGURE 3.
Note: Turn the Repeat switch off before going to the next step.
Now we are ready to create the elements. To create a quadrilateral element:
Create > Quadrilateral > Selection. Then point to the four nodes which define the
element in any order.
To create a triangular element:
Create > Triangle > Selection. Point to the vertices which define the triangular
element in any order.

Entering mesh data
1
Checking the mesh

In order to ensure that all elements are properly connected, that is, there are no
unintended free edges, select:
Mesh tab > Check > Edge > Free Edge.
Those element boundaries which are not connected to other elements will be
highlighted.
Note on vanishing angles

Elements with vanishing angles (zero vertex angle) are acceptable for linear
analysis. They require a special post processing procedure (which is performed
automatically by the program) and their main advantage is to facilitate mesh-
ing in filleted regions or when different materials are used. Quadrilateral and
triangular elements can have one or more vanishing angle. Consider a square
plate subjected to axial traction as shown in FIGURE 4. The central quadrilat-
eral element has all four corners with vanishing angles, however the stress dis-
tribution is practically not affected by this element. For a unit traction the stress
should be unity everywhere.
FIGURE 4 Quadrilateral element with all four vertex angles equal to zero.
Unit axial traction.

Assigning thickness
1
Assigning thickness
For problems of Planar Elasticity it is necessary to associate some thickness with
the elements. To assign thickness, select Class: Thickness or click on the Thickness
tab in the StressCheck Input box (FIGURE 5).
FIGURE 5 Thickness input.
To assign a constant thickness to all elements, select All Elements and enter the
value of the constant. Click on Accept and StressCheck will confirm your entry in
the scrolling list. If you wish to assign different thickness to different elements,
select Any Element and click on the elements to which the thickness is to be
assigned. The elements will be highlighted. Alternatively, drag the cursor on the
screen until the desired group of elements is identified. If you wish to remove one
or more elements from the selected group, click on the elements to be removed
while holding the Ctrl key. To add element(s) to the set, click on the element(s)

Entering material properties
1
while holding down the Shift key. Enter the desired thickness and click on
Accept.
Example For the problem shown in FIGURE 2 assign constant thickness (5.0 mm) to all
elements.
Class tab: Thickness > Select > All Elements > Selection > Thickness: 5.0 >
Accept.

To enter the material properties you must provide two types of information:
definition of material properties and assignment of material properties. Both
activities are performed by selecting the Material tab in the StressCheck Input
box, or Class: Material from the Main Menu Bar. FIGURE 6a shows the mate-
rial interface displayed on the screen when the Define tab is used for providing
the material coefficients. FIGURE 6b shows the interface when the Assign tab
is used for assigning the defined properties to the elements in the mesh.
To define the material properties select the Define tab from the Material inter-
face.
1. Decide whether you wish to enter your own material properties, in which
case select the Option: Defined Mtrl., or select the material properties from a
standard list provided by StressCheck, in which case choose on Standard Mtrl.
When you elect to use material properties from the standard list of Stress-
Check, then a list of material designations will appear in the scroll window of
the material entry form.
2. Specify whether you wish to define a Linear elastic, Elastic-Plastic or Non-

linear-Elastic material. If you want to enter your own material properties select
the option Defined Material. If you want to select a material from the Stress-
Check list, select the option Standard Material, then click on the material name
and the property data will be entered automatically.
3. Specify the material type. For linear materials the choices are Isotropic,
Transversely Isotropic, Orthotropic, Laminated Isotropic, Laminated Orthotro-
pic or Anisotropic. Anisotropic in two-dimensions designates materials with
only one plane of material symmetry. The plane of material symmetry must be

1
(a) (b)
FIGURE 6 Material properties input.
Note: The material properties on the standard list of StressCheck are

average values taken from various reference books. Actual material prop-
erties may vary substantially from these generally accepted average val-
ues. It is the users responsibility to ensure that the material data are
properly defined for the specific application.
the xy-plane. Materials with one plane of symmetry are called monoclinic materi-
als. After you select the material type, the scroll window automatically adjusts to
provide the appropriate number of fields into which the material properties are to be
entered. For the types of elastic-plastic and nonlinear-elastic materials, refer to the
Advanced Guide.

1
4. Name a material by entering the name into the field next to ID: (e.g. mat,
steel, alum, etc.). If the toggle switch in front of material ID is turned on then
the name of the material will be shown for each element once you completed
the assignment process.
5. Specify whether the analysis is to be Plane Stress or Plane Strain.
6. Provide the material properties if not using a material from the list. All val-
ues of the material coefficients can be constant or parametric. Entering a
parameter name in the input field is all it takes to associate any coefficient to a
previously defined parameter.
7. Click on Accept to associate the material name (entered into the material ID
box) with the specified material properties.
8. Assign the material ID to the elements. When only one material is defined,
the material assignment is not required. The program will utilize that material
for all the elements in the mesh. If more than one material is defined, or if the
material is other than isotropic, then an assignment is needed.
Note: For orthotropic and transversely isotropic materials, a coordinate sys-

tem other than the global can be specified. In such cases the material 1-axis is
aligned with the x-axis of the selected coordinate system while the material 2-
axis is aligned with the y-axis. If the selected coordinate system is cylindrical
(r,,z), then the material 1-axis is aligned with the -direction and the material
2-axis is aligned with the r-direction.
Example Let us define and assign the materials properties of a 2014-T6 aluminum alloy
(Plane stress) to the linkage arm. Select the following options:
Class tab: Material > Define tab > Action: Define > Object: Linear >
Method: Selection > Option: Standard Mtrl > Type: Isotropic > Case: Pl.
Stress > Select aluminum alloy 2014-T6 from the scrolling listbox. > ID:
ALUM. Click on Accept. When you select a standard material from the list,
the name is automatically entered in the ID input field. You can replace the
name before clicking on the Accept button.
To assign materials to elements:
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > ID: ALUM > Accept

1
Laminate properties
A capability is available to facilitate the input of orthotropic material properties for

individual plies and for sub-laminate properties for 2D plane-strain analysis.
Individual plies: When the ply-angles are not contained in the standard 2D
working plane (the plane-strain XY plane), the material matrix needed for
the 2D analysis is extracted from the 3D material matrix. The material coef-
ficients are entered in the material directions, and then assigned to the ele-
ments together with the ply angle information. The program performs all
necessary transformations to compute the equivalent 2D properties in the
XY work plane. The appropriate 3D properties are applied when the planar
model is extruded into 3D as well.
Sub-laminates: When a set of plies needs to be combined in a single ele-
ment (sub-laminate), the properties of the sub-laminate are obtained by
homogenization. Again, the 3D material coefficients in the material axes of
the composite are entered together with the stacking sequence of the sub-
laminate, and the program computes the equivalent 2D properties in the
Stress Check XY work plane for the stack. The appropriate 3D properties
are applied when the planar model is extruded into 3D as well.
The procedures implemented in Stress Check to account for these two cases include
the following:
The material coefficients of a single orthotropic ply are entered in the direc-
tion of the material axes (FIGURE 7a) by selecting the material type:
Lamin.Ortho under the Define tab. Nine engineering coefficients (E11, E22,
E33, G12, G23, G31, 12, 23, 13) in the direction of the material axes and
the ply thickness must be provided, since plane strain is the default setting
for this material. The three coefficients of thermal expansion (11, 22,
33) and the mass density can also be entered, but they are not required
unless there is thermal loading or a modal analysis is needed.
After the material properties for a single ply are entered, the ply group
information must be provided. This includes the angular orientation of each
ply in the group, in accordance with the following convention: A positive
ply angle () is measured as a counterclockwise rotation about the z-axis of
a local coordinate system (xyz). The z-axis of the local is aligned with the
material 3-axis as shown in FIGURE 7b.
The ply groups are assembled into a stack by providing the total number of
layers in the laminate, defining whether the stack is symmetric or not and
entering the stacking sequence based on the ply group names. This proce-

1
z3 1
x
y
3 Y
1 X 2
2
plane-strain
plane
Z
(a) Material axes (b) Rotation of material axes
FIGURE 7 Material coordinate systems for orthotropic plies.
dure provides great flexibility, since various ply groups of different

material properties can be assembled together to represent a single sub-
lamina.
Finally, the stack is assigned to the elements in the mesh identifying
the local coordinate system, the z-axis of which is assumed to coincide
with the material 3-axis and must be perpendicular to the plane of the
ply (FIGURE 7b). The case of a single ply assigned to an element is
treated as a particular case of a sublaminate with one orthotropic layer.
It is now possible to assign laminated plies directly instead of having to
assign a stack, which in turn references a ply definition.
The two-dimensional material stiffness matrix needed for the plane-strain anal-
ysis is then extracted from the three-dimensional material matrix in global
coordinates (XYZ). When a group of laminae is assigned to a single element,
the three-dimensional effective properties are computed by homogenization
(refer to the Advanced Guide for additional information).
Example 1 Consider a 16-ply [4(0/90)]S simply supported laminated composite strip under
plane strain conditions subjected to a sinusoidal traction as shown in FIGURE

1
8. Each ply is of the same material and thickness (t=0.0625 mm) with the following
q=cos(x/a)
h=1.0
a=20
z
Local System
SYS2
x
a/2 Uy=0
Ux=0
(symmetry)
FIGURE 8 16 ply [4(0/90)]S simply-supported laminated composite

under sinusoidal load. Notation and mesh.
properties:
EL = 1.38x105 MPa, ET = 9.3x103MPa
GLT = 4.6x103 MPa, GTT = 3.1x103 MPa
LT = 0.3, TT = 0.5
where L is in the direction of the fibers and T is the transverse direction. Because of
symmetry, only half of the beam was considered for the analysis. The mesh shown
in FIGURE 8 consists of 16 quadrilateral elements, one for each ply. The material
properties for a each ply are entered in the material definition form shown in FIG-
URE 9a. All nine engineering coefficients (E11, E22, E33, G12, G23, G31, 12, 23,
13) in the direction of the material axis and the ply thickness must be provided in
this form. The relation between the L-T and the 1-2-3 notation is: E11=EL,

1
E22=E33=ET, G12=G31=GLT, G23=GTT, 12=13=LT 23=TT. The three coeffi-

cients of thermal expansion (11, 22, 33) and the mass density are optional.
After the material properties for a single ply are entered, the ply group infor-
mation must be provided as shown in FIGURE 9b: The ply group name, the
lamina material name and the ply layout angles. The stack form shown in FIG-
URE 9c is used to assemble the ply groups by providing the stack sequence
name, the number of layers in the laminate, whether the stack is symmetric or
not and the stacking sequence based on the ply group names. As shown in FIG-
URE 9, the material property SINGLEPLY, defined in the material definition
form, is used to define the ply group PLY90 with a ply layout of 90 degrees
with respect to the z-axis of a local system and the stack LAM90 is created
with a single ply using the plygroup PLY90. The last step is to assign the mate-
rial stacks to the elements and select the local coordinate system, the z-axis of
which is assumed to be aligned with the material 3-axis. The material assign-
ment form is shown in FIGURE 10. The orientation of the local coordinate sys-
tem relative to the global system is used to determine the material matrix in the
global system as explained in the previous section.
Example 2 Consider the same 16-ply [4(0/90)]S simply supported laminated composite
strip of example 1, but with the eight central layers replaced by a single ele-
ment with equivalent properties. The finite element mesh is shown in FIGURE
11. The ply group definition and stacking sequence for the 8 individual layers
sub-laminate
h
a/2
FIGURE 11 Mesh for a 16 ply [4(0/90)]S simply-supported laminated composite

under sinusoidal load with the eight central layers replaced by a single element.
(4 above and 4 below the sub-laminate) are the same as shown in FIGURE 9
for example 1. The corresponding input records for the sub-laminate are shown
in FIGURE 12. The central 8-plies [2(0/90]s can be described in more than one

1
(b) Ply group definition
(a) Material definition

(c) Stacking definition
FIGURE 9 Input forms for laminate properties definition. Example 1
way in the input field of FIGURE 12a. For example, 0/90/0/90/90/0/90/0, or 2[0/
90];2[90/0] as shown. Alternatively, define only half of the sub-laminate (4-plies)
in the ply definition form (that is, 2[0/90]) and then use the Symmetric option in the
stacking sequence.

Entering load data
1
Stack name
Local system
FIGURE 10 Input form for laminate properties assignment to elements.
Entering load data

To enter load data select the Load tab in the StressCheck Input box or Class:
Load from the Main Menu Bar. The input area will appear as shown in FIG-
URE 13. Specify a unique name which identifies the loading case you are
about to enter. In engineering practice often multiple load cases must be inves-
tigated. Each load case must be given an unique name in the ID field.

Entering load data
1
(a) Ply group definition (b) Stacking definition
FIGURE 12 Input forms for sub-laminate properties definition. Example 2
Types of loading
Several types of loading such as traction, spring, body forces or point loads are
available for Planar Elasticity. The definitions are as follows:
Traction loading: means that a distributed load (in force per unit area) is imposed
on a boundary or edge. Traction is a vector quantity. Thus, two vector components
must be given. These may be in the normal-tangent reference frame, in the global
system, or an arbitrary local system. Traction loads can be applied to geometric
boundaries of element edges, including beam elements.
Spring loading: means that load is applied through a displacement imposed on a

distributed spring which has been specified on an edge or boundary. Specifically,

Entering load data
1
FIGURE 13 Input forms for Load and Formula definition.
the traction vector components in the normal-tangent reference frame, for

example, are dependent on the imposed spring displacements:
Tn a nn a nt n un
=
Tt a nt a tt t ut
where Tn, Tt are traction vector components in the normal and tangent direc-
tions, respectively, ann, ant, att are spring coefficients (in units of force per
length cubed), , are imposed displacement components in the normal-
n t
tangent directions. These are the loading terms. The symbols un, ut represent
the normal-tangent displacement vector components.

Entering load data
1
Spring loading can be applied in global or local x-y coordinates as well. The only
restriction is that the spring coefficients and the imposed spring displacements must
be in the same reference frame. For further information on spring loading please
refer to pp. 75-76 of Ref. [3]. Spring loading is not available for beam elements.
Body force loading: The body is loaded by some distributed load, such as by grav-
ity or inertia due to acceleration. The body force is in terms of force per unit vol-
ume. If the acceleration vector a = {a , a } and the mass density ( ) are known
x y
then enter the products:
Fx = ax
Fy = ay
Body forces can be applied to quadrilateral, triangular and beam elements.
Thermal loading: means that a temperature distribution (in degrees) will be speci-
fied on elements. Refer to Chapter 6: Conduction Heat Transfer for specification of
temperature distribution obtained from a heat transfer analysis. Thermal loading
can be applied to quadrilateral, triangular and beam elements.
Point force: The elastic body is loaded by a concentrated force F = {Fx, F y} . You
may specify Fx, Fy directly or the absolute value of F and the direction of F in
terms of the angle measured counterclockwise from the positive x-axis. Refer to the
Advanced Topics Guide for additional information about the use of concentrated
forces. Point loads can be applied to points, nodes or fasteners. The points can be
located inside a quadrilateral or triangular element, but only on nodes for beam ele-
ments.
Bearing load: Normal sinusoidal traction applied to a circular hole by specifying

the magnitude and angular direction of the force or the two vector components Fx
and Fy.
Moment: Nodal moment applied to beam elements only.
Interference loading: Magnitude of the diametral interference that can be speci-

fied to a fastener element. If the interference is positive, means that the diameter of
the fastener is larger than that of the hole. If the interference is negative (gap), the
diameter of the fastener is smaller than that of the hole.
Example Specifying normal traction by formula. Let us apply a sinusoidally distributed nor-
mal traction to the inner bore of the linkage arm detail shown in FIGURE 2. We

Entering load data
1
will use the mesh shown in FIGURE 3. Let the thickness be 5.0mm, and the
material the aluminum alloy 2014-T6, E=7.52 x 104 MPa, v=0.397. We shall
assume plane stress conditions. A load of 104 N is applied in the axial direction
(i.e., the positive x-direction) such that the corresponding normal traction is
sinusoidally distributed compressive traction over half of the bore. Therefore
the normal traction Tn is of the form:

C cos ( t ) for t
---
2
Tn =

0 for t > ---
2

where t is the angular polar coordinate measured from the x-axis of a local
coordinate system located in the center of the circle. The coefficient C is to be
determined such that the resultant of the traction Tn is the desired axial force.
Referring to FIGURE 14 and noting that the positive normal traction is in the
direction of the positive (outward) normal, we have:

--- ---
2 2
2
Fx = Tn cos ( t )brdt = Cbr cos ( t )dt = --- Cbr
2

--- ---
2 2
where Fx is the desired axial force (Fx = 104 N), b is the thickness (b = 5.0 mm)
and r is the radius (r = 10 mm). From this we have:
2F x 4
2 10
C = --------- = ------------------------ = 127.3MPa.
br 5 10
Select the Formulae icon and in the Formula entry form enter the following
information:
Name: TN > System: Cylin./Polar > Angle: -pi to pi > Use Constants, C1:-
127.3 > Formula: if (abs(t):le: pi/2; C1*cos(t); 0). That is if the absolute
value of t is less or equal /2 then TN = C1*cos(t), else TN = 0. An equiva-

Entering load data
1
y1
Tn
t
x1
FIGURE 14 Positive normal traction for a circular hole.
lent expression for TN is: if ((t:ge: -pi/2) :and: (t:le: pi/2); C1*cos(t); 0). Click on
the Accept button.
In the Load input area
Class Tab: Load > Action: Select > Object: Any Curve > Method: Traction > ID:
LOAD > Direction: Norm./Tan. (Normal/Tangent) > Normal: TN > System:
select the local coordinate system of the inner circle from the pull-down menu.
The selected system will be highlighted on the screen. Make sure that the tangent
toggle switch is off. Select the inner circle and click on the Accept button. To dis-
play the name of the local system select the display Objects icon from the Views
Toolbar.
The applied traction will be displayed as shown in FIGURE 15. The up and down
buttons located next to the load Scale input field can be used to change the size of
the arrows representing the specified traction.
Bearing load The type of loading illustrated in FIGURE 15 frequently occurs in professional
practice because it approximates the interaction of a pin or fastener with a plate.
StressCheck lets you specify this type of loading very conveniently. In the method
combo box simply select Bearing, enter the magnitude and direction of the load (in
force units) then point to a circular boundary and click on the Accept button. The

Entering load data
1
program will compute the sinusoidal traction corresponding to the specified

bearing load.
FIGURE 15 Display of the applied sinusoidal traction.
Checking applied loads StressCheck makes it very convenient to check the magnitude of the applied
mechanical loads.
Load tab > Check > All Elements > Selection > System: Global > Moment-
X: 0.0 > Moment-Y: 0.0 > Button: Accept.
The moment center, the load vector components FX, FY, and the moment Mz
will be displayed in an Edit window. You will find the FX value to be virtually
the same as the applied load of 104 N.
Alternatively you may check the size of the mechanical load applied to any
part of the domain by selecting Action: Check, Object: Any Element and while
holding down the Shift key clicking with the left button of the mouse on the
desired elements. You may exclude selected elements by holding down the Ctrl
key while pointing to the ones to be excluded.

Entering constraint data
1

To enter constraint data select the Constraint tab in the StressCheck Input box or
Class: Constraint from the Main Menu Bar. The Input Area will appear as shown in
FIGURE 16. Specify an unique name for the constraint data you are about to enter.
This is necessary because StressCheck allows more than one constraint case to be
entered. Each case must be identified by a unique name.
FIGURE 16 Input area for constraint.
Types of constraints
Select the type of constraints, such as General, Rigid Body, or Spring Coefficient as
explained in the following:

1
General: means that you will prescribe one or two displacement components
to one or more boundaries or edges. For example, if one of the boundaries of
the solution domain lies on a plane of symmetry, which in 2D elasticity appears
as a line of symmetry then you will prescribe the normal displacement to be
zero.
Built-In: Both displacement components are set to zero.
Symmetry: The normal displacement component is set to zero. Symmetry

constraints are applicable only to straight edges in 2D and flat faces in 3D.
Antisymmetry: The tangential displacement component is set to zero. Anti-

symmetry constraints are applicable only to straight edges.
The advantage of using these particular cases is that they can be interpreted
automatically in 3D when the extrusion option is used. Refer to Chapter 4 for
details about extrusion.
Spring Coefficients: When an elastic body is constrained by means of distrib-

uted springs, or loaded by displacements imposed by distributed springs then
the spring coefficients modify the stiffness matrix. For this reason the spring
coefficients are entered as constraints. The relationship among tractions, spring
coefficients and displacements is described in page 19 under the subheading
Spring loading. Spring coefficients can only be applied to quadrilateral and
triangular elements.
Rigid Body: StressCheck provides a convenient way for specifying rigid body
constraints when the object node is selected. In the case of two-dimensional
elasticity the user selects two nodes. StressCheck will then create a right-
handed local coordinate system, the x-axis of which is directed from the first
node to the second. In this local coordinate system both displacement compo-
nents are constrained for the first node; only the displacement component in
the direction of the local y-axis is constrained for the second node.
Single Node: Individual nodes can be constrained or their displacement pre-

scribed in one or more directions. In the case of beams, the nodal rotation can
also be prescribed.
Hinge: Releases the rotation degree of freedom associated with a beam ele-
ment at that node. A hinge is specified by selecting a node and one element
attached to that node. If more than two elements are hinged at a node, multiple

1
records can be created selecting the same node and a different element each time.
Fastener Displacement: Prescribed displacement components for the center of a

fastener element. A fastener element has two degrees of freedom associated with its
center.
Fastener Connection: Connects two or more fasteners that share the same xy-
coordinates.
Remark Using point constraint. Point constraints are admissible only for preventing rigid
body displacement and rotation. The body must be in equilibrium under the action
of external forces. Unlike the errors introduced by concentrated forces, errors intro-
duced by point constraints are not localized, except when the point constraints are
to prevent rigid body displacement only. In every other case the reactions at point
constraints are dependent on the mesh and the polynomial degree of elements. For
this reason multipoint constraints should not be used in StressCheck.
To specify a general, built-in, symmetry, antisymmetry or spring coefficient con-

straint, the objects CURVE or EDGE must be selected first. To specify rigid body,
single node, or hinge constraint, the object NODE should be selected first. To spec-
ify a fastener constraint the object FASTENER must be selected first.
Example Enforcing symmetry and nodal constraints. Referring to FIGURE 2, we will

enforce symmetry conditions on boundary segment AB.
Class Tab: Constraint > Action: Select > Object: Any Curve > Method: Symmetry
> ID: SYM > Click on the boundary segment AB (FIGURE 2). Click on the
Accept button.
The symmetry constraints will be indicated schematically, as shown in FIGURE 17.

The constraint record will also appear in the scrolling list.
At this point there is nothing to prevent rigid body motion in the Y-direction. To
impose the proper rigid body constraint, select:
Constraint tab > Select > Node > Single Node > ID: SYM > Click on any of the
nodes, for example the one in the lower left corner of the domain > Direction: XY
> Data Type: Fixed ON> X: turn this toggle off > Y: turn this toggle on. Click on
the Accept button.
The constraint imposed on the node will then be displayed symbolically. Note that
the same ID was entered for both constraints.

Defining the solution ID
1
FIGURE 17 Symmetry and rigid body constraints enforced.
By toggling the Element Handles icon to the off position you can display the
mesh and boundary conditions as shown in FIGURE 17.

Because StressCheck allows more than one load case and constraint case to be
defined, it is necessary to associate a unique solution name with each desired
constraint and load name pair. To do this, select Class: Solution ID, or select
the Solution ID tab from the StressCheck Input box. The constraint name(s)
and load name(s) previously defined are displayed on this form (FIGURE 18).
Example To complete the solution record for this problem supply the following informa-
tion:
Class Tab: Solution ID > Action: Define > Object: Name > Method: Selec-
tion > Solutions tab > Solution ID: SOL > Constraint ID: SYM (or click on
item in listbox) > Load ID: LOAD (or click on item in listbox). Click on the
Accept button.

Setting discretization parameters
1
FIGURE 18 Solution ID input.

Extension means a systematic increase in the number of degrees of freedom, as
explained in the Users Guide. In StressCheck, typically uniform p-extensions are
used. It is possible, however, to select any group of elements and limit or fix the
polynomial degree for those elements. The options under the p-Discretization tab
are described in the Users Guide.
If uniform p-extension, using the trunk space, is to be employed then nothing needs
to be done because this is the default option for StressCheck.

Writing an input file
1
Example Lets assign the product space to all the elements of the linkage arm problem.
Select the p-Discretization tab and the input area will appear as shown in FIG-
URE 19. After selecting the Action, Object, and Method, you may select
Space: Product, and p-Discretization: Variable (meaning that the p-level is
allowed to change). Enter the starting p-level, and click on Accept. The entry
will then appear in the scrolling list.
FIGURE 19 p_Discretization input.
Writing an input file

It is good practice to periodically save the input data in an ascii file. To do this,
select File > Save Input or select the Save Input File icon from the Main Tool-
bar. A form listing the current input file names will appear. Enter a file name
which will remind you of the job but which is different from the database
name, then click on the Save button. Typically, the database is deleted once an
analysis is completed in order to save disk space. The input file can be loaded
into a new database by selecting File > Read Input.

Executing a linear analysis
1

To execute a linear analysis select Edit > Solution from the Main Menu Bar, or
click on the Compute Solution icon from the Main Toolbar. When the Solution dia-
log window appears (FIGURE 20) select the Linear tab and complete the requested
information. The available options are as follows:
Linear tab SOLVE! tab
FIGURE 20 Input area for linear analysis.
Extension: Choosing Upward-p means that the solution will be computed from
the minimum to the maximum p-levels specified under p-limits. This option
requires more CPU time than the Downward-p but requires less disk space. The
highest possible p-level in StressCheck is 8.
Choosing Downward-p means that the solution will be computed from the maxi-
mum to the minimum p-level specified under p-limits. Generally, the downward
sequence is faster but requires more disk space than the upward. For the highest p-
level, the upward and downward options yield identical results. For the lower p-lev-
els there will be minor differences owing to the fact that the maximal number of
integration points are used when the downward option is selected. You may give
the p-limits in either order.

1
Choosing Uniform-h means that h-extensions (uniform mesh refinement)

can be performed when all boundary conditions were specified on bound-
aries rather than element edges. When boundary conditions are prescribed on
boundaries then the loads and constraints are inherited by those elements
which have an edge on the boundary. StressCheck will generate finite elements
by uniformly subdividing each standard finite element. For example, for the
mesh shown in FIGURE 3, the first h-refinement (Run Limit: 2) will produce
the finite element mesh shown in FIGURE 21.
FIGURE 21 Finite element mesh after one h-refinement.
If you select Uniform-h then you need to specify Run Limit, which is the
number of h-refinements to be performed. At each refinement level each finite
element is subdivided into four elements. Therefore the maximum number of
elements generated is Mmax = 4r M1 where r is the specified run limit, and M1
is the number of elements at the start. You also need to specify the p-level
which will remain the same for all the runs.
Choosing Adaptive-p means that the polynomial order will be determined

for each element and for each run based on an error indicator until convergence
is realized. The convergence options are described below.
After completing the information in the Linear tab, select the SOLVE! tab and
choose from the available options:
Execute: Two options are available: Initialize and Restart. Initialize

means that the sequence will be computed from the initial p-level to the final
or, in the case of h-extensions, from the current mesh to the number of refine-
ments specified by the Run Limit entry.

1
Restart is used when a sequence of p-levels has been computed and you wish to
compute higher p-levels, retaining the computed data. In this case simply increase
the upper p-limit to its desired value and select Restart. In the case of large prob-
lems it is good practice to run initially from p=1 to 4, check the results, then if nec-
essary, increase the p-limits until the desired level of precision is reached.
Run Mode: You may execute an Automatic sequence of solutions for the exten-
sion and limits selected. Or you may execute Stepwise, requiring you to click on
Solve following the solution for each p-level or h-refinement.
Method: It may be either Iterative or Direct. Method: Iterative means that the
Iterative Solver (default) is used. Method: Direct means that the Direct Solver is
used.
Converge: Two options are available: None means that the number of runs is
controlled by the settings in the linear tab. Error=2% means that the number of
runs will be controlled by the global error of the solution. When the estimated rela-
tive error in energy norm is less than or equal to 2%, the execution will stop. The
highest polynomial order cannot go beyond the limits entered in the linear tab.
Additional convergence criteria can be defined in the Settings tab of the Results
interface, as described in the Users Guide.
Display: Two options are available:
- Sequence: The sequence switch is used to visually monitor the progress of the
solution on the mesh. The elements are removed from the screen as they are
included into the solver.
- Results: Engineering results may be monitored by using the layout switch to acti-
vate the Results layout. Select the desired Output controls in the Results class of
interest before activating the solution. Monitoring result functions is useful in the
case of large problems where sequential analysis executed stepwise is employed.
The monitored data provide information on the basis of which you can decide
whether to stop or continue the extension process. For small problems full p-exten-
sion should be performed.
Path to scratch directory: Prior to performing a solution, you may specify the
path to a scratch disk/directory where you wish to have your temporary files created
during the solution. The temporary files created during a finite element solution can
become quite large, so it is often desirable to have them created in a scratch disk
where there may be a large area (hundreds of megabytes) of free space to be used
only during the solution step. Files which are truly temporary are automatically

Quality assessment and extraction procedures
1
deleted by the program when they are no longer needed. Other files are left
behind because they may be used if you plan to restart a previous solution
(downward p-level or nonlinear analysis). If you do not plan to restart, then
it is safe to remove these special temporary files (.wrk).
Browse: The Browse button is used to identify a directory path where you wish
to have intermediate work files created. These files are disposable files.
Buttons: The Solve button will activate the currently specified solution. The
Check button will produce a report summarizing parameters, element distor-
tion, geometric and material properties, applied load, and the disk space
required to perform the currently specified solution.
Example To execute a linear analysis for the link arm problem (uniform p-extension,
p=1 to 8) enter the following information:
Class Tab: Linear > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits: 1 to 8.
Next, choose the SOLVE! tab to get the solution. Complete the requested infor-
mation as shown below:
Class Tab: SOLVE! > Execute: Initialize > Run Mode: Automatic > Method:
Iterative > Convergence: None > Display: Sequence > Solve button. The sta-
tus window will display the progress of the solution.

To perform post-processing operations you must select Edit > Results from the
Main Menu Bar, or select the View Results icon from the Main Toolbar. The
following describes the extraction procedures for Planar Elasticity.
Estimating the relative error in energy norm

To obtain a global error estimate, select the View Results icon from the Main
Toolbar, the Error dialog window will come out together with the Graph win-
dow. For the example problem, the interface settings and the graph of the error
estimate are shown in FIGURE 22.

1
FIGURE 22 Relative error in energy norm for example

problem.
By selecting the Table tab, the results are tabulated as shown in FIGURE 23. The
figure shows the degrees of freedom, the computed and extrapolated values of the
potential energy, and the estimated relative error in energy norm. The run number
and the convergence rate can be displayed by checking the corresponding check
box at the top of each column as shown in FIGURE 23. Small variations in the
numerical results can be realized if the finite element mesh is not created exactly as
described.
Standard StressCheck functions

StressCheck is based on the displacement formulation of the finite element method.
Therefore the basic information generated by StressCheck is an approximation to
the displacement vector components. This approximation is characterized by the set
of standard shape functions and their coefficients. Thus, in the case of two-dimen-

1
FIGURE 23 Estimated relative error in energy norm. Tabular data.
sional elasticity, the displacement vector components on the kth quadrilateral

element are known in the form:
n n
(k) ( k) (k) (k)
ux = a i N i (,) , uy = an + i Ni (,) , 1, 1.
i=1 i=1
where n is the number of shape functions. The value of n depends on the poly-
nomial degree p and whether the product or trunk space is used. N i (,)
(i=1,2,...,n) represent the standard shape functions defined in Ref. [3].
All user-specified functions are computed from the displacement vector com-
ponents. StressCheck computes a set of commonly used functions, such as
stresses, strains, etc. The available standard functions are listed in Table 1. In
addition, any combination of the Standard StressCheck functions can be com-
puted through user-specified formulas or through the use of the calculator.

1
Strains By definition, the normal strains are:
u x u y u z
x = , y = , z =
x y z
and the shear strains are:
u x u y u y u z u z u x
xy = + yz = + zx = + .
y x z y x z
TABLE 1. Standard functions. Planar Elasticity.
Symbol Explanation and commonly used symbol

Ex Normal strain x
Ey Normal strain y
Ez Normal strain z
Gxy Shear strain xy

E1 Principal strain 1
Eeq Equivalent strain eq
Ux Displacement component in the x-direction ux
Uy Displacement component in the y-direction uy
Sx Normal stress x
Sy Normal stress y
Sz Normal stress z
Txy Shear stress xy
S1 Principal stress 1

1
TABLE 1. Standard functions. Planar Elasticity.

Seq Equivalent stress eq
Tmax Maximum shear stress max

Error Error indicator
Fmla Formula. Using this option, any mathematical expression
containing the standard functions can be computed for a
given solution.
Calc Calculator. Using this option, any mathematical expres-
sion containing standard functions can be computed for
any arbitrary combination of solutions.
The principal strains are the eigenvalues of the strain tensor. They are the strain
values which satisfy the condition
xy xz
x ------- ------
-
2 2
xy yz
det ------- y ------
- = 0.
2 2
xz yz
------
- ------
- z
2 2
In two-dimensional problems, yz = xz = 0.
The three roots are the principal strains, denoted by 1, 2, 3. In two-dimen-

sional problems the principal strains are ordered such that 1 2 and
3 = z . In three dimensions 1 2 3 . The normalized eigenvectors
are the unit vectors which define the directions of the principal strains.
The equivalent strain is related to the von Mises theory of yield. For elastic
materials
1
eq = ----------------------- ( ( 1 2 ) 2 + ( 2 3 ) 2 + ( 3 1 ) 2 )
2
2(1 + )

1
for plastic materials
p 2
eq = --- ( ( 1 2 ) 2 + ( 2 3 ) 2 + ( 3 1 ) 2 )
9
Stresses The sign convention for the stress tensor components is illustrated in FIGURE 24.
In two dimensions xz = zx = 0 and yz = zy = 0. The directional stresses, are
computed multiplying the material matrix [E] by the strain tensor (See Advanced
Topics Guide, Theoretical Background):
{} = [E ]{}
z
z
zx zy x
yz
y xz y
yx
xy
x y
x
z
FIGURE 24 Sign convention for stress components.
The principal stresses are the eigenvalues of the stress tensor. They are the stress
values which satisfy the condition
x xy xz
det xy y yz = 0.
xz yz z

1
The three roots of the equation above are the principal stresses, denoted by 1,
2, 3. In two-dimensional problems the principal stresses are ordered such
that and 3 = z . In three dimensions 1 2 3 .The corre-
1 normalized
sponding 2 eigenvectors are the unit vectors in the direction of the
principal stresses.
The equivalent stress eq is by definition
1
eq = --- ( ( 1 2 ) 2 + ( 2 3 ) 2 + ( 3 1 ) 2 )
2
eq is related to the von Mises yield criterion.

The maximum shear stress is, by definition
1 3
max = ---------------------
2
where 1 is the largest and 3 is the smallest principal stresses. max is related
to the Tresca yield criterion. In Planar Elasticity, the maximum shear stress is
computed from 1 and 2.
In the case of beams, the sign convention for member forces and rotations is
illustrated in FIGURE 25. The local -axis is directed from node 1 to 2 and the
local -axis is determined as the cross product of the global z-axis and the -
axis.

1
Mz(1) Mz(2)
Na (1)
Na(2) (2)
1 2
1 2
(1)
y
Vn(1) Forces Vn(2) Rotations
x
z
FIGURE 25 Positive member forces and rotations for beam elements.
Plotting the data of interest

StressCheck provides convenient means for displaying and printing computed
information in graphical form. To obtain a contour plot or deformed configuration,
select the Plot tab from the Results window.
Example Deformed shape, and equivalent stress fringe plot for the linkage arm. To display
the deformed shape for run 8, complete the following information:
Class Tab: Plot > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method: Selection >
Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 > Plot: Solution > Shape: Deform > Overlay
toggle ON > Midsides: 10. Click on the Plot button (FIGURE 26).
To plot the equivalent stress, Seq, on the undeformed shape, make the following
selection:
Plot tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8
> Plot: Solution > Contour: Fringe > Shape: Undef > Midsides: 10 > Functions:
Seq > Range min: 0, max: 400 > Intervals: 8. Click on Plot and the fringes of the
plotted function will appear in the display window (FIGURE 27).

1
FIGURE 26 Deformed shape for the example problem.
Computing minimal and maximal values

To compute minimal and maximal values of displacement, stress and strain
data, in the Results window select the Min/Max tab.
Example Maximum and minimum values of the directional stress x. To compute the
maximum and minimum values of the stress component x (StressCheck name
Sx, see Table 1) for the linkage arm problem, complete the entries in the
Results input area as follows:
Class Tab: Min/Max > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method: Grid
> Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8 > Function: Sx > Midsides: 8 >
Minimum and Maximum buttons ON. Click on Accept.
The convergence of the maximum and minimum values of Sx will be displayed

as a function the number of degrees of freedom as shown in FIGURE 28. The
estimated limits are also included. Refer to the Users Guide for more details.

1
FIGURE 27 Equivalent stress fringe plot for the example problem.
The location of the maximum and minimum values are in the Table window. You
will see that the coordinates of the location are x=100, y= -10 for the maximum and
x=110, y =0 for the minimum, as it would be expected.
Computing stress resultants

The stress resultants are the force vector components (Fx, Fy) and the moment
about the z-axis (Mz) which are statically equivalent to the stresses acting along an

1
FIGURE 28 Convergence of the minimum and maximum

value of x.
element edge or along a group of element edges. The stresses are computed
from finite element solutions. Specifically,
N2
Fx =
N T tds
1
x
N2
Fy =
N T tds
1
y
N2
Mz = ( ( x xo )Ty ( y yo )Tx )t ds
N1

1
where N1 and N2 refer to the nodes (in counterclockwise order) which define an
element edge, Tx and Ty are the traction vectors computed from the stress compo-
nents and the direction cosines of the normal to the element edge (nx, ny):
T x = x n x + xy n y
T y = y n y + xy n x
t is the thickness, ds represents a differential length along the element edge, xo, yo
are the coordinates of the point about which the moment is to be computed. The
default values are xo=yo=0.
In the case of fastener elements, the force resultants are simply the components of
the fastener load. In the case of beams, they are the projection of the axial and shear
forces in the direction of the global coordinate axes.
To compute stress resultants select Class: Resultant and the input area will appear
as shown in FIGURE 29. Enter the name of the solution for which you wish to
compute stress resultants and specify the desired run numbers. Enter the coordi-
nates (xo,yo) about which the moment is to be computed. Turn on the toggle
switches in front of the desired resultants then, using the cursor, click on the ele-
ment edge for which the resultant is to be computed.
When performing equilibrium checks, click on the target element with the left
mouse button and then on the Accept button, the result will be displayed for all of
the selected outputs. In the summation fields, only the results corresponding to the
solution with the highest number of degrees of freedom (DOF) are displayed.
When computing resultants for a sequence of solutions, the graphical output will
show the convergence path while the Input Area will show the numerical values for
the run with the highest number of DOF. If you click on the Cancel button, the pre-
viously obtained results in the summation fields will be cleared. You are then ready
to select the next element edge. If you do not click on the Cancel button then the
values in the summation fields will be cumulative.
Example For the linkage arm shown in FIGURE 3, let us check that the resultant force in the
x-direction equilibrates the applied load of 104 N. Select:
Class Tab: Resultant > Action: Select > Object: Edge > Method: Selection > Input
tab > Solution: SOL > Run:8 to 8 > Forces: Fx and Fy, Moments: Mz > Click on

Model problem: Tension strip with a circular hole
1
FIGURE 29 Input area for Resultant/equilibrium check.
the left-most edge of element 1, and then click on the Accept button. The
resultant Fx force value will appear in the text input area as shown in FIG-
URE 29. The value of Fx= -9992 is very close to the applied load and Fy is
very close to zero.
Problem description
A rectangular panel with a circular hole in the center (FIGURE 30) is loaded
by a constant traction Tx=0. It has unit thickness, a length to width ratio (L/
W) of 3 and Poissons ratio v=0.3. Assuming plane stress conditions, the goal

1
of the computation is to determine the nominal (Kt) and net (Kn) stress concentra-
tion factors for (a/W) = 0.40.
2a 2a 2W
2L
FIGURE 30 Tension strip with a central hole.
By definition the gross-section stress concentration factor is:
max
K t = ------------ (1)
0
and the net-section stress concentration factor is
max ( W a )
K n = ------------ ------------------ (2)
0 W
In many engineering problems the relationship between the maximum stress and
one or more design variables is of interest. This problem illustrates how Stress-
Check can be used for handling such problems very conveniently. We will exploit
symmetry and formulate the mathematical problem as shown in FIGURE 31.
Since the objective is to compute data which are normalized with respect to the
constant traction Tn = on boundary segment BC, it is convenient to select
= 1. Specification of units for is not important because the data of interest, Kt
and Kn are dimensionless.

1
D C
AB: un = Tt = 0.0 (symmetry)
BC: Tn = 1.0, Tt = 0.0

E W=1.0
CD: Tn = Tt = 0.0 (stress free)
a
DE: un = Tt = 0.0 (symmetry) y
x A B
L=3.0
FIGURE 31 The solution domain and boundary conditions.
Finite element discretization

FIGURE 32 shows the five quadrilateral element mesh used to perform the
computation. Elements 4 and 5 around the hole are included to account for the
stress gradient in that region.
Select Model Info from the Edit pull down menu and when the dialog window
FIGURE 32 Finite element mesh.
appears select the Parameters tab and enter the following information:

1
Name: a > Description: Hole radius > Value: 0.4 > Limit: >0.00 > Class: Gen-
eral > Accept button.
Geometry and mesh To generate the geometry and mesh select the Create Model icon, then select the
Geometry tab and follow the steps indicated below:
Create > Rectangle > Locate > Data tab > Input switch ON > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z:
0.0, width: 3.0, height: 1.0, rot-Z:0.0 > Accept.
Create > Circle > Locate > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, radius: a, P1-Min: 0, P1-Max: 90
> rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept.
Create > Circle > Locate > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, radius: (1+a)/2, P1-Min: 0, P1-
Max: 90 > rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept.
Now select the Mesh tab and provide the following information:
Create > Node > Offset > Repeat # = 3 > offset: 0 + 45. Use the mouse cursor to
select both circles.
Note: After completing the last step, turn the Repeat switch OFF.
Create > Node > Intersection. Associate nodes to three corners of the rectangle by
selecting the pair of lines at each intersection.
Create > Node > Offset > offset:=1/3. Use the mouse cursor to select the lower
side of the rectangle.
A node will be displayed on the lower side of the rectangle at L/3 from the origin.
Note the equal sign before 1/3: The equal sign placed in the first position of an
input field, causes StressCheck to evaluate the expression that follows it (i.e., =1/3
is replaced by 3.333e-001). Any expression written in FORTRAN format will be
evaluated.
Create > Node > Projection. Use the mouse cursor to point first to the last node
created on the lower side of the rectangle, then point to the upper side of the rect-
angle. A node will be displayed on the upper side of the rectangle.
Create > Quadrilateral > Selection. Define 5 elements by associating the appropri-
ate nodes (See FIGURE 32).

1
Thickness Assign unit thickness to all elements by selecting the Thickness tab and com-
pleting the required information.
Select > All Elements > Selection > Thickness:1.0 > Accept.
Material properties Assign the material properties by selecting the Material tab and complete the
following information:
Define tab > ID: prop > Option: Defined Mtrl > Units: US > Type: Isotropic
> Case: Pl. Stress (Plane Stress) > E: 1000, v: 0.3 > Accept.
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > ID: prop > Accept. The name prop is,
in this case, the Material ID chosen by the user.
Load For the load application select the Load tab and complete the following infor-
mation:
Select > Any Curve > Traction > ID: LOAD > Direction: Norm/Tan > Nor-
mal: 1.0. Use the mouse cursor to select the right side of the rectangle. Click
on the Accept button (see FIGURE 33). Selecting a unit load has the advan-
tage that Kt is directly 1max.
Constraint For the constraint application select the Constraint tab and assign zero normal
displacement along the boundaries where symmetry boundary conditions are
specified.
Select > Any Curve > Symmetry > ID: CONST. Use the mouse cursor to
select the left side of the rectangle and then holding the Shift key click on the
lower side of it. Click on the Accept button (see FIGURE 33).
FIGURE 33 Specified boundary conditions.

1
Execution Before executing the problem, complete the Solution ID and the p-Discretization
(trunk space) inputs as described below:
Solution ID tab > Solution ID: SOL > Constraint ID: CONST (or click on item in
listbox) > Load ID: LOAD (or click on item in listbox). Click on the Accept but-
ton.
p_Discretization tab > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method: Selection
> Space: Trunk > p_Discretization: Variable > p-Level: 1. Click on the Accept
button.
To execute the Linear Analysis, upward from p=1 to p=8 in automatic mode, select
the Compute Solution icon from the Main Toolbar and complete as follows:
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits: 1 to 8.
SOLVE! tab > Execute: Initialize > Run Mode: Automatic > Method: Iterative >
Converge: None > Display: Sequence > Solve button.
Results After the execution is completed we can extract results from the finite element solu-
tions. Select the View Results icon from the Main Toolbar to perform post-process-
ing operations.
Error Estimation
The converging sequence of finite element solutions for a/W ratio equal to 0.40
(FIGURE 34) can be obtained by selecting the Error tab from the Results window
and completing the following information:
Error tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run:
1 to 8 > Click on the Accept button.
Concentration factors
The nominal and net stress concentration factors for the p=8 solution are computed
by determining the maximum normal stress max=x(0,a) and then using equations
(1) and (2) with 0=1.0. Using the values of Sx(0,a) for p=8:
a
----- = 0.40, K = 3.747, K = 2.248
W t n
Note: The location and direction of the maximum normal stress, max, can be
extracted by selecting the Points tab from the Results window:

1
FIGURE 34 Estimated relative error in energy norm (a/W = 0.40)
Points tab > Select > Node > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8
to 8 > Func(s): Sx. Use the mouse cursor to select the node at the edge of the
hole at the intersection with the vertical line. Click on the Accept button.
To obtain the solution for other values of the hole radius, select the Model Info
icon from the Main Toolbar, select the Parameters tab to update the value of
a, and execute the linear analysis again.
Equilibrium check
Another assessment of the quality of the solution is obtained by verifying the

equilibrium condition of the elements in the finite element mesh. In particular,
the equilibrium check of the elements in the region of maximum stress is of
interest (elements 4 and 5). Select the Resultant tab and complete the following
information:
Resultant tab > Select > Any Element > Selection > Input tab > Solution:
SOL, Run: 1 to 8 > Fx: Make sure the button is on. > Fy: Make sure the but-
ton is on. Then, move the cursor into the Model window and point to the ele-
ment of interest (say element 4). Click on Accept.

1
A plot of the resultants Fx and Fy will be displayed on the Graph 1 window. Note in
FIGURE 35 that both resultant force components converge to zero as the number of
degrees of freedom (DOF) increases. If you want to display the plot of more than
one element at the time, as shown in FIGURE 35, select Edit/ Clone from the main
window and a duplicate of the Graph 1 will be created labeled Graph 2. Next go to
the input area and repeat the same procedure as before with another element (say
element 5). Graph 1 will now display the information corresponding to the last ele-
ment selected.
FIGURE 35 Equilibrium check for elements 4 and 5.
Remark The nominal and net stress concentration factors for all a/w values, compare very
well with the published data. In the manual Stress Concentration Factors by R. E.
Peterson, the reported Kt and Kn are:
a
----- = 0.40, K = 3.75, K = 2.24
W t n
Recommended exercise
Fix the scale parameter to get a=0.17. Compute Kt and Kn, compare the results with
published data. From R. E. Peterson for a/W=0.17, Kt=3.10 and Kn=2.57.

Principal directions
1
In StressCheck Version 6.0 it is also possible to visualize the principal direc-
tion vectors for the principal stress and strains. The display of the principal
directions is available for triangular and quadrilateral elements with any mate-
rial property assignment and for linear and nonlinear analysis. The implemen-
tation also includes the display of the principal directions for linear and
nonlinear solutions in three-dimensions.
The principal direction vectors in two-dimension are computed from the eigen-
value problem for stresses or strains. In the case of the principal stresses, for
example, the eigenvalue problem can be written as:
x xy n
1 0 x = 0
yx y 0 1 ny
where is the eigenvalue and (nx, ny) are the direction cosines of the corre-
sponding eigenvector (components of the unit vector in the global coordinate
system). There are two eigenvalues associated with this equation (1, 2) and
therefore there are two eigenvectors. In the implementation of the visualization
of the principal directions (those corresponding to 1, 2, 1 and 2), the eigen-
value problem is solved at each point of the plotting grid and the vectors are
displayed as double-headed arrows at each point. The control of the density of
points of the plotting grid and the size of the arrows is done under the Plot tab
of the Results interface.
Example
Consider the ladle hook shown in FIGURE 36, loaded by a sinusoidal traction
simulating the bearing load at the hook and pin locations. Isotropic material
properties were used (E=29x106psi, v=0.295) and the analysis wad performed
by uniform upward p-extension for polynomial orders ranging from 1 to 8.
This problem is available in the Parts Handbook with the file name ladle-
hook.sci. The finite element mesh for the two-dimensional (plane-stress) anal-
ysis consists of 20 elements. The estimated relative error in energy norm is
under 1% for p=8 (1485 DOF).

1
FIGURE 36 Ladle hook. Error estimate.
The contour fringe of the first principal stress (S1) and the corresponding principal
direction vectors for p=8 are shown in FIGURE 37. The figure also shows the set-
tings of the plot interface and a detail around the highly stressed region of the hook.
To display the principal directions the option Shape must be set to Princ. Direction
as shown in FIGURE 37. Note that the Midsides input field controls the density of
the grid plot. In the example it was set to 5, that means that a (5+1) (5+1) grid is
used over each quadrilateral element for the contour plot and vector arrows. The
Scale input allows controlling the size of the arrows of the principal directions.
FIGURE 38 shows the principal direction vectors corresponding to the first princi-
pal (S1) and second principal (S2) stresses over the model, without the color
fringes. Note that at every point, the directions of the two principal stresses are
mutually orthogonal.
The implementation allows the visualization of the principal direction vectors for
the planar elasticity problems (plane-stress, plane-strain and axisymmetric) for lin-
ear, material nonlinear and general nonlinear analyses. The same features are also
available for three-dimensional elasticity.

1
FIGURE 37 First principal stress for p=8. Contour and principal direction vectors.
FIGURE 38 Principal direction vectors for S1 and S2.

Using beam elements
1
Using beam elements

In this section a simple example problem is worked out to present the beam capabil-
ities implemented in StressCheck. An example of the use of beams in modal analy-
sis is available in Chapter 5.
Note: Beam elements cannot be used in conjunction with other element types.
Problem description
Consider the three-hinged semicircular arch acted upon by a transverse load as
shown in FIGURE 39. The arch has a mean radius of ro=100 inches, and the dis-
tributed load is q=10 lb/in. The material properties are those of ASTM-A36 steel
(E= 29x106 psi, = 0.295).
The cross section W 10x15 (AISC Database) is used. The mean radius is measured
hinge
q
na
d
W 10x15
d= 10 in
A= 4.41 in2
I= 68.9 in4
2ro
FIGURE 39 Three-hinged semicircular arch acted upon by a transverse load.
with respect to the centroid of the section. The objective of the analysis is to find
the axial load, shear force and bending moment diagrams for the arch. The proce-
dure to create a parametric model of the three-hinged arch is described in the fol-
lowing.

Using beam elements
1
Geometry and mesh After opening a data base, and having set the analysis type to Planar Elasticity,
select the Model Info icon from the Main Toolbar and then select the Parame-
ters tab. Enter the following information:
Name: q > Description: Distributed load > Value: 10 > Accept.
Name: ro > Description: Arch radius > Value: 100 > Limit: >0.0 > Accept.
Provide the geometric description of the beam by selecting the Create Model
icon and completing the following information:
Geometry tab > Create > Circle > Locate > Input switch on > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0,
Z: 0.0, radius: ro, P1-Min: 0.0, P1-Max: 180.0 > rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept.
Mesh tab > Create > Node > Offset > Repeat #= 5, offset: 0.0 + 45.0 > Click
on the circular arc created in the previous step, and then turn off the Repeat
switch.
Mesh tab > Create > Beam > Selection. Point and click to the first two nodes
to create the first beam element. A beam element is defined by selecting two
nodes in any order. After the fourth beam element has been created, the finite
element mesh should look as indicated in the FIGURE 40.
Note: The order in which the nodes are picked when creating the elements
define the principal directions of the beam. The beam axis is defined in the
direction from the first to the second node. The direction of the positive normal
to the beam axis is computed as the cross product between the positive z-axis
and the tangent to the beam axis. In this problem, element 1 was created by
connecting nodes 2 and 1, element 2 by connecting nodes 3 and 2, and so on.
Therefore the outward normal is positive for all the elements. If the elements
are not created following a consistent order in the node selection, the direction
of the positive normal to the beam axis will be different from element to ele-
ment.
Section properties To define the section properties select the Section Prop. tab from the Stress-
Check Input dialog window (FIGURE 41). Three options are available: User,
Library and Database. The option User means that the section properties will
be provided by the user. The required inputs are the cross sectional area (A),

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 40 Finite element mesh for the beam problem.
the moment of inertia about the centroidal axis (I) and the third (M3) and fourth
(M4) moments of the area which are defined as follows:

3
A = dA M3 = dA
dA
Area Area
O

2 4
I = dA M4 = dA
Area Area
M3 and M4 are needed for curved beams only and can be set to zero for straight
beams.
The option Library means that the section properties will be determined from a set
of predefined parametric sections available in StressCheck.

Using beam elements
1
The option Database means that the section properties will be obtained from
the AISC standard shape database as illustrated in this example. To assign a
section property from the AISC database select:
Section Prop. tab > Select > All Elements > Database tab > Section: W 10x15
> Accept.
As you click on any of the entries (W 10x15 in this example problem) in the
scrolling window of the dialog box (FIGURE 41), the corresponding area and
FIGURE 41 Section properties.
moment of inertia will be displayed in the Section Properties region. Note that
the 3rd and 4th moments also appear. These two moments are calculated by
StressCheck automatically. Now click on the Accept button in the Section
Property box to assign them to all the elements.

Using beam elements
1
Note that the Section Database box allows you to select the moment of inertia so
that it is consistent with the orientation of the beam (Ix or Iy). The default is that the
neutral axis coincides with the local x-axis of the section.
Material properties To enter the material properties information select the Material tab in the Stress-
Check Input box and complete the following options:
Define tab > Define > Linear > Selection > ID: mat > Option: Standard Mtrl.
From the standard list of materials appearing in the scroll window of the material
entry form, click on the entry ASTM-A36 and its properties will be entered auto-
matically. Click on the Accept button.
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > ID: mat > Accept.
The procedure for defining and assigning material properties for beam elements is
exactly the same as for any other element type. However, for beam elements only
linear isotropic materials can be assigned.
Load To enter the load data select the Load tab and provide the following information:
Select > Edge > Traction > ID: LOAD > Direction: Norm./Tan. > Normal:-q.
With the Shift key depressed click on the two elements where the load is to be
applied and they will be highlighted, then click on the Accept button.
The load symbols will be displayed on those elements as shown in FIGURE 40.
Note that the object Edge was used to specify the traction load on a group of beam
elements. A traction applied to a beam element is understood to be in force per unit
length. This is because the object Element can be loaded by body forces or temper-
ature loading only.
Constraint To enter constraint data select the Constraint tab and when the Constraint input box
appears provide the following information:
Select > Node > Single Node > ID: CONST > Direction: XY > Data Type: Fixed
> System: Global > Turn on the switches in front of X and Y. Holding the Shift
key down click on two end nodes of the arch and then click on the Accept button.
A pinned support will be created on each node because the nodal rotation was not
fixed.
Select > Node > Hinge. Holding the Shift key, click on the node located at the
middle of the arch and then click on any of the two elements attached to that
node. The symbol of a hinge (a circle with a dotted line pointing to the element

Using beam elements
1
selected with the second mouse click) will be displayed as shown in FIG-
URE 40.
Note: When N-beam elements are attached to a node, the hinge has to be
defined N-1 times if all the elements are hinged. To do that, repeat the opera-
tion described above selecting a different element each time.
Execution The last step before executing the analysis is to create a solution record, that
identifies the load and constraint pair. Select the Solution ID tab, and when the
Solution ID dialog box appears provide the following information:
Solution ID: SOL > Constraint ID: CONST > Load ID: LOAD. Click on the
Accept button.
Now you are ready to execute a linear analysis. Select the Compute Solution
icon from the Main Toolbar and complete as follows:
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits:1 to 8
SOLVE! tab > Execute: Initialize > Run Mode: Automatic > Method: Itera-
tive > Converge: None > Display: Sequence > Click on the Solve button.
A sequence of eight finite element solutions will be obtained for polynomial

orders ranging from 1 to 8.
Post-processing After the execution is completed, select the View Results icon from the Main
Toolbar. Check the error in energy norm, and plot the deformed shape, the
bending moment, the shear force, and the axial force distribution over the arch.
Obtain the maximum value of the bending moment, shear force and axial force
and compute the support reactions.
Error Estimation
To compute the estimated relative error in energy norm, select the Error tab
from the Results window and complete the following information:
Select > All Elements > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8
> Click on the Accept button.
The results will be displayed in tabular and in graphical form in the Graph win-
dow as indicated in FIGURE 42. Note that the error in energy norm is practi-
cally zero for p-levels greater than or equal to 5.

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 42 Relative error in energy norm for the beam problem.
Deformed shape and Z-shape
To plot the deformed shape, select the Plot tab from the Results window and com-
plete the following information:
Select > All Elements > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 > Plot:
Solution > Shape: Deform > Overlay toggle ON > Midsides: 10. Click on the Plot
button to get the deformed and the undeformed shapes together.
The result will be displayed on the main window as indicated in FIGURE 43.
It is possible to display a Z-shape plot over the mesh for the quantities which are
relevant for beams: Ux, Uy, Rz, Na, Vn, Mz. To do that select Shape: Z- shape and
the desired function, and then click on Plot. FIGURE 44 shows the representation
of the bending moment over the arch.
Select > All Elements > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Plot: Solution >
Contour: Fringe > Shape: Z-shape > Overlay toggle ON > Midsides: 10 > Func-
tions: Mz > Click on the Plot button to get the deformed and the undeformed
shapes together.

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 43 Deformed shape for the beam problem.
Because the z-shape is shown perpendicular to the xy-plane, the model has to
be rotated to see the representation.
Points Extraction
The points extraction option can be used to produce tabular and graph outputs
of the bending moment and axial and shear force distributions as described
below. Select the Points tab from the Results window.
- Bending moment: When the Points Extraction dialog window appears, com-
plete the following information:
Select > Any Boundary > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 - 8
> Func(s): Mz > # of pts: 18 > Click on the circle (Make sure the Display
Curves option in the Display Objects toolbar is on) > Click on the Accept
button.
The Bending Moment will be displayed in the Graph window as shown in FIG-
URE 45. Note that the independent variable in the graph was changed to the x-
coordinate which is measured from the center of the arch.

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 44 Bending moment, Mz. Z-shape representation.
A closed-form solution for the bending moment can be obtained from the classical
beam formulation. From Ref. [52], the bending moment is given by:
Mz= (qr2/2)*(cos + sin - 1), for = 0 to 90 deg.
Mz= - (qr2/2)*(cos - sin + 1), for = 0 to -90 deg.
where q, r and q are as shown in FIGURE 45.
The maximum value of Mz can be obtained from the above expressions: Mzmax=
0.207qr2 = 20700 lb.in at = /4, which is very close to the maximum value shown
in FIGURE 45.
- Shear force: In the Points Extraction dialog window complete the following infor-
mation:
Select > Any Boundary > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 - 8 >
Func(s): Vn > # of pts: 18 > Click on the circle and then on the Accept button.

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 45 Bending moment distribution for the circular arch.
The Shear Force will be displayed in the Graph window as shown in FIGURE
46. Again, the independent variable was changed to be the x-coordinate.
From Ref. [52], the shear force distribution obtained from the classical formu-
lation is:
Vn= - (qr/2)*(sin - cos ), for = 0 to 90 deg.
Vn= (qr/2)*(sin + cos ), for = 0 to -90 deg.
and the maximum value is Vnmax= 500 lb at =0 deg.
- Axial force: In the Point Extraction dialog box complete the following infor-
mation:
Select > Any Boundary > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 - 8
> Func(s): Na > # of pts: 18 > Click on the circle and then click on the Accept
button.

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 46 Shear force distribution for the circular arch.
The Axial Force will be displayed in the Graph window as shown in FIGURE 47.
Again, from Ref. [52], the axial force distribution obtained using the classical for-
mulation is:
Na= (qr/2)*(cos + sin ) - qr, for = 0 to 90 deg.
Na= - (qr/2)*(cos - sin ), for = 0 to -90 deg.
and the maximum is Namax= -292.89 at = 45 deg, which coincides with the results
of StressCheck.
Min/Max Extraction
This option can be used to determine the maximum value of the quantities of inter-
est. Select the Min/Max tab in the Results window. Complete the following infor-
mation:
Select > All Elements > Line > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8 > Func-
tion: Mz > Midsides: 15 > Maximum > Click on the Accept button.

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 47 Axial force distribution for the circular arch.
The results will be displayed in the graph window as shown in FIGURE 48.
The estimated limit shown in the figure is very close to the maximum value
computed from the closed-form solution. Selecting the functions Vn and Na
from the Function box, the convergence plots shown in FIGURE 49 are
obtained for the shear and axial forces.
Reactions
To compute the support reactions, select the Resultant tab in the Results win-
dow. Provide the following information:
Check > Node > Selection > Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8 > Turn on the Fx
and Fy buttons in the Forces input area > Turn on the Mz button in the
Moments input area. Point to one of the end nodes of the arch and click the
left mouse button. The moment center is not relevant for beams.

Using beam elements
1
FIGURE 48 Convergence of maximum bending moment.
FIGURE 49 Convergence of maximum shear and maximum axial force.

Using beam elements
1
The results will be displayed in the Table window for each run number as
shown in FIGURE 50 for the left support. The resultant values are provided in
the global directions (Fx, Fy, Mz).
FIGURE 50 Reactions at left support of the circular arch.
This problem can be loaded from the Beam Handbook. Refer to the Users
Guide on how to run a handbook problem in StressCheck.

2 Axisymmetric 2
Elasticity
There are many practical problems in engineering applications where the elastic body is axially sym-
metric, that is, it can be generated by rotating a plane figure about an axis, and furthermore, it is loaded
and constrained in such a way that symmetry of the solution is preserved. This chapter contains guide-
lines for the preparation of input data for axially symmetric problems in elasticity. For this type of prob-
lems there is no need to specify thickness. The computations are performed for a 1 radian sector.
Setting the analysis type

After opening a new database, from the Reference and Theory selectors change the
default analysis to Axisymmetric Elasticity.
Analysis Guide Chapter 2: Axisymmetric Elasticity 71

Entering geometric and mesh data

2 Select Class: Geometry from the Main Menu Bar, or click on the Create Model
icon and select the Geometry tab. Note that instead of working with the X, Y,
and Z coordinates, you will be working with R and Z.
Consider the domain shown in FIGURE 51, which represents a bolt head with
a washer support, in tension.
a = 1.0
di = 1.0
Do = 2.5 di
Ew = 1.0e7 L
washer
hw = 0.5 Ew r
L = 2.0
f
hw
F = 2000
rf = 0.2
a
Do
FIGURE 51 Bolt head in tension (washer support).
The body can be generated by rotating a plane figure about the z-axis. There-
fore it can be modeled for analysis as shown in FIGURE 52.
Example To create the mesh shown in FIGURE 53, consider first the geometric descrip-
tion:
Geometry tab > Action: Create > Object: Rectangle > Method: Locate > Data
tab > Input toggle switch on > R: 0, Z: 0, width: 0.5, height: 3, rot-Z: 0 >
Button: Accept.
72 Chapter 2: Axisymmetric Elasticity Analysis Guide

Z 2
2
S = 4F/ di
FIGURE 52 Solution domain.
di/2 = 0.5
L = 2.0
rf = 0.2
Kn = Ew/hw
a = 1.0
R
Do/2 = 1.25
Create > Rectangle > Locate > R: 0, Z: 0, width: 1.25, height: 1, rot-Z: 0 > Accept
Create > Line > Locate > R: 0.3, Z: 0.0, length: 3.0, angle: 90 > Accept
Create > Fillet > Selection > Input switch on > radius: 0.2. Using the mouse, click
on the upper line of the large rectangle and the right line of the tall rectangle.
After these operations, the screen should look as shown in FIGURE 53a. Next, cre-
ate the nodes and elements as shown in FIGURE 53b. Most of the nodes can be cre-

ated by the intersection method. The nodes labeled A in FIGURE 53b were
created by projecting the nodes on the fillet to the corresponding lines, while
2 the node labeled B was created by projecting the node labelled X to the fillet.
Note: In axisymmetric analysis, the domain should be defined in such a way

that all nodes and elements of the mesh should be located at R 0 . If this con-
dition is violated, an error message will be issued.
(b) Mesh (a) Geometry
A A B
X A


2
The material properties are entered by the menu selection Class: Material, or by
selecting the Material tab in the StressCheck Input dialog window. The form differs
from its counterpart in the planar elasticity case only in that there is no need to
specify Plane Stress or Plane Strain.
Example To define and assign the material properties select the following options:
Material tab > Define tab > Action: Define > Object: Linear > Method: Selection
> ID: STEEL > Option: Defined Mtrl > Material: Linear > Type: Isotropic >
Units: U.S. > E: 2.9e7 > v: 0.295 > Accept
After the material properties are defined, you have to assign them to the elements.
For this purpose, provide the information indicated below:
Material tab > Assign tab > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method:
Selection > ID: STEEL > Accept.
Entering load data

To enter the load data select the Load tab in the StressCheck Input dialog window,
or Class: Load from the Main Menu Bar.
Types of loading
The types of loading available for axisymmetric analysis are the same as for planar
elasticity. The only difference is that in axisymmetric analysis, the counterpart of a
point load is a line load. Therefore, if a line load of magnitude w (force/length)
needs to be specified acting at a position ro, then the entry in the Point force field
should be the product of w times ro.
When defining a formula, in the R-Z plane the System Option in the Formula form
must be set to CARTESIAN. This is so because the generating section is defined in
the X-Y plane even though the analysis is performed in cylindrical coordinates. For
example, if a centrifugal force in the R-direction is to be specified, then the formula
for the R-field should be:

n 2
2 ------ X
2
60
where is the mass density, n is the rotational speed in rpm, and X is the coor-
dinate that takes the role of R.
Example Proceeding with our example problem, enter the following data in the Load
input area:
Load tab > Action: Select > Object: Any Curve > Method: Traction > ID:
LOAD > Direction: Norm./Tan. > Normal: =8000/pi > Accept
Note that an equal (=) sign was entered before the expression 8000/pi. Press
the Tab key to force the program to evaluate the expression and then select
the upper boundary of the model using the left button of the mouse. Click on
the Accept button. The load symbol will be displayed on the mesh as shown in
FIGURE 53b. The traction load is simply the total load (F=2000) divided by
the cross-sectional area of the bolt (A= di2/4).
Checking applied loads To check the magnitude of the applied loads follow the same procedure
described in Chapter 1 for planar elasticity.
In axisymmetric analysis, the resultant of the applied mechanical load is com-

puted as the integral of the applied traction over each edge of the selected ele-
ments and over a 1 radian sector.
Example For the case of the bolt head in tension, checking the applied mechanical loads
for the two elements where the load is applied, gives a force Fz=318.31, which
corresponds to the applied load F divided by 2 (F/2=318.31).

To enter the constraint data select the Constraint tab in the StressCheck Input
dialog window or Class: Constraint from the Main Menu Bar. The types of
constraints available in axisymmetric analysis are the same as in planar elastic-

ity. The only difference is that there is only one rigid body mode in axisymmetric
analysis which is a rigid body translation in the Z-direction.
2
Example To simulate the washer support shown in FIGURE 51 we use a spring constraint
with a spring constant given by the ratio between the modulus of elasticity and the
thickness of the washer:
Ew 10 7
K n = ------- = -------- = 2 10 7
hw 0.5
Complete the constraint input area as follows:
Constraint tab > Action: Select > Object: Edge > Method: Spring Coeff. > ID:
CONST > Direction: Norm./Tan. > Normal: 2.0e7 > Accept
With the left button of the mouse select the element edge where the spring is
applied and then click on Accept. The constraint symbols will be displayed on the
mesh as shown in FIGURE 53b.
Note: There is no need to constrain the Ur displacement component along the Z-

axis. StressCheck will impose Ur=0 for all element edges along R=0.

To assign a solution name to the desired constraint and load name pair, select
Class: Solution ID from the Main Menu Bar, or select the Solution ID tab from the
StressCheck Input dialog window.
Example To complete the solution record for this problem supply the following information:
Solution ID tab > Solutions tab > Solution ID: SOL > Constraint ID: CONST >
Load ID: LOAD > Accept.


2 The discretization parameters and p-level can be specified independently over
each element, group of elements, or all elements in the mesh. They can be
fixed, bounded or variable. The polynomial degree can range from p=1 to 8.
The options under the p-Discretization tab are described in detail in the Users
Guide. To define the parameters select Class: p-Discretization from the Main
Menu Bar or select the p-Discretization tab from the StressCheck dialog win-
dow.
Example Try product space for this problem:
p-Discretization tab > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method:
Selection > Space: Product > p-Discretization: Variable > p-level: 1 >
Accept

To execute a linear analysis select Edit > Solution from the Main Menu Bar, or
click on the Compute Solution icon from the Main Toolbar. The execution
options are the same as described for Planar Elasticity.
Example When the Solution dialog window appears, select the Linear tab and complete
the requested information:
Next, choose the SOLVE! tab to get the solution. Enter the following informa-
tion:
tive > Converge: None > Solve
This will produce a sequence of solutions for polynomial orders ranging from
1 to 8.


2
The procedures for quality assessment and extraction of engineering quantities are
basically the same as those described for Planar Elasticity, and are explained in the
following.

To obtain an error estimate, select the Error tab from the Results window, or select
Class: Error Estimation from the Main Menu Bar. Supply the following informa-
tion:
Error tab > Input tab > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method: Selection
> Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8 > Estimate > Click on the Accept button.
Example The estimated error in energy norm for the example problem is shown in FIGURE
54.
FIGURE 54 Relative error in energy norm.
Small variations in the results will occur if the finite element mesh is not created
exactly as described. This is because the finite element solution depends on the dis-
cretization.

2 The available standard functions in axisymmetric analysis are listed in Table 2.

In addition, any combination of the Standard StressCheck functions can be
computed through user-specified formulas or through the use of the calculator.
In Axisymmetric Elasticity, the displacement vector components ur(r, z) and

uz(r, z) are computed for each element. The strains are then computed as:
u r u z ur u r u z
r = , = , t = -----, rz = +
r z z r z r
TABLE 2. Standard functions for Axisymmetric Elasticity

Er Normal strain r
Ez Normal strain z
Et Normal strain t
Grz Shear strain rz
Eeq Equivalent strain eq
Ur Displacement component in the R-direction
Uz Displacement component in the Z-direction
Sr Normal stress r
Sz Normal stress z
St Normal stress t
Trz Shear stress rz

TABLE 2. Standard functions for Axisymmetric Elasticity
S2 Principal stress 2 2
Seq Equivalent stress eq
Tmax Maximum shear stress max

Fmla Formula. Using this option, any mathematical expression containing
the standard functions can be computed for a given solution.
Calc Calculator. Using this option, any mathematical expression containing
standard functions can be computed for any arbitrary combination of
solutions.
The stress components are determined from the stress-strain relationships. For iso-
tropic materials for example, we have
r 1v v v 0 r
z E
v 1v v 0 z
= ------------------------------------- v v 1v 0
t ( 1 + v ) ( 1 2v ) t
1 2v
rz 0 0 0 ---------------
2 rz
The principal strains (1, 2) and principal stresses (1, 2) are computed in the r-z
plane as follows
r + z r z 2 rz 2
1, 2 = --------------- --------------- + ------
2 2 2
r + z r z 2
1, 2 = ----------------- ----------------- + rz
2
2 2

Note that the third principal strain (3) and stress (3) are:
2 3 = t
3 = t
The other quantities shown in Table 2 are as follows:
1 2 2 2
eq = ---------------------- ( ( 1 2 ) + ( 2 3 ) + ( 3 1 ) )
2
2( 1 + v)
1 2 2 2
eq = --- ( ( 1 2 ) + ( 2 3 ) + ( 3 1 ) )
2
1 2
max = ------------------
2
Plotting the data of interest

To display computed information in graphical form select the Plot tab from the
Results window.
Example To plot the deformed shape for the example problem, complete the following
information:
Plot tab > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method: Selection > Input
tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 > Plot: Solution > Shape: Deform > Overlay
toggle ON > Midsides: 10 > Click on the Plot button.
The deformed shape for run number 8 of the example problem is shown in
FIGURE 55.

FIGURE 55 Deformed shape.

To compute minimal and maximal values of displacements, strains or stresses,
select Min/Max tab in the Results window.
Example FIGURE 56 shows the convergence of the maximum value of Sz as a function of

the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) for the example problem. To obtain the
results shown in the figure, select:
Min/Max tab > Select > All Elements > Line > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run:
1 to 8 > Function: Sz > Midsides: 12 > Maximum > Accept.

FIGURE 56 Convergence of the maximum value of the stress component Sz.
Computing data in points

To extract results along element edges, boundary segments, points, etc., select
the Points tab from the Results window.
Example Complete the required information to compute the vertical displacement along
the edge with washer support:
Points tab > Select > Edge > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL > Run: 8
to 8 > Func(s): Uz > # of pts.: 10. Select the element edge where spring con-
straint was specified and click on the Accept button.
FIGURE 57 shows the Uz displacement distribution for p=8 along the edge
with spring constraint. Note that the independent variable in the graph is the
coordinate R. The default independent variable is N (the point number). To
change the independent variable, make sure that the graph windows has focus
and then select View > Indep. Variable from the main menu.

FIGURE 57 Displacement along edge with spring constraint.

For Axisymmetric Elasticity, the stress resultants are computed for a 1 radian sec-
tor. Referring to FIGURE 58, the directional resultants Fr and Fz, the hoop force
(Ft), the projection of the hoop force (Fh) and moment (Mh), and the moment of the
directional resultants (Mo) about a point (ro,zo) are given by:
1 N2 1 N2
--- ---

2 2
Fr = cos d T r r ds Fz = d T z r ds
1 N1 1 N1
--- ---
2 2

F h = 2F t sin ---
Ft =
t dr d z 2

Mt = z dr d z
t
Mh = Mt

N2

2
Mo = ( T z ( r ro ) T r ( z z o ) )r ds
N1
N2
Fz
z
Fr Side view
r
N1
Ft Mt
Mt

Fh/2 Mh
Mt
=1 r
Top view
Mt
Fh/2
Ft
FIGURE 58 Stress resultants for axisymmetric analysis.
where Tr and Tz refer to the traction vectors computed from the stress compo-
nents and the direction cosines of the normal to the element edge (nr, nz).
T r = r n r + rz n z
T z = rz n r + z n z

Note: When computing the equilibrium of an axisymmetric element, the sum of the
radial force resultants should be equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the pro-
jection of the hoop force: 2
F r = Fh
Similarly the sum of the moment resultant should be equal in magnitude and oppo-
site in sign to the projected hoop moment:
Mo = Mh
To compute stress resultants select the Resultant tab from the Results window and
the input area shown in FIGURE 59 will appear.
The extraction option depends on the object selected. Select Edge to compute the
integral of the tractions along an element edge. Select Element to compute the con-
tour integral of the traction over the element.
Enter the name of the solution for which you wish to compute stress resultants and
specify the desired run numbers. Enter the coordinates (ro,zo) about which the
moment is to be computed. Turn on the toggle switches in front of the desired
resultants then using the cursor click on the element edge for which the resultant is
to be computed.
If you are computing the resultants for a sequence of solutions then the graphical
display window will show the corresponding convergence path(s). The input area
will show the numerical values for the run with the highest number of degrees of
freedom only.
If you use the Action: Select, click on all the objects (edges or elements) you want
to compute the resultants and then click on the Accept button. If you use the
Action: Check, then the computation is performed the moment you click on the
edge or element. If you click on the Cancel button, the previously obtained results
in the input area will be cleared. If you select the next element edge and do not click
on Cancel then the values in the input area will be cumulative.
Note that the resultants are computed on the element-by-element basis. Stress-
Check will use that element to which you point. Therefore you can check how well
the finite element solution approximates the action-reaction principle in an average
sense. Click Cancel, select the Action: Check, then point to an interelement edge

with the cursor first in one element then in a neighboring element. It may be
easier to simply shrink the elements to facilitate the edge selection. Ideally, the
2 result should be zero. Usually there is a remainder, an error, owing to the
approximate nature of the finite element solution.
Example For the example problem, compute the resultant force in the Z-direction, Fz,
along the boundary of the mesh where the load is applied.
Resultant tab > Select > Edge Curve > Selection > Input tab > Solution: SOL
> Run:1 to 8 > Turn on the toggle switch in front of Fz. > Using the cursor,
click on the line along which the load is applied > Click on the Accept but-
ton.
The small window at the right side of the Fz resultant force label will show the
force along the Z-axis. In this case F z = F ( 2 ) = 318.3 , as shown in FIG-
URE 59.
FIGURE 59 Resultants input area for the example problem.

Model problem: Floyds vessel

2
Problem description
A flat-headed, thick-walled axisymmetric vessel is loaded by uniform internal pres-
sure of 2.61 psi. Due to symmetry only half of the generating section is shown in
FIGURE 60. It is assumed that the material is homogeneous and isotropic, the mod-
ulus of elasticity is E = 1435 psi and Poissons ratio is v = 0.49. Compute the loca-
tion, orientation and magnitude of the largest principal stress.
EA, CD: u n = T t = 0 Note: All dimensions are given in inches.

AB, BC: T n = T t = 0 (stress free)
DE: Tn = -2.61 psi, Tt = 0 0.6
z D C
0.15
E 3.15
1.5
A B r
6.0
FIGURE 60 Floyds vessel: Solution domain and boundary conditions.

2 The finite element mesh, consisting of 17 elements, is shown in FIGURE 61.

In designing this mesh certain knowledge about the exact solution was taken
into consideration. The exact solution is not analytic in the end points of the
circular fillet, and in point B. It is known that if the fillet radius were zero then
there would be a strong corner singularity in the point r = 5.4, z = 1.5 and a
geometric mesh, that is a mesh graded in geometric progression with a com-
mon factor of 0.15, would be used in conjunction with p-extension. If, on the
other hand, the solution were very smooth (for example the fillet radius would
be large) then a nearly uniform mesh would be best. The mesh design shown in
FIGURE 61 is based on the expectation that, because the fillet radius is small,
the solution is likely to be closer to the singular case than to the smooth case.
Geometry and mesh To create the finite element mesh, click on the Create Model icon from the
Main Toolbar and then select the Geometry tab.
1. Create two rectangles representing the outline of the vessel.
Geometry tab > Action: Create > Object: Rectangle > Method: Locate > Data
tab > Input switch on > R: 0, Z: 0, width: 6, height: 1.5, rot-Z: 0 > Click on
the Accept button.
Create > Rectangle > Locate > R: 5.4, Z: 0, width: 0.6, height: 3.15, rot-Z: 0
> Accept
2. Create a fillet of radius 0.15 and two additional circular arcs of radius 0.25
and 0.40, respectively.
Create > Fillet > Selection > radius: 0.15. With the mouse click on the upper
line of the large rectangle and the left line of the small rectangle.
Select > Circle. Turn the Input toggle switch off and click on the fillet just
created. The location of the center of the fillet and its radius is deposited in
the input area.
Create > Circle > Locate > Turn the Input toggle switch back on. The circles
to be created are located at the same r, z coordinates of the fillet. Turn on the
Repeat switch and enter 2, then radius: 0.25+0.15, P1-Min: 0 + 0, P1-Max: -
90 + 0 > Accept.
3. Define auxiliary lines for mesh construction.

Create > Point > Local > Turn Input toggle switch on > R=0, Z=0. Click on the
local system of the circles.
Create > Line > Point > length: 1, angle: 0. Click on the last point.
Create > Line > Point > length: 1, angle: -25. Click on the same point.
Create > Line > Point > length: 2, angle: -90. Click on the same point.

FIGURE 62 Input for circles creation.
Create > Line > 2-Point: Create a line by clicking on the point in the local
system and the point located at the lower right corner of the vessel (point B,
FIGURE 60).
Create > Line > Locate > R: 5.4, Z: 2.05, length: 1, angle: 0 > Accept
Create > Line > Locate > R: 4.85, Z: 1.50, length: 2, angle: -90 > Accept
4. Define all nodes.
Mesh tab > Action: Create > Object: Node > Method: Locate > Data tab >
Input toggle on > R: 5.10, Z: 1.50. Click on the Accept button.
Create > Node > Locate > R: 5.40, Z: 1.80 > Accept
Create > Node > Intersection. Define the remaining nodes, using the intersec-
tion of boundaries procedure.
5. Define all the elements of the mesh.

Mesh tab > Create > Quadrilateral > Selection. Define fifteen quadrilateral ele-
ments by associating the elements with the appropriate nodes as shown in FIG-
URE 61. 2
Create > Triangle > Selection. Define two triangular elements by associating the
elements with the appropriate nodes as shown in FIGURE 61.
Material Properties Assign the material properties to all elements by selecting the Material tab in the
StressCheck Input dialog window and completing the following information:
Material tab > Define tab > Define > Action: Define > Object: Linear > Method:
Selection > ID: PROP > Option: Defined Mtrl. > Material: Linear > Type: Isotro-
pic > Units: U.S. > E: 1435 (Araldite), v: 0.49 (nearly incompressible) > Button:
Accept. At this point you will receive a warning: E matrix for property PROP
has a condition number greater than 20. Ignore the warning. For explanation,
please refer to the Users Guide.
To assign the material to the elements, select:
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > ID: PROP > Accept.
Load Select the Load tab in the StressCheck Input window and assign the 2.61psi internal
pressure to the DE boundary by supplying the following information:
Load tab > Action: Select > Object: Edge Curve > Method: Traction > ID: LOAD
> Direction: Norm./Tan. > Normal: -2.61. Using the mouse, click on any of the
element edges where the pressure is applied, and then click on the Accept button.
Constraint Select the Constraint tab in the StressCheck Input window. Assign zero normal dis-
placement to the boundary segment DC (see FIGURE 63):
Constraint tab > Action: Select > Object: Any Curve > Method: General > ID:
CONST > Direction: Norm./Tan. > Turn on the toggle in front of Normal. With
the mouse point to the boundary segment DC, and then select Accept.
There is no need to constrain the normal displacement along AE. The program will
impose Ur=0 for all element edges along R=0.
Execution Complete the Solution ID and the p-Discretization inputs. Execute the Linear Anal-
ysis upward from p=1 to p=8 in automatic mode.

FIGURE 63 Schematic representation of the specified boundary conditions.
Solution ID tab > Solutions tab > Solution ID: SOL > Constraint ID: CONST
> Load ID: LOAD. Click on the Accept button.
Selection > Space: trunk > p-Discretization: Variable > p-Level: 1 > Accept
Select the Compute Solution icon from the Main Toolbar and when the dialog
window appears complete as follows:
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits: 1 to 8
tive > Converge: None. Click on the Solve button.
Post-processing After the execution is completed extract results from the finite element solu-
tion by selecting the View Results icon from the Main Toolbar.
Error estimation

The converging sequence of finite element solutions for the linear analysis is dis-
played in FIGURE 64. To obtain the error estimate select the Error tab and supply
2
FIGURE 64 Estimated error in energy norm. Trunk space.
the following information:
Error tab > Input tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Solution: SOL > Run:
1 to 8 > Estimate > Accept.
Largest principal stress
To obtain the location (r, z), and magnitude (1) of the largest principal stress,
select the Min/Max tab from the Results window and provide the following infor-
mation:
Min/Max tab > Input tab > Select > All Elements > Grid > Solution: SOL > Run:
1 to 8 > Function: S1 > Midsides: 12 > Maximum toggle ON > Accept.
The results displayed in tabular form in the Graph window show that the location of
the principal stress 1 is on the boundary of the circular fillet, FIGURE 65.
FIGURE 66 shows the convergence of 1 as it appears in the Graph window when

the Chart option is selected. The first principal stress exhibits strong and obvious
convergence with respect to increasing the number of degrees of freedom (DOF).

FIGURE 65 Value and location of maximum 1 for each run.
FIGURE 66 Maximum principal stress convergence graph.

Remark This problem has been studied by many investigators using an experimental (photo-
elastic) method, the boundary element method and the h- and p-versions of the
finite element method. The mesh shown in FIGURE 61, is the same as the one used
2
in Ref. [3], page 346. A challenging aspect of this problem is that Poissons ratio is
close to its limiting value (0.5). The material Araldite was used to make photoelas-
tic measurements possible.
Recommended exercises
1. Construct the mesh in such a way that the fillet radius can be changed by a single
command.
2. Plot the equivalent stress distribution for this problem.


3 Plate Bending
StressCheck is the first finite element analysis software product to introduce into professional practice
hierarchic modeling capabilities for structural plates made of isotropic or composite materials. The
important practical benefits are that control of the errors of idealization is made possible and the same
finite element mesh can be used for both the structural and strength analyses of plates. For a discussion
and summary of the theoretical background refer to the Advanced Topics Guide.
The implementation is limited to flat plates contained in the xy-plane and loaded normal to that plane
(in the z-direction) by distributed transverse loading, shear or moments.
The input data preparation and extraction procedures are very similar to those described in Chapter 1 for
planar elasticity and reviewed in the following by solving an example problem.

After opening a new database, from the Reference and Theory selectors change the
default analysis to Plate Elasticity.
Analysis Guide Chapter 3: Plate Bending 99


Select the Create Model icon from the Main Toolbar to create the geometry and
the finite element mesh. Consider, for example, the domain shown in FIGURE
67, which represents a uniformly loaded square plate with a central hole and all
edges simply supported. Due to symmetry, only one fourth of the domain is
considered for analysis.
3
r = 0.25
2.0
X
2.0
FIGURE 67 Square plate with a central hole.
Example To create the mesh shown in FIGURE 68, consider first the geometric descrip-
tion:
Geometry tab > Create > Rectangle > Locate > Input switch on > X: 0.0, Y:
0.0, Z: 0.0, width: 1.0, height: 1.0, rot-Z: 0.0 > Click on the Accept button.
From the Views Toolbar select the Center Model icon.
Create > Circle > Locate > Input switch on > X: 1.0, Y: 1.0, Z: 0.0, radius:
0.25, P1-Min: 180, P1-Max: 270, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept
100 Chapter 3: Plate Bending Analysis Guide

Assigning thickness
Create > Circle > Locate > X: 1.0, Y: 1.0, Z: 0.0, radius: 0.35, P1-Min: 180, P1-
Max: 270, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept
Create > Line > Locate > X: 0.0, Y: 0.1, Z: 0.0, length: 1.0, angle: 0.0 > Accept
Create > Line > Locate > X: 0.1, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, length: 1.0, angle: 90 > Accept
Next construct the mesh shown in FIGURE 68:

3
Mesh tab > Create > Node > Method: Intersection. Create a node at each intersec-
tion. A total of 12 nodes should be created using this method. You can create a
node at every intersection by selecting Accept instead of selecting pair of curves
on the screen. The program will request a confirmation that you want to create a
node at every curve intersection.
Create > Node > Mid-Offset > Click on 2 nodes on a circle and a midside node
should result on the arc segment. Repeat for the other circle.
Create > Quadrilateral > Selection, then point and click to four nodes which
define an element in any order. You can use the marquee pick to draw a box
around four nodes in a single operation. To do that, simply click on the screen
near one of the target nodes, then while holding down the left mouse button, drag
the mouse and draw a box around four nodes and then release the left mouse but-
ton.
The resulting mesh should look like the one indicated in FIGURE 68.
Assigning thickness
For Plate Bending it is necessary to associate a thickness with the elements. To
assign a thickness select the Thickness tab in the StressCheck Input dialog window.
For plate bending, the elements must be assigned constant or parametric thickness.
Example Assign a uniform thickness of 0.1 to our example problem.
Thickness tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Thickness: 0.1 > Click on the
Accept button.
You can display the thickness by turning on the toggle switch in front of Display.
To check for consistency in the thickness input data for all elements in the mesh use

FIGURE 68 Finite element mesh for plate with a central hole.
Action: Check and click on the Accept button. The result of the check will be
displayed in an Edit Window.

The material properties are entered by selecting the Material tab in the Stress-
Check Input window. For plate analysis the material can be homogeneous or
laminated.
Homogeneous materials The types of homogeneous materials currently supported are isotropic and
orthotropic. If the material is homogeneous and isotropic then a shear correc-
tion factor is also required for plate models 1 and 2. The options for the shear
correction factor are:
Unity: The shear stiffness is not modified by a shear factor. The shear
factor is unity.

Energy: The shear factor is computed internally based on the Poissons ratio
of the material to minimize the error in the strain energy of the solution with
respect to the fully three-dimensional solution.
Deflect: The shear factor is computed internally based on the Poissons ratio
to minimize the error in the mid-plane deflection of the plate with respect to
the fully three-dimensional solution.
For further details about the use of shear correction factors refer to the Advanced 3
Topics Guide.
Laminated materials If the material is laminated (more than one lamina through the thickness), the
options are Laminate-Isotropic or Laminate-Orthotropic. If you select Type:
Lamin.Ortho, the Material Properties interface will look as shown in FIGURE 69.
FIGURE 69 Material input area for the Laminate Orthotropic type.

At this point you can define the material properties of an individual lamina,
specify the material name, the material coefficients and the thickness of the
lamina.
After the material properties have been defined, you must create a ply group
and a stacking sequence. For this purpose select the Assign tab, and choose
Type: Laminate. The Laminated Material Definition dialog window will
appear on the screen as shown in FIGURE 70.
3
FIGURE 70 Laminate plate properties.
Ply Group: Select the Ply tab in the Laminated Material dialog window and
define the ply groups that can be formed using the lamina properties. Specify

the ply group name, the lamina material name and the ply layout angles (the angle
in degrees for the orientation of the material 1-axis with respect to the global x-axis
for orthotropic properties) and click Accept.
Stack Sequence: Select the Stack tab in the Laminated Material dialog window
and define the combination of ply groups that defines the laminated plate. Specify
the stacking sequence name, the number of layers and the stacking sequence and
click on Accept. For plates only symmetric stacks are supported by StressCheck.
The stacking sequence name should be entered in the ID field of the input area to 3
assign laminated properties to the elements.
Any combination of isotropic and orthotropic layers is allowed. Therefore, compos-

ite and sandwich plates can be defined using these forms.
Note: Layer angles have to be specified beginning with the bottom layer. See
example.
Example Assignment of laminated material properties.
For the problem shown in FIGURE 68, let us consider the 8-ply orthotropic sym-
metric laminate (90/0/90/0)s shown in FIGURE 71, where each lamina is a 0.0125
units thick graphite/epoxy composite material with the following properties:
EL = 25.0x106 ET = 1.0x106
GLT = 0.5x106 GTT = 0.2x106
vLT = 0.25 vTT = 0.49
where the subscript L indicates the direction parallel to the fibers, T is the trans-
verse direction, and vLT = -TT/ LL is the Poissons ratio. When the L-direction
coincides with the global x-axis, we refer to it as a 0o orientation. A laminate desig-
nation (90/0/90) for instance, means a 3-ply laminate with the central layer oriented
with the L direction parallel to the global x-axis, and the outer layers with the L
direction at 90o with the global x-axis.
The following information should be provided in Action: Define of the Material

input area (see FIGURE 69):
ID: GRAPHITE (any name can be used)

Type: Lamin.Ortho

E11: 25e6, E22: 1e6, E33: 1e6

v12: 0.25, v23: 0.49, v13: 0.25
G12: 0.5e6, G23: 0.2e6, G31: 0.5e6
Density: 1.5e-4 (needed for modal analysis only)
a11: 0.0, a22: 0.0
Button: Accept
3
Z
90 0.0125
0
90
0.1
0
X
90
0
90
FIGURE 71 8-ply orthotropic symmetric laminate (90/0/90/0)S.
The following information should be provided in Action: Assign of the Mate-

rial input area:
Type: Laminate-Stack
The dialog window for the Laminated Material Definition should contain the
information given below.
1. Ply tab (see FIGURE 70)
Ply group name: CROSSPLY (any name can be used)

Entering load data
Lamina material name: GRAPHITE (same name given in the material defi-
nition ID)
Ply layout angles: 90;0 (creates a ply group of two layers at 90o and 0o orien-
tation with respect to the global x-axis. Note that the first layer is a 90 degree
ply.)
Buttons: Accept
2. Stack tab (see FIGURE 70) 3

Stack sequence name: LAM (any name can be used)
Number of layers: 8 (total number of layers in the laminate)
Symmetry: Symmetric (default)
Stacking sequence: 2*CrossPly (same name given in Form PlyGroup)
Buttons: Accept
Note: Because of symmetry, the stacking sequence is defined for half of the lami-
nate (4 layers) only.
After entering the ply group and stacking sequence information, enter the stack
sequence name (prop) in the ID field of the Assign Material input area, select All
Elements and click on Accept. This last operation will assign the stacking sequence
properties to all elements in the mesh (see FIGURE 70).
Note: When laminated properties are assigned, the program checks that the number
of layers times the thickness of each layer equals the value entered for the thickness
in the Thickness input form. If they dont match, a warning message is issued at
execution time.
Entering load data

In the Input dialog window, select the Load tab and the input area will appear as
shown in FIGURE 72. For Plate Bending the loading methods and sign conventions
are illustrated in FIGURE 73 and described in the following:
Distributed load: (q) means that a distributed pressure (in force per unit area) is
imposed on a face or a group of faces. Distributed loads can be specified as con-
stant, parametric or formula. A positive distributed pressure is applied in the posi-
tive Z-direction.

Entering load data
FIGURE 72 Input area for load input.
Edge moment: (Mn, Mnt) means that a distributed moment (in force-length per
unit length) is applied along a boundary or element edge. The distributed
moment is a vector quantity with bending and twisting components. Therefore
two vector components must be specified in the normal-tangent reference
frame. A positive bending moment (Mn) is a vector in the direction of the neg-
ative tangent to the boundary (clockwise). A positive twisting moment (Mnt) is
a vector in the direction of the positive normal to the boundary (outward).
Moment components can be specified as constants, parameters or by formulae.
Edge shear: (Qn) means that a distributed shear force (in force per unit length)
is applied along a boundary or element edge. A positive shear force is a vector
in the direction of the negative Z-axis. The distributed shear can be specified as
a constant, parameter or by a formula.

Entering load data
Mid-surface
Fz
* t
3
z
Mn n
Qn
Mnt
y
x
FIGURE 73 Sign convention for plate loads. Positive quantities are indicated.
Point load: (Fz) means that a concentrated force is applied in the z-direction at any
location on the plate. To access this option select the object point or node. Refer to
the Advanced Topics Guide for additional information about the use of concen-
trated forces. Points forces can be applied anywhere within an element (including
the nodes).
Note: Edge moment and shear are intended to be used on external boundaries
only. However, they can be applied to internal boundaries or element edges, using
the following interpretation:
a) If the load is applied to a boundary segment (line, circle, ellipse, etc.) all the
element edges associated with the selected boundary will be loaded. This
means that the elements at both sides of the boundary will be loaded (the
effective load doubles). Use the check option to verify the applied load.
b) If the load is applied directly to element edges, only the selected elements
will be loaded, and the prescribed load will be applied.
Example Specifying a uniform distributed load.

Consider once more the problem shown in FIGURE 68 and apply a uniformly
distributed pressure in the negative Z-direction of magnitude q=100. Enter the
following information in the load input area:
Load tab > Select > Face Surface > Distributed > ID: LOAD > System: Glo-
bal > Transverse: -100. Select any element face in the mesh and all the faces
which are slope continuous will be selected. Click on Accept. See FIGURE
72 and FIGURE 75.
3
Note: The type of loading that can be applied is controlled by the Object selec-
tion. When Edge or Any Curve are active, the methods are Moment and Shear.
If Face is active, then the only method is Distributed Load.

In the Input dialog window, select the Constraint tab and the input area will
appear as shown in FIGURE 74. For Plate Bending, the constraint methods are
as follows:
Soft-simple support: means that the transverse displacement component will

be set to zero (Uz= 0) along the selected element edges or boundaries. The
adjective soft refers to the fact that no constraints are imposed on twisting
(i.e., the twisting moment in zero).
Built-in support: means that all three displacement components will be set to
zero (Ux= Uy= Uz= 0) along the selected element edges or boundaries. The
rotation component of each displacement is also set to zero.
Symmetry condition: means that the displacement component normal to the

edge or boundary will be set to zero (Un= 0). By definition, this condition is
applicable only to straight edges or boundaries. The symmetry condition can
be viewed as a guided support on straight boundary segments.
Antisymmetric condition: means that the displacement component tangent to

the edge or boundary and the transverse displacement will be set to zero (Ut=
Uz= 0). By definition, this condition is applicable only to straight edges or
boundaries. The antisymmetric condition is the same as a hard-simple support
on straight boundary segments.

FIGURE 74 Constraint input area for Plate Bending.
Rigid body constraint: means that the transverse displacement components of

three non-colinear nodes will be set to zero. When Node > Rigid Body is selected in
the input area, use the cursor to click on any three non-colinear nodes in the display
area, and the program will automatically set Uz= 0 for all of them.
Nodal constraint: means that the transverse displacement components of the

selected nodes will be set to zero.
Note 1: The type of constraint that can be applied is controlled by the Object selec-
tion. If the object edge or boundary is active, then the methods are soft-simple,
built-in, symmetry, and Antisymmetry. If the object is node, then the methods are
rigid body and single nodal constraints.
Remark: Point constraints are admissible only for preventing rigid body displace-
ment and rotation. The body must be in equilibrium under the action of the applied

loads. Point constraints should not be used in StressCheck under conditions

other than self equilibrating loading.
Note 2: Edge constraints are intended to be used on external boundaries only.

However, they can be applied to internal boundaries or element edges, using
the following interpretation:
a) If the constraint is applied to a boundary segment (line, circle, ellipse,

etc.) all the element edges associated with the selected boundary will be
3
constrained. If there are no edges attached to the selected boundaries,
then no constraints will be applied to the elements.
b) If the constraint is applied to element edges, both shared edges must be

selected (use the shrink option from the Display Control box to do that)
otherwise the execution will fail.
Example Specifying soft-simple support and symmetry conditions. Referring to FIG-

URE 68, let us apply symmetry conditions to the upper and right boundaries of
the plate, and soft-simple support at the other two boundaries. Enter the fol-
lowing information in the constraint input area:
Constraint tab > Select > Any Curve > Symmetry > ID: CONST. With the
mouse click on the upper boundary and then holding the Shift key click on
the right boundary > Click on the Accept button. The symbols of symmetric
condition (circles) will be displayed along the boundaries.
Constraint tab > Select > Any Curve > Soft Simple > ID: CONST. With the
mouse click on the left and lower boundaries and then click on Accept. The
symbols for soft-simple support (triangles) will be displayed along the
boundaries.
FIGURE 75 shows the complete mesh with loading and constraint symbols.

To assign a solution name to the desired constraint and load name pair, select
the Solution ID tab from the Input dialog window and the interface will appear
as shown in FIGURE 76. Complete the required information as follows:

FIGURE 75 Boundary conditions for example problem.
Solution ID tab > Solutions tab > Solution ID: SOL (Any name that is meaningful
to you) > Constraint ID: CONST > Load ID: LOAD > Accept.

To define the polynomial and model orders, select Class: p-Discretization tab from
the StressCheck dialog window. The input area will appear as shown in FIGURE
77.
The discretization parameters, p-level and model order (m-level), can be specified
independently over each element, group of elements, or all elements in the mesh.
They can be fixed, bounded or variable. The polynomial degree can range from p=1
to 8 and the model order can range from 1 to 6 for plates of homogeneous materials,
and from 1 to 5 for plates of laminated materials. Refer to Theoretical Background
for details about plate model classification.

FIGURE 76 Input area for Solution ID.
If the p-discretization is specified as variable or bounded, the plate model can

be specified as fixed only. Model extension (plate model variable or bounded)
is supported for fixed p-level only.
If h-discretization is desired, then follow the procedure described in the Users

Guide for h-refinement.
Example Assignment of p-discretization parameters. Let us assign the product space and
plate model 1 to all the elements of the problem shown in FIGURE 68. Enter
the following information in the p-Discretization input area:
Selection > Space: Product > p-Discretization: Variable > Level:1 > Plate
Model: Fixed > Level:1 > Click on the Accept button. The p-discretization
record will be included in the scrolling list as shown in FIGURE 77.

FIGURE 77 Input area for p-Discretization.

To execute a linear analysis select the Compute Solution icon from the Main Tool-
bar. When the Solution dialog window appears (FIGURE 78) select the Linear tab
and complete the requested information.
The following extension options are available for Plate Bending:
Upward-p: The plate model is fixed and the polynomial degree is increased from
the lower to the upper limit.

FIGURE 78 Linear analysis interface for Plate Bending.
Downward-p: The plate model is fixed and the polynomial degree is

decreased from the upper to the lower limit.
Upward-model: The p-level is fixed and the model order is increased from the
lower to the upper limit.
Uniform-h: The p-level and plate model are fixed and the mesh is uniformly
refined up to the run limit.
Adaptive-p: The plate model is fixed and the polynomial order will be deter-
mined for each element and for each run based on an error indicator until con-
vergence is realized. The convergence options are described below.

or, in the case or upward model, from the initial plate model to the final model
order.
Restart is used when a sequence of solutions has been computed and you
wish to compute higher order solutions, retaining the computed data.

Run Mode: You may execute an Automatic sequence of solutions for the exten-
sion and limits selected. Or you may execute Stepwise, requiring you to click on
Solve following the solution for each p-level, m-level, or h-refinement.
Method: It may be either Iterative or Direct. Method: Iterative means that the
Iterative Solver (default) is used. Method: Direct means that the Direct Solver is
used.
Converge: Two options are available: None means that the number of runs is 3
controlled by the settings in the linear tab. Error=2% means that the number of
runs will be controlled by the global error of the solution. When the estimated rela-
tive error in energy norm is less than or equal to 2%, the execution will stop. The
highest polynomial order cannot go beyond the limits entered in the linear tab.
Additional convergence criteria can be defined in the Settings tab of the Results
interface, as described in the Users Guide.
- Results: Engineering results may be monitored by using the layout switch to acti-
vate the Results layout. Select the desired Output controls in the Results class of
interest before activating the solution. Monitoring result functions is useful in the
case of large problems where sequential analysis executed stepwise is employed.
The monitored data provide information on the basis of which you can decide
whether to stop or continue the extension process. For small problems full p-exten-
sion should be performed.
become quite large, so it if often desirable to have them created in a scratch area
deleted by the program when they are no longer needed. Others files are left behind
because they may be used if you plan to restart a previous solution (downward p-
level or nonlinear analysis). If you do not plan to restart, then it is safe to remove
these special temporary files (.wrk).

Browse: The Browse button is used to identify a directory path where you wish
to have intermediate work files created. These files are disposable files.
Buttons: The Solve button will activate the currently specified solution. The
Check button will produce a report summarizing parameters, elements distor-
tion, geometric and material properties, applied load, and the disk space
required to perform the currently specified solution.
3 Example Linear analysis for Plate Bending. Let us execute a linear analysis for the plate
problem considering an upward p-extension with fixed model. Enter the fol-
lowing information:
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits: 1 to 8 > Model: 1.
Next, choose the SOLVE! tab to get the solution. Complete the following
information:
tive > Convergence: None > Click on the Solve button.
The top portion of the linear status box displays the status of the execution. The
message bar located on the main window displays which operation is being
performed for each run.

To perform post-processing operations select the View Results icon from the
Main Toolbar. The Results dialog window is shown in FIGURE 79.

To obtain an error estimate, select the Error tab from the Results window.
There are two interpretations of the relative error in energy norm for Plate
Bending:
a) If the plate model is fixed and a p-extension or h-extension is performed

with at least three runs in a sequence, then the estimated error in energy norm
represents a measure of the difference between the exact solution of the

FIGURE 79 Results window.
selected plate model and the corresponding finite element solution. Typically, a
sequence of solutions is computed as p ranges from 1 to 8 with fixed mesh and
model order.
b) If the p-level and mesh are fixed and the model order is increased in a sequence,
then the estimated error in energy norm is a measure of the difference between the
exact solution of the corresponding three-dimensional problem and the exact solu-
tion corresponding to each plate model. The finite element solution is only an
approximation to the exact solution for each plate model. Therefore the estimated
error in energy norm will represent a reasonable measure of the modeling error only
if the discretization error for each model is small. Typically, a sequence of solutions
is computed as the model order ranges from 1 to 6 (homogeneous plates) or from 1
to 5 (laminated plates) with a p-level fixed at a value for which the discretization
error is small (less than 1%). Before running a sequence of models it is recom-
mended to run a p-extension with the model order fixed at a low number (typically

1 or 2) to select the p-level for which the error of discretization is small. A

description of the plate models implemented in StressCheck, and the strategy
for model selection is found in the Advanced Guide.
Note: Model 1 should be excluded when estimating the modeling error. This is
because Model 1, the Reissner-Mindlin model, is not a member of the hierar-
chic family of plate models but rather an extension of the hierarchic family to
plates of small thickness.
3
Example Estimated error in energy norm. Let us check the overall quality of the solution
of the example problem. After a sequence of linear solutions were obtained as
described in the previous section (Upward-p, p=1 to 8, model 1), select:
Error tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8
> Estimate > Click on Accept. The results are shown in FIGURE 80.
FIGURE 80 Relative error in energy norm for example problem.
Note: For the mesh and p-discretization parameters selected, the estimated
error in energy norm is less than 1% for run number 8 (1408 DOF). The mesh
for this problem was designed to minimize the effect of the boundary layer in
the energy of the solution. If the smallest error in energy norm is not accept-
able, it will be necessary to modify the finite element mesh in order to increase
the number of degrees of freedom (we are already using the product space).
Refer to the Advanced Guide, for recommended mesh design for Plate Bend-
ing.


The available standard functions in Plate Bending are listed in Table 3. The defini-
tion of strains and stresses are available in Chapter 1.
The in-plane stress components (x, y, xy) are computed directly from the
finite element solution; that is, the strains are computed by differentiating the dis-
placement field, and the stresses by multiplying the strains with the material stiff-
ness matrix. The transverse stresses are computed by integration of the three- 3
dimensional equilibrium equations. This post-processing procedure for computing
the transverse shear (xz, yz) and transverse normal (z) stresses has been tested
and the results published in Ref. [22].
TABLE 3. Standard functions for Plate Bending.

Ex Normal strain x
Ey Normal strain y
Ez Normal strain z
Gxy Shear strain xy
Gxz Shear strain xz
Gyz Shear strain yz
Ux Displacement component in the x-direction ux
Uy Displacement component in the y-direction uy
Uz Displacement component in the z-direction uz
Mx Bending moment Mx
My Bending moment My
Mxy Twisting moment Mxy
Sx Normal stress x
Sy Normal stress y
Sz Normal stress z
S1 First principal stress in the plane of the plate
S2 Second principal stress in the plane of the plate
S3 Normal stress z
Seq von Mises (equivalent) stress computed using all six stress components

TABLE 3. Standard functions for Plate Bending.

Txy Shear stress xy
Txz Shear stress xz
Tyz Shear stress yz
Qx Shear force Qx
3 Qy Shear force Qy
Tmax Maximum shear stress in the plane of the plate

Fmla Formula. Using this option, any mathematical expression containing the
standard functions can be computed for a given solution.
Calc Calculator. Using this option, any mathematical expression containing
standard functions can be computed for any arbitrary combination of
solutions.
The stress resultants are defined as follows:
The bending moments are:
h 2 h 2
Mx = 2 x z dz , My = 2 y z dz (1)
0 0
where h is the thickness of the plate. The sign convention for bending moments
is shown in FIGURE 81(b). The double arrow indicates the sense of a right-
handed screw advancing in the direction of the arrows.
The twisting moments are defined as:
h 2
M xy = 2 x y z dz , M yx = M xy (2)
0
The sign convention for twisting moments is shown in FIGURE 81(c).

The shear forces are defined as:
h 2 h 2
Qx = 2 x z dz , Qy = 2 yz dz (3)
0 0
3
The sign convention for the shear forces is shown in FIGURE 81(a).
Qx
Qy
q(x,y)
Qy
Qx
(a)
Mxy
Mx

Myx

My
Myx
My

Mx
Mxy
(b) (c)
FIGURE 81 Sign convention for stress resultants.

Plotting the deformed shape

To display computed information in graphical form select the Plot tab from the
Results window and the input area will appear as indicated in FIGURE 82.
Note that a Z-Plane coordinate is required for Plate Bending (the default value
is Z=0.0). The Z-Plane information is used to evaluate displacements, strain
and stress components, but ignored for stress resultants.
3 To display the deformed shape for run 8, complete the following information:
Plot tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 >
Plot: Solution > Shape: Deform > Overlay ON > Midsides: 10 > Z-Plane: 0.0
> Click on the Plot button.
FIGURE 82 Deformed shape for example problem.
When plotting the deformed shape, the default Z-plane (Z=0) is recommended.
To visualize the deformed shape you may need to rotate the model.

Computing data in points

To extract results along element edges, boundary segments, points, or through-
thickness, select the Points tab from the Results window and the input area will
appear as indicated in FIGURE 83.
The possibility of selecting a through-thickness (XY thk) extraction is only applica-

ble to plates. The XY THK method can be used to display displacement, strain or
stress distributions in the thickness direction at any location specified by its global 3
coordinates (in the fields marked XYZ in the input area). The requested functions
are computed at several Z-locations starting Z=0.0 up to Z=h/2 (h = total plate
thickness). The number of points through the thickness depends on the entry in the
# of pts field of the input area and on the type of plate. For laminated plates, the #
of pts. is the number of midsides points (not including the interface between lami-
nae) for each layer. For homogeneous plates, the # of pts. is for the number of mid-
side points for the total plate thickness.
Example Through-thickness normal and shear stresses. To compute the normal stress y at
the edge of the hole, complete as follows:
Points tab > Action: Select > Object: Node > Method: XY Thickness > Solution:
SOL > Run: 8 to 8 > Function: Sy > # of pts.: 3 > Click on the node at the edge of
the hole (X: 0.75, Y: 1.0) > Accept
Selecting # of pts: 3 for the 8-ply laminate, the computation of the selected function
will be performed at 5 equally spaced points for each layer (3 midsides plus one at
each interface) and from Z=0.00 to Z=0.05 (that is, 4 layers). FIGURE 83 shows
the y stress distribution in the Z-direction for run #8 at X=0.75, Y=1.00 (the edge
of the hole), while FIGURE 84 shows the shear stress distribution (yz) for run #8 at
X=1.0, Y=0.0 (intersection of vertical symmetry line and support edge).
Note: When the method XY Thickness is selected, the z-coordinate in the input
field is suppressed. When computing displacement, strain or stress components at
points for a method other than XY Thickness, you must enter the z location in the
input field (the default value is z=0.0). If the z-coordinate is less than zero or
greater than half the plate thickness, an error message will be displayed by the pro-
gram. The proper range is 0 Z h 2 . The Z-coordinate is irrelevant for the com-
putation of stress resultants.

FIGURE 83 Point extraction for example problem: y(0.75, 1, z).
FIGURE 84 Shear stress distribution yz(0,1, z)

for the example problem.


To compute minimal and maximal values of displacements, strains, stresses, or
stress resultants, select the Min/Max tab in the Results window and the input area
will appear as indicated in FIGURE 85. Follow the steps described below to com-
plete the input.
Example FIGURE 85 shows the entries in the input area and the results of the computation of 3
the minimum value of the transverse displacement component (Uz at Z=0.0) as a
function of the run number, for the example problem. Note that the load was
applied in the negative Z-direction, and therefore the largest deflection is negative.
The computation of minimal and/or maximal values is performed at the specified

Z-plane. The default value is Z=0.0. If the values of strain or stress components are
of interest, a Z-plane other than the default should be given because for Plate Bend-
ing all the strains and stresses are zero at the middle surface. Supply the following
input to obtain the graph shown in FIGURE 85:
FIGURE 85 Min/Max extraction for Plate Bending.

Min/Max tab > Select > All Elements > Line > Solution: SOL > Runs: 1 to 8
> Function: Uz > Midsides: 10 > Minimum ON > Z-plane: 0.0 > Click on
Accept.
The results show the convergence of the transverse displacement (Uz) as a

function of the number of degrees of freedom (DOF).

3
To compute stress resultants along element edges, select the Resultant tab in
the Results window and the input area will appear as shown in FIGURE 86.
The edge resultants available for plates (Vn, Mn, Mt) are defined as follows:
N2
Vn = ( Q x nx + Qy n y ) ds
N1
N
2
Mn = (M n 2
x x + M y n 2y + 2M xy n x n y ) ds
N1
N2
Mt = [M xy
( n x n y ) ( M x M y ) n x n y ] ds
2 2
N1
where N1 and N2 refer to nodes (in counterclockwise order) which define an

element edge, Qx and Qy are the shear forces defined in equation (3), Mx and
My are the bending moments defined in equation (1), Mxy is the twisting
moment defined in equation (2), and nx, ny are the direction cosines of the nor-
mal to the element edge.

FIGURE 86 Input area for resultant extraction.
Example To compute the stress resultants for the plate problem of the example, complete as
follows:
Resultant tab > Select > Edge Curve > Selection > Solution: SOL > Runs: 8 to 8 >
Turn on the switches in front of Vn, Mn and Mt, select any edge along the sym-
metry line at x=1.0 and all the edges which are slope continuous will be high-
lighted > Click on Accept.
FIGURE 86 shows the computed resultants for the edges of the three elements
along the vertical symmetry line of the example problem. Note that the shear result-
ant (Vn) and the tangent moment resultant (twisting moment Mt) displayed in the
summation fields of the Resultant input area are very close to zero along the sym-
metry line (as expected). The normal moment resultant (Mn) is, of course, different
from zero.

Model problem: Built-in square plate
Problem description
A clamped square plate with uniform transverse unit load is shown in FIGURE
87. It is a 2a by 2a plate with a thickness of 0.1 units and a=1.0 units. The
material is isotropic, the modulus of elasticity is E = 30x106 psi and Poissons
3 ratio is v = 0.30. No shear correction factor is considered. Due to symmetry
conditions, only one quarter of the plate needs to be analyzed. Of interest is the
computation of the bending moment and shear distribution along the symmetry
lines, and the maximum deflection of the plate.
A C
AB, BD, DC, CA: u x = u y = u z = 0

2a
B D
2a
FIGURE 87 Solution domain and boundary conditions.

Boundary layer effects occur at the plate boundaries, and are characterized by
the fact that the solution near the boundary is substantially different from the
solution in the interior. All hierarchic plate models exhibit boundary layers,
and an important part of the energy of the solution is contained in them. There-
fore, the mesh design necessary to obtain accurate solutions for any given

member of the hierarchic sequence of models should properly account for the
boundary layers.
The first step is to design a finite element mesh that provides optimal rate of con-
vergence for the exact solution of the plate problem in the interior of the domain
without consideration for the boundaries. For smooth problems and p-convergence
this typically involves the use of uniform or quasi-uniform meshes. This will be
referred as the coarse mesh. For this case, the coarse mesh consists of one ele-
ment of size 1 unit. Once the coarse mesh is available, the boundary layers should 3
be accounted for by the use of the graded meshes. The relevant element size is the
dimension in the direction perpendicular to the boundary. For most practical prob-
lems one or two layers of graded elements toward the edges are sufficient to
account for the boundary layers effects. FIGURE 88 shows the finite element mesh
with one layer of graded elements used for this problem.
A typical value for the grading is r = 0.1 x a, where a is the size of the element of
the coarse mesh near the boundary. Refer to the Advanced Guide for additional
details about meshing in the presence of boundary layers.

Quarter model
ro
a

Geometry and mesh Because the boundary layer can significantly affect the solution, parametric
grading is recommended. In this way, the sensitivity of the solution to the
choice of the graded mesh size can be analyzed. To create the parameters for
this problem, select the Model Info icon from the Main Toolbar and when the
dialog window appears select the Parameters tab. Complete the following
information:
Name: a > Description: Half plate length > Value: 1.0 > Limit: > 0.0 > Class:
3 General.
Name: ro > Description: Grading parameter > Value: 0.1 > Limit: > 0.0 >
Class: General.
Click on the Accept button to save the parameters information given above.
Provide the geometric description of the plate, creating a square. From the
Main Toolbar select the Create Model icon and then select the Geometry tab
from the Input dialog window. Complete the following information:
Geometry tab > Create > Rectangle > Locate > Input: X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0,
width: a, height: a, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept. From the Views Toolbar select Cen-
ter Model.
Define two lines for the boundary layer elements:
Create > Line > Locate > X: 0.0, Y: ro, Z: 0.0, length: a, angle: 0.0 > Accept.
Create > Line > Locate > X: ro, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, length: a, angle: 90 > Accept.
Define the position of the nodes at the intersection between lines (9 nodes).
Mesh tab > Create > Node > Intersection. Click on the boundary segments
near the intersection points where a node is to be located or click on Accept.
Define the elements of the mesh.
Create > Quadrilateral > Selection. Create four quadrilateral elements by

associating the elements with the appropriate nodes as shown in FIGURE
88.
Thickness To assign thickness to the elements, click on the Thickness tab in the Stress-
Check Input dialog window. Select the following options:

Thickness tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Thickness: 0.1 > Accept.
Material properties Assign the material properties to all elements by selecting the Material tab in the
StressCheck Input dialog window. Complete the following information:
Material tab > Define tab > ID: prop > Option: Defined Mtrl. > Units: U.S. >
Material: Linear > Type: Isotropic > Shear: Unity > E: 3.0e7, v: 0.3 > Accept.
Material tab > Assign tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > ID: prop > Type: 3
Homogeneous > Accept.
Load Select the Load tab from the StressCheck Input dialog window, and complete the
Load tab > Select > Face Surface > Distributed > ID: LOAD > Direction: XYZ >
Transverse: -1.0 > Click on any element in the mesh and all the faces which are
slope continuous will be highlighted. Click on the Accept button.
Note: To have a better view of the load, rotate the model. The transverse load sym-
bols will be pointing in the negative Z-direction.
Constraint Select the Constraint tab from the StressCheck Input dialog window. Assign zero
normal displacement to the symmetry boundary segments and built-in condition to
the other two boundary segments (FIGURE 89):
Constraint tab > Select > Any Curve > Symmetry > ID: CONST > With the
mouse click on the top line and then holding the Shift key click on the right line >
Click on Accept.
Select > Any Curve > Built-in > ID: CONST > Select the bottom and left lines
and click on Accept.
Execution
Complete the solution record and define the polynomial order, as indicated below:
Load ID: LOAD > Accept.
p-Discretization tab > Select > All Elements > Space: Trunk > p-Discretization:
Variable > level: 1 > Plate Model: Fixed > level: 1 > Accept.

FIGURE 89 Schematic representation of the constraints.
Now you are ready to start the computation. Select the Compute Solution icon
from the Main Toolbar and when the Solver dialog window appears select the
Linear tab and complete the following information:
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits: 1 to 8 > Model: 1.
Next, choose the SOLVE! tab to get the solution. Complete the following
information:
tive > Convergence: None > Click on the Solve button.
Results
You are ready now to extract results from the finite element solutions. Select
the View Results icon from the Main Toolbar.

Error Estimation Select the Error tab from the Results window and supply the following information:
Error tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8 >
Estimate > Click on Accept.
The converging sequence of finite element solutions for the linear analysis is dis-
played in FIGURE 90.
FIGURE 90 Estimated error in energy norm. Trunk space.
Point Extraction Bending and shear distributions: To get the bending moment (My) and the shear
(Qx) distribution along the top symmetry line, select the Points tab from the Results
window. Supply the following information:
Points tab > Select > Edge Curve > Selection > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 to 8 >
Function: My > # of pts.: 12. Using the mouse point to the top line and then click
on Accept.
The bending moment distribution is shown in FIGURE 91a. To obtain the shear
distribution along the same edge, select the function Qx and the shear distribution
will be as shown in FIGURE 91b. To display the moment and shear distribution as
a function of X, select View > Indep. Variable from the Main Menu Bar and when
the box appears check the toggle in front of X.

(a) Bending moment distribution. (b) Shear distribution.
FIGURE 91 Bending moment and shear distributions.
Min/Max Extraction To find the minimum deflection of the plate, select the Min/Max tab in the
Results window. Provide the following information:
Min/Max tab > Select > All Elements >Line > Solution: SOL > Run: 1 to 8 >
Function: Uz > Midsides: 12 > Minimum > Z-plane: 0.0 > Accept.
The minimum deflection as a function of the number of degrees of freedom

(DOF) will be displayed in the Graph window. The magnitude of the minimum
Uz for run #8 is Uz = -7.6709e-06 at (x=1.0, y=1.0, z=0.0).
Remarks This example demonstrates that the good approximation properties of the p-
version, well established for two-dimensional and axisymmetric analyses are
also realized for Plate Bending problems.
The solution of this problem for the Kirchhoff plate model can be found in
Theory of Plates and Shells, by S. Timoshenko and S. Woinowsky-Krieger,
McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1959, page 197. At the center of the plate:
Uz = -7.338x10-6, Mx = My = -0.0924.

The solution for Model 1 (Reissner-Mindlin model) when no shear factor was spec-
ified, was found to be: Uz = -7.671x10-6, Mx = My = -0.0919.
The difference in the central deflection is 4.5% while the difference in the bending
moment is only 0.5%. These differences are due to differences in the models. The
Kirchhoff model does not account for shear deformation while the Reissner-Mind-
lin model does. The aspect ratio of the plate is a/h = 2/0.1 = 20, and therefore the
shear deformation effect are small, but nevertheless measurable.
3
Recommended exercises
1. Referring to FIGURE 88, double the value of ro (ro=0.2) and run the problem
again. Observe that now the estimated error in energy norm at p=8 is only 0.01%,
but the values of Uz and the bending moment at the center of the plate are practi-
cally the same as before. (Uz = -7.67x10-6, Mx = -0.0919).
2. For ro=0.10, run a sequence of models for a fixed p-level. Select Linear Analysis
and then complete the following:
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-Model > Model: 1 to 6 > p-level: 8.
Convergence: None > Click on the Solve button.
Obtain the distribution of My along the top symmetry line as before. Note that the
results for models 2 to 6 give different value of the bending moment My at the
clamped edge. The boundary effect is not properly accounted for by plate model 1.
The value of My at the edge for models 2 to 6 is about 1.5 times that of model 1
(FIGURE 92).

FIGURE 92 Results for Upward-Model: My distribution along top symmetry line.

4 Three-Dimensional
Elasticity
The reader should be thoroughly familiar with the use of StressCheck for solving planar elastostatic
problems before attempting three-dimensional problems. Two options are available in StressCheck for
solving three-dimensional problems: 3D and Extrusion. The 3D option is the traditional approach in
which the model is created in 3D-space. This will be covered first. In the Extrusion option the model is
created in 2D-space and then converted into a 3D problem by extrusion. These two options are dis-
cussed in the following.

After opening a new database, from the Reference and Theory selectors make sure
the analysis is set to 3D Elasticity so that the proper input area will be available for
data entry. Many of the steps involved in the 3D model creation are similar to those
of Planar Elasticity.
Analysis Guide Chapter 4: Three-Dimensional Elasticity 139


Select Class: Geometry from the Main Menu Bar, or click on the Create Model
icon and select the Geometry tab. To illustrate the main features of geometric
data entry in 3D an example is worked out below.
Problem description
Consider the notched cantilever plate in bending shown in FIGURE 93. The
problem is characterized by seven parameters: The plate length (L), width (W),
and thickness (th), the support width (b) and height (h), the fillet radius (ra)
and the applied load per unit length (Ps). The material is plain carbon steel
Ps
th
ra W
L b
FIGURE 93 Notched plate configuration.
with a modulus of elasticity E=200 GPa and Poissons ratio is v=0.3. The
objective of the analysis is to compute the maximum von Mises stress for the
default value of the parameters. The steps to create a parametric solid model,
the finite element mesh, define and assign material properties, loading, con-
straints, and execution parameters for this problem are described in the follow-
ing.
140 Chapter 4: Three-Dimensional Elasticity Analysis Guide

Geometry construction First, using the unit selector set the units to mm/N/sec/C. To create the parameters
for this problem, select the Model Info icon from the Main Toolbar and when the
dialog window appears select the Parameters tab. Complete the following informa-
tion:
Name: b > Description: Support width (b>th/2) > Value: 40.0 > Limit: >0.0 >
Class: General.
Name: h > Description: Support height (h>th+2ro) > Value: 60.0 > Limit: >0.0 >
Class: General.
Name: L > Description: Plate length (L>ro) > Value: 100.0 > Limit: >0.0 > Class:
General.
Name: W > Description: Plate width > Value: 100.0 > Limit: >0.0 > Class: Gen- 4
eral.
Name: th > Description: Plate thickness > Value: 20.0 > Limit: >0.0 > Class: Gen-
eral.
Name: ra > Description: Fillet radius > Value: 6.0 > Limit: >0.0 > Class: General.
Name: Ps > Description: Line load in N/mm > Value: 6.0 > Class: General
After entering all the parameters click on the Accept button.
The Description field is optional when defining parameters. The Limit field when
given, indicates the limiting value the parameter can take. If there is no entry for the
Limit field it is assumed that the parameter can take any value.
To protect mesh integrity it is necessary to enforce relationships among certain

parameters. This step is not required but recommended. For this purpose select the
Rules tab and include the relationships as shown in FIGURE 94.
Once the parameters have been defined we can proceed to construct the model.
Select the Create Model icon from the Main Toolbar and then select the Geometry
tab. First, create two solid boxes in parametric form (See FIGURE 95):
Create > Box > Locate > Solid: On > X: 0, Y: 0, Z: 0, width: L, height: W, depth:
th, rot-X: 0.0, rot-Y: 0.0, rot-Z:0.0 > Accept.
Create > Box > Locate > Solid: On > X: (L+b)/2, Y: 0, Z: (-h+th)/2, width: b,
height: W, depth: h, rot-X: 0.0, rot-Y: 0.0, rot-Z:0.0 > Accept.

FIGURE 94 Rules tab settings for example problem.

4
Create > Body > Bool-Union. With a left mouse click select the two boxes
just created and then click on Accept.
Select the Center Model icon from the Views Toolbar and the solid body just
created should look as shown in FIGURE 96a
The next step is to create the two fillets along the intersecting lines between the
to boxes and two auxiliary lines:
Create > Blend Edge > Rolling Ball > radius: ra. Select the two lines at the
intersection of the two boxes (see FIGURE 96a) and then click on Accept. If
you have difficulties selecting the lines, simply switch to wireframe mode
(see FIGURE 96b).
Create > Point > Locate > Input toggle switch ON > X: (L+th)/2, Y: W/2, Z:
(-h+th)/2 > Accept.
Create > Point > Projection > Turn off the Display Surface icon and using the
last point created, project those points to the lines indicated in FIGURE 96c.
Create > Line > 2-Point. Make sure the Curve/Surface selector is in curve
mode. Move the cursor to the display area and point and click to the first
point, drag the cursor to the second point and click again. A vertical line
joining the first and second points will be displayed. Repeat by selecting the
third and fourth point to create a second vertical line (see FIGURE 96c).

FIGURE 95 Input area for geometry.
The description of the solution domain is now complete.
Creating the mesh To create the nodes and elements for the solution domain defined above, proceed as
follows (see FIGURE 97):
Create > Node > Point > Accept. A node will be created at each point location. A
total of 24 nodes (labeled A in FIGURE 97) should be created by attachment to
the same number of points.
Create > Node > Mid-Offset. Move the cursor to the display area and click on two
nodes along the fillet. Repeat at the other end. A total of 4 nodes (labeled B in
FIGURE 97) are created using the mid-offset method.
Create > Node > Midpoint. Move the cursor to the display area and click on two
nodes and a node will be created at the midpoint between them. Repeat as many

(a)
box 2
(b)
box 1
Intersection lines between boxes
4 (c)
point by location
FIGURE 96 Geometry for example

problem.
points by projection
times as needed. A total of 8 nodes (labeled C in FIGURE 97) are created

using the midpoint method.
Create > Node > Projection. Move the cursor to the display area and click on
a node and a line and a node will be created, on the line, at the shortest dis-
tance from the selected node. Repeat as many times as needed. A total of 4
nodes (labeled D in FIGURE 97) are created using the midpoint method.
Node creation is now complete, 40 nodes in total. Your screen should look as
shown in FIGURE 97. The next step is to create the elements attached to the
nodes. Proceed as follows:
Mesh tab > Create > Hexahedron > Selection. Move the cursor to the display
area and click on 8 nodes that define an element in any order. You may also

A
A: Nodes to Points A
B: Mid-offset Nodes
D
C: Midpoint Nodes
B C
D: Projection Nodes C
C
B D D
B C
C
C
C
B
D 4
A
C
A A
FIGURE 97 Node location for example problem.
click and draw a box around 8 nodes, or any combination of marquee pick and
individual node selection until 8 nodes are selected. Alternatively, if you press
both the CTRL & Shift keys as you move the mouse cursor across the model
window, the program will automatically sense the location of the cursor and dis-
play a candidate 3D element based on the proximity to various nodes that have
been defined in your model. If the candidate element is the one you want, simply
click the left mouse button, and the element will be created. A total of 10 hexahe-
dral elements should be created.
Create > Pentahedron > Selection. Move the cursor to the display area and click
on 6 nodes that define a pentahedral element. The first 3 nodes will define a trian-
gular face of the pentahedron. Two elements should be created.
The finite element mesh should look as indicated in FIGURE 98.

4 FIGURE 98 Finite element mesh for example problem.
Elements types
Three types of elements are available in 3D-Elasticity: hexahedral (brick), pen-
tahedral (wedge), and tetrahedral elements.
Hexahedral elements: They are constructed by selecting 8 nodes in any order.
Pentahedral elements: They are constructed by selecting first 3 nodes, in any

order, that represent one triangular face and then the other 3 nodes.
Tetrahedral elements: They are constructed by selecting 4 nodes in any order.
If two neighboring nodal points lie on a boundary, for example a circle, then
that boundary is automatically associated with the element edge. If three or
four nodes lie on a surface, for example a cylinder, then the surface is automat-
ically associated with the element face.
When the elements are displayed, an inscribed 3x3 mesh represented by dotted
lines, appears on the screen. These lines are there to help you see the element
clearly. If you do not wish these lines to be displayed then select View/ Display
Options Toolbar/ Element Handles and the inscribed mesh will disappear.

Vanishing angles Elements with vanishing angles (zero vertex angle) are acceptable for linear analy-
sis. They require a special post processing procedure (which is performed automat-
ically by the program) and their main advantage is that facilitate meshing in filleted
regions or when different materials are used. All three solid elements can have one
or more vanishing angle. For example, in the mesh shown in FIGURE 99, the ele-
ments around the fillet region have one zero vertex angle.
FIGURE 99 Mesh with zero vertex

hexahedral elements.

To enter the material properties select the Material tab in the StressCheck Input dia-
log window, or select Class: Material from the Main Menu Bar. The material prop-
erties module is handled in two parts: the definition and the assignment of the
material properties.
Defining material properties: In 3D elasticity the material can be specified as lin-

ear, elastic-plastic or nonlinear elastic. For linear materials the choices are isotro-
pic, transversely isotropic, orthotropic, anisotropic, laminate isotropic and laminate
orthotropic. For isotropic, temperature-dependent material properties can be
defined. For transversely isotropic materials, the plane of isotropy is the yz-plane of
the material axes. After selecting the material type, the input area automatically
adjusts to provide the appropriate number of fields into which the material proper-

ties are to be entered. For elastic-plastic and nonlinear elastic materials refer to
the Advanced Guide.
Assigning material properties: Next you need to assign the material name to
the element or group of elements which are to have the specific properties. You
may select all elements, elements one-by-one, or a group of elements. If the
assignment is element by element then simply click on the elements to which
the property is to be assigned. If the assignment is to a group of elements then
drag the cursor to enclose the desired group of elements. The selected elements
will be highlighted. If you wish to remove one or more elements from the
group then choose Action: Cancel and click on the elements to be removed
from the selected group. If the material properties are orthotropic or trans-
versely isotropic, and the orientation of the material axes are not coincident
with the global coordinate system, you can enter the name of the local coordi-
4 nate system in the System field. To complete the assignment process, click on
the Accept button. To check whether a material was assigned to each element,
select Action: Check and Object: All Elements. Once the elements of interest
are highlighted click on Accept. A confirmation report will appear on the
screen.
For orthotropic and transversely isotropic materials, a coordinate system other

than the global can be specified. If the selected coordinate system is Cartesian
(x, y, z), the material 1-axis is aligned with the x-axis of the selected coordinate
system, the material 2-axis is aligned with the y-axis and the material 3-axis is
aligned with the z-axis. If the selected coordinate system is cylindrical (r, , z),
then the material 1-axis is aligned with the -direction, the material 2-axis is
aligned with the r-direction and the material 3-axis is aligned with the z-axis.
For the assignment of laminated composite properties for individual plies or

sub-laminate properties for flat elements, refer to Laminate properties on
page 13. The assignment of isotropic materials, orthotropic or laminate ortho-
tropic in cylindrical system and temperature-dependent material properties are
described in the examples below.
Example 1 To define the material properties for the notched plate problem complete the
Material tab > Define tab > ID: steel > Option: Defined Mtrl.> Material: Lin-
ear > Type: Isotropic > Units: S.I. > E: 200000, v: 0.30 > Accept. Note that
the options Plane Stress/Plane Strain are not available in 3D (they are only
relevant in Planar Elasticity).

To assign the material ID steel to all elements in the mesh, select the following
options:
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > ID: steel > Accept.
Example 2 Consider the definition and assignment of orthotropic material properties in cylin-
drical coordinates. The mesh shown in FIGURE 100, consisting of eight hexahedral
elements, represents a cylinder made out of an orthotropic material in which the
material 1-axis is in the circumferential direction, the material 2-axis is in the radial
direction and the material 3-axis in the longitudinal direction. The material coeffi-
cients are entered in the direction of the material axes as shown in the figure.
FIGURE 100 Definition of orthotropic

material coefficient in the direction of the
material axes.
The material is then assigned to all the elements in the mesh and the direction of the
material 1-axis is shown on the model when the material ID toggle is on. As shown
in FIGURE 101, the assignment setting includes the selection of the coordinate sys-
tem (SYS1 in this example) which has to be defined as a cylindrical system.

FIGURE 101 Assignment and display of

orthotropic properties in cylindrical system
Example 3 Consider a 12-ply laminated cylinder under internal pressure with the dimen-
sions shown in FIGURE 102. The stacking sequence is [0/90/0/90/] starting
from the inside of the cylinder, and the properties in the material directions are:
E11=25x106, E22=E33=1.0x106, G12=G13=0.5x106, G23=0.4x106,
12=23=13=0.25, t=0.01. Because of symmetry, only one-eight of the cylin-
der is considered for the analysis (a 45o sector). For a 0o-ply the material 1-axis
is in the -direction, the material 2-axis is in the z-direction and the material 3-
axis is in the radial direction. For a 90o-ply the material 1-axis is in the z-direc-
tion, the material 2-axis is in the -direction and the material 3-axis is in the
radial direction.
Two cases are considered: In Case 1, one element is included for each ply; in
Case 2, the central six plies are considered as a single element with homoge-
nized properties. Both finite element meshes are shown in FIGURE 102.

FIGURE 102 Laminated cylinder under internal pressure.
To define and assign the material properties, the following operations are required
(refer to FIGURE 103):
Enter the material coefficients in the material directions by selecting the
Define Tab in the material input form using the type: Lamin.Ortho. The
name MAT was used in this example as shown in FIGURE 103.
Create the ply groups by providing a Ply Group Name, the laminated mate-
rial ID and the ply layout. The definition of the ply group CENTRAL is
shown in FIGURE 103. Two more ply groups were created for this prob-
lem: PLY0 and PLY90.
Create the stacks by providing the Stack Sequence Name, the number of
layers (plies) and the stacking sequence (the names of the ply group or
groups created in the previous step). The definition of the stack HOMO,

used for the six homogenized central plies, is shown in FIGURE 103.
Two more stacks were created for this problem: LAM0 and LAM90.
FIGURE 103 Definition and

assignment of laminated
properties in a cycindrical
system.
Assign a stack to a group of elements. In the Assign tab of the material

input, select the type: Laminate, select the stack ID, the coordinate sys-
tem and the elements of the mesh. In the example shown in FIGURE
103, the stack HOMO is assigned to the central element of the mesh in
the cylindrical system SYS2 which has an arbitrary orientation relative

to the global system XYZ. Two more assignments are required in the same
local system: LAM0 is assigned to the 0o-plies and PLY90 to the 90o-plies.
FIGURE 104 shows the estimated relative error in energy norm for cases 1 and 2
corresponding to a sequence of finite element solutions for polynomial orders rang-
ing from 1 to 8 (regular solids and trunk space). In both cases, the estimated error is
under 1% for p 3. The value of the estimated potential energy when the central six
plies are replaced by a homogenized layer (Case 2: 0.00339994) is very close to
that of the case when each ply is explicitly included (Case 1: 0.00341857).
FIGURE 104 Estimated relative error in energy norm

for Case 1 (top) and Case 2 (bottom).
FIGURE 105 shows the deformed configuration for each case. Note that the maxi-
mum radial displacement for Case 1 (7.31x10-5) is also very close to that of Case 2
(7.27x10-5).
Finally, Figure 102 shows the hoop-stress contours for cases 1 and 2. Note that the
maximum (1801) and minimum (48.9) values of the hoop stress for Case 1 are very

FIGURE 105 Deformed configurations for Case 1 (left) and Case 2 (right).
close to the corresponding maximum (1791) and minimum (48.4) for Case 2.
Both the maximum and the minimum are located away from the central
homogenized region of the cylinder.
Temperature-dependent material properties

To specify temperature-dependent material properties, check the Temp Dep
switch in the Define Material tab of the Input dialog window. Only linear iso-
tropic material can be defined as temperature-dependent.
The modulus of elasticity (E), the Poissons ratio (v), the density (Dens.) and
the coefficient of thermal expansion (a(th)), may be defined as a constant, a
parameter, a formula or a table. Entering a constant or a parameter is straight-
forward, simply click on the appropriate box and key in the constant value or
the parameter name. If the coefficients are specified by formula (as a function
of temperature) then the formula name is entered into the input area. The
results of the evaluation of the formula will be displayed in the Graph window.
If the coefficients are specified by tabular data, enter the table name in the cor-
responding fields. The program will fit the tabular data using least square fit-
ting and the results will be displayed in the Graph window. Any combination

FIGURE 106 Hoop stress distribution for Case 1 (left) and Case 2 (right).
of constant, parameter, formula or table can be used for the four material coeffi-
cients.
Formula option FIGURE 107 illustrates the case when the modulus of elasticity is defined by the
formula E_T as a function of temperature. In this example:
If Temp < 200 then: E = 200,000
If 200 <= Temp < 400 then: E = 200,000 - 100,000 (Temp/200 - 1)
If Temp > =400 then: E = 100,000
In the Formula dialog box, X (the independent variable) is the temperature. The for-
mula is entered as follows (see FIGURE 107b):
if(X<200;200000;if(X>=400; 100000;200000 - 100000(X/200 -1)))
The evaluation of the formula is shown in a graph window as shown in FIGURE

107c.
Table option FIGURE 108 illustrates the case when the Poissons ratio is defined by a table as a
function of the temperature. The name of the table (V_T) is entered in the corre-
sponding fields of the Material input area. The program performs a least square fit-

(b) Formula form
(a) Material input area
(c) Graphical representation of formula
FIGURE 107 Temperature-dependent material properties: Formula option.
ting of the tabular data and displays the fitted curve in the Graph window. For
temperatures outside the tabular data range a constant value is assumed. To

create the tabular data, select the Tables tab from the Input dialog box. A pair of
values is entered by suppling the following information (FIGURE 108a):
Tables tab > Select > Location > Constant > ID: V_T > Type: Material > X:
key in the temperature > Y: enter the Poissons ratio > Accept
Repeat for as many entries as needed. A table should contain at least two entries
with different values of temperature. The results of the least square fitting is shown
in FIGURE 108b.
(b) Graph with fitted tabular data
(a) Table input area
FIGURE 108 Temperature-dependent material properties: Table option.

Entering load data
Entering load data

To enter the load data select the Load tab in the StressCheck Input dialog win-
dow, or Class: Load from the Main Menu Bar.
Types of loading
Several types of loading are available in 3D elasticity: traction, spring, body
forces, thermal and point loads. The definitions are as follows:
Traction loading: means that a distributed load (in force per unit area) is
imposed on a surface or element face. If the traction is attached to a surface, all
the element faces associated with that surface will be loaded. Traction is a vec-
4 tor quantity, and therefore three components must be given. These may be in
the normal-tangent reference frame, in the global system, or an arbitrary local
system. If the reference frame is the normal-tangent then only normal traction
can be applied.
Spring loading: means that load is applied through a displacement imposed on

a distributed spring which has been specified on an element face or surface.
Spring loading can be applied in normal-tangent, global or local coordinate
systems. The only restriction is that the spring coefficients and the imposed
spring displacements must be in the same reference frame. To specify the val-
ues of the spring coefficients, refer to the next section.
Body force loading: The body is loaded by some volumetric load, such as by
gravity or inertia due to acceleration. The body force is in terms of force per
unit volume. If the acceleration vector a={ax, ay, az} and the mass density ()
are known then enter the products:
X constant = ax
Y constant = ay
Z constant = az
Body forces can be applied to elements in the global directions only.
Thermal loading: means that a temperature distribution (in degrees) will be

specified on elements. Temperature distribution obtained from a heat transfer

Entering load data
analysis are also available in 3D. Thermal loading can be applied to elements only.
Point loads: The elastic body is loaded by a concentrated force F={Fx, Fy, Fz}.
Point loads can be applied to points or nodes in the global directions only. The
points can be located inside an element.
Bearing loading: Normal sinusoidal traction applied to a circular hole by specify-

ing the magnitude and direction, or the two vector components (Fx, Fy). Bearing
loads can be applied to a cylinder or to a group of faces on a cylindrical pattern. A
coordinate system must be selected with the z-axis directed along the center of the
cylinder. The angle under the Mag/Dir option is measured from the positive x-axis
of the system (positive counter clockwise). Finally, the position of the bearing
resultant along the z-axis must be provided under the Zo-input. Zo=0 means that
the resultant is applied at the mid-height of the hole. If Zo is different from zero,
then the applied traction will include the effect of bending. The traction applied to 4
the element faces around the hole is determined from the following equation:
2F 12
T n = ---------- cos ( ) 1 + -----2- Z o ( Z Z G ) if ( T n < 0 )
Rh h
T n = 0 if ( T n > 0 )
Zo The values of h and ZG are computed automati-

cally by the program from the location of the
h nodes on the selected faces.
ZG
Z
Y
Tn
F
R

X

Entering load data
Note: Moment and Shear are reserved for shell elements which are currently
under development.
You may load an object (such as a face, surface or element) or a group of

objects. An object is selected by pointing to it and clicking on the left mouse
button. A group can be selected by dragging the cursor until the desired group
is completely enclosed in a square. On releasing the left mouse button, the
selected group will be highlighted. If the group includes objects which were
not to be selected then individual objects can be removed from the group by
means of the Action: Cancel. If you selected traction loading then the object to
be loaded may be a surface, a face surface or an element face, or a group of
surfaces or faces.
The loading data may be constant, parametric or a formula.

4
Example To specify the loading for the notched plate problem shown in FIGURE 93,
enter the following information:
Load tab > Action: Select > Object: Face Surface > Method: Traction > ID:
LOAD > Direction: XYZ > Z: -Ps/th. Move the cursor to the display area
and click on any of the two faces at the free end of the plate, then click on the
Accept button. A distributed traction pointing downward will be displayed
on the element faces. If you selected the wrong element face, simply select
the Cancel action and try again.
The load line Ps was converted to a traction by dividing by the plate thickness
th. The total force applied to the plate will be the product of the line load mul-
tiplied by the width of the plate (F=Ps W=600 N). To check the total applied
load to the plate, enter the following information:
Check > All Elements > ID: LOAD > Moment-X: 0.0, Moment-Y: 0.0,
Moment-Z: 0.0 > Accept.
The program will integrate the applied tractions and report the sum of the
forces in the global coordinate directions and the moment about the three glo-
bal axes. The moment center was selected at the center of the global coordinate
system which is located at the center of the base of the first box created during
the solid model construction. The result will be displayed in the Report win-
dow as shown in FIGURE 109.

Entering load data
FIGURE 109 Load check report and input area.
Section properties in load formulas

It is possible to incorporate section properties (cross-sectional area, moments of
inertia, etc.) of a group of faces from 3D-solids into a formula used for the applica-
tion of traction loadings. Once the group of faces is selected, the section properties
are computed by the program before the tractions are applied. The steps involved
are as follows:
1. Create a local Cartesian coordinate system in such a way that the xy-plane of the
local system is in the same plane as the group of faces to be loaded. To create a
local coordinate system, select Class: Geometry and follow the procedure described
in the Users Guide, Chapter 3: Model Input.

Entering load data
2. Create a load record by selecting Class: Load, enter the Load ID, select the
group of faces for which the section properties should be computed. The faces
should all be flat and contained in the same plane. Select the local system
defined in step 1, and enter the formula name to be created in step 3.
3. Create a formula with the name given in step 2 that uses the Section Property
Function name(s) shown below:
2
Yc
4
1

Xc
c
(Xc,Yc)
Y
Local system
X
FUNCTION
NAME EXPLANATION
SPArea A (cross sectional area)
SPCtrx Xc (x-coord. of centroid w.r.t. local system XYZ)
SPCtry Yc (y-coord. of centroid w.r.t. local system XYZ)
SPMomx Ixc (moment of inertia about the centroidal axis Xc parallel to X)
SPMomy Iyc (moment of inertia about the centroidal axis Yc parallel to Y)

Entering load data
FUNCTION
NAME EXPLANATION
SPCross Ixy (cross moment of inertia about Xc,Yc)
SPMom1 I1 (Moment of inertia about the principal axis-1)
SPMom2 I2 (Moment of inertia about the principal axis-2)
SPAng (Angle in degrees between the Xc-axis and the principal axis-1)
At the time of the formula evaluation to compute the load vector associated with the
prescribed traction, the program will compute all the section properties of the
selected faces, and use the ones included in the formula definition. Suppose we are
interested in applying a bending moment M about the weak axis of the cross-sec-
tion of the beam-like structure shown in FIGURE 110. 4
Y
Y
X X
Z SYS1
FIGURE 110 Use of section properties in formula loading.

Having a local coordinate system located at the base of the section as shown,
the normal traction that should be applied to the group of faces is given in
terms of the applied moment and the section properties as follows:
M
T n = ------ ( y yc )
I xc
The corresponding Formula dialog window is shown in FIGURE 111.
FIGURE 111 Traction loading using section properties.

To enter the constraint data select the Constraint tab in the StressCheck Input
dialog window, or Class: Constraint from the Main Menu Bar.

You may constrain an object (such as a node, face or surface) or a group of objects
(nodes, faces or surfaces). An object is selected by pointing to it and clicking on the
left mouse button. A group can be selected by dragging the cursor until the desired
group of objects is completely enclosed in a square frame. Upon releasing the left
mouse button, the selected group will be highlighted. If the group includes objects
which were not to be selected then individual objects can be removed from the
group by means of the Action: Cancel. The object selected controls the type of con-
straint that can be applied.
Types of constraints
The type of constraints available in 3D elasticity, such as General, Rigid Body, or
Spring Coefficient are explained in the following:
4
General: One, two or three displacement components can be prescribed to one or
more surfaces or faces in the global or in a local coordinate system. Several com-
monly occurring situations have been implemented as special cases as shown
below:
Built-In: All three displacement components are set to zero. The selected
faces can be flat or curved.
Symmetry: The normal displacement component is set to zero. Symmetry
constraints are applicable only to flat faces. A check is automatically per-
formed every time symmetry is specified to make sure that the selected face or
faces are flat.
Antisymmetry: Both tangential displacement components are set to zero.
Antisymmetry constraints are applicable only to flat faces. A check is auto-
matically performed every time antisymmetry is specified to make sure that
the selected face or faces are flat.
Soft-Simple, Pinned and Sliding: Applicable to 3D-shells only (under devel-
opment).
Spring Coefficients: When an elastic body is constrained by means of distributed

springs, or loaded by displacements imposed by distributed springs, then the spring
coefficients modify the stiffness matrix. For this reason the spring coefficients are
entered as constraints. Spring coefficients can be specified in the direction of the
global or a local coordinate system or in the direction normal/tangent to a face or
group of faces.

In the case of General constraints the data type may be Fixed, Constant, Para-
metric or Formula. Fixed means that the selected displacement component is
set to zero. If the displacement is constant along a surface or face then the con-
stant value must be entered into the appropriate field. A parameter or paramet-
ric expression can be used also to specify a prescribed displacement. The value
of the displacement is computed from a parametric expression (up to 20 char-
acters long) entered in the corresponding input field. Any combination of pre-
viously defined parameters and constants can be used. For the formula type,
the formula name is entered into the appropriate box. When a formula is
defined in a coordinate system, other than the global system, then the name of
the coordinate system must be entered also.
In the case of Springs the data type may be Constant, Parametric, or Formula.
Rigid Body: StressCheck provides convenient means for specifying rigid body
4
constraints. The user selects three nodes and StressCheck then creates a right-
handed local coordinate system, the x-axis of which is directed from the first
node to the second. In this local coordinate system all displacement compo-
nents are constrained for the first node; two displacement components are con-
strained for the second node and only one displacement component for the
third node.
Remark: Point constraints are admissible only for preventing rigid body dis-
placement and rotation. The body must be in equilibrium under the action of
external forces. Unlike the errors introduced by concentrated forces, errors
introduced by point constraints are not localized, and the reactions at point
constraints are dependent on the mesh and the polynomial degree of elements.
For this reason multipoint constraints should not be used in StressCheck.
To specify rigid body or nodal constraint, the Object: Node should be selected
first.
Example To specify the built-in constraint for the example problem, enter the following
information:
Constraint tab > Select > Face Surface > Built-In > ID: CONST. Move the
cursor to the display area and click on any of the two element faces at the
fixed end of the plate and then click on Accept. The symbols of the built-in
(clamped) constraint will be displayed on the element faces attached to that
plane as shown in FIGURE 112.

FIGURE 112 Constraint input area and symbols.

Because StressCheck allows more than one load and constraint cases to be defined,
it is necessary to associate a unique solution name with each desired constraint and
load name pair. To do this, select Class: Solution ID from the Main Menu Bar, or
select the Solution ID tab from the StressCheck Input dialog window.
Example To complete the solution record for the example problem supply the following
information:
Load ID: LOAD > Click on the Accept button.
By this action a unique solution name (SOL) has been assigned to the constraint
(CONST) and load (LOAD) name pair created previously.


To specify the discretization parameters select Class: p-Discretization from the
Main Menu Bar, or select the p-Discretization tab from the StressCheck dialog
window. In StressCheck, typically uniform p-extensions are used. However, it
is possible to select any group of elements and fix the polynomial degree for
those elements. All the options under the p-Discretization tab are described in
the Users Guide.
If uniform p-extension, using the trunk space, is to be employed then nothing

needs to be done because this is the default option for StressCheck. If uniform
p-extension using the product space is to be employed, the model must have
hexahedral elements only. In this case the product space must be assigned to all
elements.
4
Example Let us assign the trunk space to all the elements of the example problem and
enter the following information:
p-Discretization tab > Select > All Elements > Space: Trunk > p-Discretiza-
tion: Variable > p-Level: 1 > Click on the Accept button.

To execute a linear analysis select Edit: Solution from the Main Menu Bar, or
click on the Compute Solution icon from the Main Toolbar. When the Solution
dialog window appears then select the Linear tab and complete the requested
information. The following options are available for 3D Elasticity (FIGURE
113):
Extension: Choosing Upward-p means that the solution will be computed

from the minimum to the maximum p-levels specified under p-limits. This
option requires more CPU time than the Downward-p but requires less disk
space. The highest possible p-level in StressCheck is 8.
Choosing Downward-p means that the solution will be computed from the
maximum to the minimum p-level specified under p-limits. Generally, the
downward sequence is faster but requires more disk space than the upward. For
the highest p-level, the upward and downward options yield identical results.

4
Linear tab SOLVE! tab
FIGURE 113 Input area for linear analysis.
For the lower p-levels there will be minor differences owing to the fact that the
maximal number of integration points are used when the downward option is
selected. You may give the p-limits in either order.
Choosing Uniform-h means that h-extensions (uniform mesh refinement) can be

performed when all boundary conditions were specified on boundaries rather
than element edges. When boundary conditions are prescribed on boundaries then
the loads and constraints are inherited by those elements which have an edge on the
boundary. StressCheck will generate finite elements by uniformly subdividing each
standard finite element.
If you select Uniform-h then you need to specify Run Limit, which is the number
of h-refinements to be performed. For example, at each refinement level each hexa-
hedral element is subdivided into eight elements. You also have to specify the p-
level which will remain the same for all the runs.
Choosing Adaptive-p means that the polynomial order will be determined for
each element and for each run based on an error indicator until convergence is real-
ized. The convergence options are described below.


or, in the case of h-extensions, from the current mesh to the number of refine-
ments specified by the Run Limit entry.
Restart is used when a sequence of p-levels has been computed and you wish
to compute higher p-levels, retaining the computed data. In this case simply
increase the upper p-limit to its desired value and select Restart. In the case
of large problems it is good practice to run initially from p=1 to 4, check the
results, then if necessary, increase the p-limits until the desired level of preci-
sion is reached.
Run Mode: You may execute an Automatic sequence of solutions for the
extension and limits selected. Or you may execute Stepwise, requiring you to
click on Solve following the solution for each p-level or h-refinement.
4
Method: It may be either Iterative or Direct. Method: Iterative means that
the Iterative Solver (default) is used. Method: Direct means that the Direct
Solver is used. The direct solver typically requires more memory than the iter-
ative solver for the same size problem. the direct solver is more efficient when
very thin domains are represented with solid elements.
Converge: Two options are available: None means that the number of runs
is controlled by the settings in the linear tab. Error=5% means that the num-
ber of runs will be controlled by the global error of the solution. When the esti-
mated relative error in energy norm is less than or equal to 5%, the execution
will stop. The highest polynomial order cannot go beyond the limits entered in
the linear tab. Additional convergence criteria can be defined in the Settings
tab of the Results interface, as described in the Users Guide.
- Results: Engineering results may be monitored by using the layout switch to

activate the Results layout. Select the desired Output controls in the Results
class of interest before activating the solution. Monitoring result functions is
useful in the case of large problems where sequential analysis executed step-
wise is employed. The monitored data provide information on the basis of

which you can decide whether to stop or continue the extension process. For small
problems full p-extension should be performed.
become quite large, so it if often desirable to have them created in a scratch area
deleted by the program when they are no longer needed. Others files are left behind
because they may be used if you plan to restart a previous solution (downward p-
level or nonlinear analysis). If you do not plan to restart, then it is safe to remove
these special temporary files (.wrk).
Browse: The Browse button is used to identify a directory path where you wish to 4
have intermediate work files created. These files are disposable files.
Buttons: The Solve button will activate the currently specified solution. The Check
button will produce a report summarizing parameters, elements distortion, geomet-
ric and material properties, applied load, and the disk space required to perform the
currently specified solution.
Example Execute a linear analysis for the notched plate considering an upward p-extension.
In the Solver dialog window enter the following information:
Convergence: None > Display: Sequence > Click on the Solve button.
The execution time depends on your computer processor and memory.

To access post-processing features of StressCheck you must select Edit: Results
from the Main Menu Bar, or select the View Results icon from the Main Toolbar.
Example To obtain a global error estimate, select the View Results icon from the Main Tool-
bar, the Error dialog window will come out together with the Graph window. For

the example problem, the interface settings and the tabular results of the esti-
mated relative error in energy norm are shown in FIGURE 114.
FIGURE 114 Estimated relative error in energy norm.
The maximum value of the equivalent (von Mises) stress can be computed
selecting the Min/Max tab and completing the input area as follows:
Min/Max tab > Action: Select > Object: Face > Method: Grid > Input toggle
switch ON > Solution: SOL > Run: 1-8 > Function: Seq > Midsides: 15.
With the mouse click on the top face of the element in the fillet region where
the maximum stress is expected. > Click on Accept.
The equivalent stress is computed at (15+2)*(15+2) grid points over the ele-
ment face and the maximum value is S eq=11.92 MPa at p=8. FIGURE 115
shows the convergence of the maximum equivalent stress.

FIGURE 115 Convergence of the maximum von Mises stress.

Model problem: Plate in tension
Problem description
Consider a plate in tension with a reinforced circular hole which includes a fil-
let between the plate and the stiffening ring, as shown in FIGURE 116. The
material properties are that of a standard carbon steel ASTM A-36.
4 W
th
rf
L
h
a
B
FIGURE 116 Plate with reinforced hole in tension.
We are interested in creating a 3D description for this problem with all dimen-
sions given in parametric form. An outline of the steps for creating the geome-
try and finite element mesh, applying the load and enforcing the constraints is
described in the following.

Geometry and mesh There are seven geometric parameters necessary to describe the problem (a, B, h, L,
ro, th, W) and one loading parameter (S). To create the parameters for this problem,
select the Model Info icon from the Main Toolbar and when the dialog window
appears select the Parameters tab, complete the following information:
Name: a, Description: Hole diameter, Value: 1.0, Limit: >0.0, Class: General.
Name: B, Description: Stiffening ring diameter, Value: 2.0, Limit: >0.0, Class:
General.
Name: h, Description: Stiffening ring thickness, Value: 2.0, Limit: >0.0, Class:
General.
Name: L, Description: Plate length, Value: 8.0, Limit: >0.0, Class: General.
4
Name: rf, Description: Fillet radius, Value: 0.3, Limit: >0.0, Class: General.
Name: th, Description: Plate thickness, Value: 0.5, Limit: >0.0, Class: General.
Name: W, Description: Plate width, Value: 4.0, Limit: >0.0, Class: General.
Name: S, Description: Remote stress, Value: 1.0, Limit: >0.0, Class: B. Cond.
To protect mesh integrity it is necessary to enforce relationships among certain

parameters. To incorporate these requirements select the Rules tab and complete the
information as shown in FIGURE 117.
FIGURE 117 Relational Expressions for example problem.

Making use of symmetry (geometry and loading), it is possible to work with

only one-eighth of the problem (there are three planes of symmetry). This sym-
metry consideration will simplify model creation and reduce running time. To
produce the geometric description shown in FIGURE 118, create a body con-
sisting of a box and a hollow cylinder, and then blend the intersection edge to
create the fillet:
Geometry tab > Create > Box > Locate > Solid switch ON, Input switch ON
> X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: -th/2, width: L, height: W, depth: th, rot-X: 0.0, rot-Y:
0.0, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept.
Create > Cylinder > Locate > Solid switch ON, Input toggle switch ON > X:
0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: -h/2, radius: B/2, height: h, rot-X: 0.0, rot-Y: 0.0, rot-Z: 0.0 >
Accept.
4 Create > Cylinder > Locate > Solid switch ON, Input toggle switch ON > X:
0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: -h/2, radius: a/2, height: h, rot-X: 0.0, rot-Y: 0.0, rot-Z: 0.0 >
Accept.
Create > Body > Bool-Union. With the left mouse button, click on the first
cylinder and then on the box. Then click on Accept. The box and the larger
cylinder became a single body.
Create > Body > Bool-Subtract. With the left mouse button, click on the last
body created in the step above and then on the second cylinder, in that order.
Then click on Accept. A hole is inserted into the body.
Create > Blend Edge > Rolling Ball > Input toggle switch ON > radius: rf.
select the circular edge between the cylinder and the box (FIGURE 118a)
and then click on Accept. This only needs to be done on one side of the body
because we are applying symmetry conditions.
The next step is to create three planes to clip the solid such that only one eight
of the model remains:
Create > Plane > Locate > Input toggle switch ON > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0,
width: 1.5*L, height: 1.5*W, P1-min: -0.5, P1-max: 0.5, P2-min: -0.5, P2-
max: 0.5, rot-X: 0.0, rot-Y: 0.0, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept. The plane must be larger
than the body for the clipping operation.

Edge to blend Edge blend
(a) (b)
FIGURE 118 Geometry for model problem.
Create > Body > Clip-Back. With the left mouse button, click on the body and
then on the plane created in the step above, in that order. Half the solid is
removed (see FIGURE 119a and b).
We have to repeat two more times with two different planes:
Create > Plane > Locate > Input toggle switch ON > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, width:
1.5*L, height: 2*h, P1-min: -0.5, P1-max: 0.5, P2-min: -0.5, P2-max: 0.5, rot-X:
90.0, rot-Y: 0.0, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept.
Create > Body > Clip-Front. With the left mouse button, click on the body and
then on the plane created in the step above, in that order (see FIGURE 119c and
d).

(b)
4
(a)
Clipping plane
(d)
(c)
(e)
FIGURE 119 Solid clipping operations.
(f)

Create > Plane > Locate > Input toggle switch ON > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, width:
1.5*h, height: 1.5*W, P1-min: -0.5, P1-max: 0.5, P2-min: -0.5, P2-max: 0.5, rot-
X: 0.0, rot-Y: -90.0, rot-Z: 0.0 > Accept.
Create > Body > Clip-Front. With the left mouse button, click on the body and
then on the plane created in the step above, in that order (see FIGURE 119e and
f).
The geometric description is now complete. One possible discretization for the
solution domain defined above is shown in FIGURE 120. Before you start with
node creation, it is convenient to turn the display of surfaces off and turn them back
on when needed. The nodes and elements were created as follows:
Mesh tab > Create > Node > Point > Accept. A node will be created at each point
location. A total of 16 nodes (labeled A in FIGURE 120a) should be created by 4
attachment to the same number of points.
Create > Node > Mid-Offset. Click on two nodes on the fillet region and a node
will be created on the fillet. A total of 8 nodes (labeled B in FIGURE 120b)
should be created by this method.
Create > Node > Midpoint. Click on two nodes to create a node as a midpoint
between the selected nodes. A total of 2 nodes (labeled C in FIGURE 120c)
should be created by this method
Create > Node > Projection. Move the cursor to the display area and click on a
node and a curve/surface and a node will be created, on the curve/surface, at the
shortest distance from the selected node. Eight node were created by the method
projection (labeled D in FIGURE 120c). When projecting nodes to surfaces,
remember to turn on the Display Surfaces icon.
Node creation is now complete. The next step is to create the elements as shown in
FIGURE 121. A total of 9 hexahedral elements have been defined by selecting the
appropriate nodes in arbitrary order.
Load and Constraints Apply a parametric uniform traction to the right plane of the plate (make sure that
the Display Surfaces icon is on):
Load tab > Action: Select > Object: Any Surface > Method: Traction > ID:
LOAD > Direction: Norm./Tan. > Normal: S. Move the cursor to the display area
and click on the rightmost plane of the box, then click on the Accept button. A
distributed traction pointing in the direction of the outward normal will be dis-

A
A
A: Nodes to Points
B
A B: Mid-offset Nodes
A C: Midpoint Nodes
A
A D: Projection Nodes
(b)
A B
A A CC
4 (a)
D
A
FIGURE 120 Node location for model problem. D

(c)
D
played on the element faces attached to the plane. If you selected the wrong
plane, simply click again until the proper surface is highlighted.
Symmetry boundary conditions must be applied to the three planes of symme-

try. After selecting the Constraint tab in the input area, enter the following
information:
Constraint tab > Action: Select > Object: Any Surface > Method: Symmetry
> ID: CONST. Move the cursor to the display area and click on the three sur-
faces of the plate which lie on the planes of symmetry while holding down
the Shift key on your keyboard.

4
FIGURE 121 Finite element mesh for model problem.
The load and constraint symbols are shown in FIGURE 122. Complete the execu-
tion parameters as discussed before, and obtain a sequence of solutions from p=1 to
8.
FIGURE 122 Load and constraint symbols for model problem.
Note: This problem is available from the Tutorial Handbook: Doubler3D.sci. Refer
to the Users Guide to execute a problem from the Handbook library.

Extrusion
Extrusion
The Extrusion option in StressCheck provides a simple way to investigate the
effects of out-of-plane loads and constraints on bodies which are essentially
two-dimensional. Extrusion is applicable only for components that are defined
in the xy-plane (Planar reference) and have piecewise constant thickness. The
loads and constraints (symmetry, antisymmetry, built-in) are automatically
converted to their 3D equivalent when Extrusion is performed. Once a model
has been extruded, it is possible to add to or modify existing load and con-
straint records before executing the analysis.
Model Problem: Extruded Pipe Model

4 A thick-walled pipe of internal radius Ri = 0.5 inches and external radius Re =
2.0 inches, is subjected to a uniform internal pressure of Pi = 1000 psi. The
material properties are those of a nearly incompressible material: the Modulus
of elasticity is E = 30 x 106 psi and the Poissons ratio is v = 0.45. The objec-
tive of the analysis is to determine the maximum principal stress to within 5%
relative error.
AB: u n = T t = 0 (symmetry)
Y C
BC: T n = T t = 0 (stress free)
CD: u n = T t = 0 (symmetry)
DA: T t = 0, T n = -1000 psi

D
(internal pressure)
FIGURE 123 The solution domain A B X

and boundary conditions. Ri
Re
The model will be constructed as a two-dimensional elasticity problem, con-

sidering only a portion of the cross-section of the pipe and assuming plane-
strain conditions. One-eighth of the cross-section will be considered, and sym-
metry boundary conditions will be imposed on the two radial boundaries of the

Extrusion
sector (FIGURE 123). The boundary conditions are given with reference to the nor-
mal (n) and tangent (t) directions for each side. The positive normal is outward and
the positive tangent direction is counterclockwise. The symbols un, ut represent the
displacement vector components, Tn, Tt represent the traction vector components.
Geometry and mesh From the Reference and Theory selectors make sure the analysis is set to Planar
Elasticity, then select Edit: Input and Class: Geometry from the Main Menu Bar, or
click on the Create Model Icon to begin model construction (refer to FIGURE 124).
FIGURE 124 Pipe sector. Single

quadrilateral element.
Geometry tab > Create > Circle > Locate > Repeat # = 2 (turn Repeat switch ON
and then type 2 in the box) > Input toggle switch ON > X: 0.0 + 0.0, Y: 0.0 + 0.0,
Z: 0.0 + 0.0, radius: 0.5 + 1.5, P1_min: 0.0 + 0.0, P1-Max: 360.0 + 0.0, rot-Z: 0.0
+ 0.0 > Accept. From the Views Toolbar click on the Center Model icon. As a
result of this operation two circles of radii 0.5 and 2.0 are now displayed at the
center of the Main Window.
Create two lines of length 3.0, which are 45 deg. appart from each other and with
the origin at the same location as the center of the circles:
Geometry tab > Create > Line > Locate > Input toggle switch ON > Repeat #= 2,
X: 0.0 + 0.0, Y: 0.0 + 0.0, Z: 0.0 + 0.0, length: 3.0 + 0.0, angle: 0.0 + 45.0 >
Accept

Extrusion
Locate four nodes at the intersection of the lines and circles:
Mesh tab > Create > Node > Intersection. Select a circle and a line by posi-
tioning the mouse in the Model Window area and clicking on the bound-
aries close to the location of the node to be created. Repeat the operation four
times. After each selection, the symbol of a node (a small square) will be dis-
played at each location. You can create all intersection nodes in one opera-
tion by clicking on the Accept button instead of creating each node
manually.
Create a quadrilateral element by selecting the four nodes created in the previ-
ous step:
Create > Quadrilateral > Selection. Point and click to each one of the four
nodes in any order or use the marquee pick to group all four nodes by draw-
4 ing a box around them. A quadrilateral element will be displayed, as shown
in FIGURE 124. Note that the element has two curved sides. The program
recognizes that the nodes are related to the circles and automatically makes
the corresponding element edges curved. A reference grid of dashed lines
(element handles) is displayed over the element for purposes of visualization
only. If you wish to suppress the grid, go to the Display Options Toolbar and
turn off the Element Handles icon.
Thickness To assign a thickness to the element, select Class: Thickness or click on the
Thickness tab in the StressCheck Input dialog window. Supply the following
input:
Thickness tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Thickness: 1.0 >
Accept. A summary of the thickness assignment record is inserted in the
scrolling list box.
Materials The material properties module is handled in two parts: One is the definition of
the material properties and the other is the assignment of material properties to
the elements. Select the Material tab in the StressCheck Input dialog window
and select the following options:
Material tab > Define tab > ID: prop (Give a name that will identify the mate-
rial properties) > Option: Defined Mtrl. > Material: Linear > Type: Isotropic
> Units: U.S. > Fitting: No > Case: Pl. Strain (Plane-strain) > E: 3.0e7 (Mod-
ulus of elasticity), v: 0.45 (Poissons ratio), Dens.: 0.0 (Density. Not required
for this problem), a(th): 0.0 (Coefficient of thermal expansion. Not required

Extrusion
for this problem) > Click on the Accept button to complete the material definition
operation.
Note: A warning message will appear in the execution window saying that the con-
dition number of the material stiffness matrix is larger than 20. When you define
material properties, StressCheck automatically computes the smallest and largest
eigenvalues of the material stiffness matrix ( min and max , respectively). When
the condition number of the material stiffness matrix, that is, the ratio max / min , is
greater than 20 then a warning message appears in the execution window. The rea-
son for this is that the energy error and the root-mean-square error in stresses are
close only when max / min is not large. You may proceed with the analysis but
exercise care when computing stresses from the finite element solution. For further
information and an example see Section 11.4.2 of Ref. [3]
The assignment of the material properties to elements is performed by selecting the 4

following options:
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > ID: prop (the same name given in the
DEFINE action) > Click on the Accept button to complete the material assign-
ment operation.
The material definition and assignment are now complete. A summary of the mate-
rial record is inserted in the scrolling listbox in the Input Area.
Loads The next activity is to apply the uniform normal traction (pressure) to the inside
diameter of the tube. Select the Load tab from the StressCheck Input dialog win-
dow and supply the following information:
Load tab > Select > Any Curve > Traction > ID: LOAD (Any name can be used)
> Direction: Norm./Tan. > Normal: -1000.0 (turn the toggle switch ON and enter
the value). The negative sign indicates that the direction of the load is opposite to
the positive -outward- normal to the element. Move the cursor toward the Model
Window and select the inner circle (this is the boundary that you want the load
applied to). The program will find all elements that are bounded to the selected
curve, and the load will be associated with those elements. > Tangent: 0.0 (or dis-
abled) > Click on the Accept button to complete the operation. A summary of the
load record is inserted in the scrolling list box and the load symbols are displayed
as shown in FIGURE 125.
Constraints Symmetry boundary conditions must be applied to the edges of the sector. This
means that the normal displacement component should be set to zero. Select the

Extrusion
Constraint Tab from the StressCheck Input dialog window and complete as fol-
lows:
Constraint tab > Select > Any Curve > Method: Symmetry > ID: CONST.
Using the mouse, select the two straight lines on the model while holding
down the Shift key and then click on Accept. A summary of the constraint
record is inserted in the scrolling list box and the constraint symbols are dis-
played along the element sides as shown in FIGURE 125.
FIGURE 125 Model Window and Constraint Interface.
The next step is to select Extrude Elasticity from the Reference and Theory
Selectors. The program will convert the 2D problem into a 3D-solid problem,
as shown in FIGURE 126. Note that the original nodes that defined the 2D
quadrilateral element are the only ones visible. This is a reminder that we are
dealing with a solid created by extrusion.
Updating the model When extruding a 2D problem it is a good practice to carefully consider
whether the boundary conditions defined in 2D are complete in 3D or not. In
some cases they will be complete, but in general they will not. In this example,

Extrusion
FIGURE 126 Extruded pipe model.
we assumed plane-strain conditions in the 2D description. Therefore we need to

impose normal constraints on the front and back faces of the hexahedral element to
enforce the zero displacement in the z-direction. To do this, select the Constraint
tab from the Input dialog window and complete the input area as follows (FIGURE
127):
Constraint tab > Select > Face > Symmetry > ID: CONST (Same name as used
before in 2D). Select the two flat faces (back and front) of the hexahedral element
by clicking on the corresponding element handles while holding down the Shift
key, and then click on Accept. A summary of the new constraint record is added
to the scrolling list and the constraint symbols are displayed on the element faces.
Note that the original constraint information provided in 2D was automatically con-
verted to its 3D equivalent when the model was extruded. Also note that the new
constraints were attached to faces rather than surfaces because there are no surfaces
defined for this problem.

Extrusion
FIGURE 127 Constraints for the Extruded pipe problem.
Extrusion constraints
As explained above, when extruding a 2D model it is necessary to check if the
constraints are sufficient or not. The following cases illustrate additional model
constraints that are required when certain 2D models are extruded. The four
cases below illustrate the rules to convert 2D nodal constraints, and to specify
constraints on the extrusion side.
Double symmetry FIGURE 128 shows how double symmetry constraint applied in 2D should be
complemented with a single nodal constraint in the Z-direction in 3D applica-
tions.
Single symmetry FIGURE 129 shows how single symmetry plus a nodal constraint applied in
2D should be complemented in 3D applications by the addition of two more
nodal constraints in the Y and Z-directions.

Extrusion
(b)
(a)
1 addition
symmetry Uz=0
(one node)
FIGURE 128 Double symmetry: (a) planar - (b) extrude.
(b)
2 additions
(a)
symmetry
Uy=0
(two nodes)
node constraint
Uy=0
FIGURE 129 Single symmetry: (a) planar - (b) extrude.

Uz=0
(one node)
Symmetry-antisymmetry FIGURE 130 shows how symmetry, antisymmetry and nodal constraints applied in
2D should be complemented in 3D applications by adding one nodal constraint in
the Y-direction.
Double antisymmetry FIGURE 131 shows how double antisymmetry plus a nodal constraint applied in
2D should be complemented by adding one nodal constraint in the Y-direction and
one in the Z-direction.
Solution ID Select the Solution ID tab from the StressCheck Input dialog window and supply

Extrusion
(b)
(a)
symmetry
1 addition
Uy=0
nodal constraint (two nodes)
Uy=0
antisymmetry
FIGURE 130 Symmetry and antisymmetry: (a) planar -

(b) extrude.
(a) (b)
antisymmetry
no change
nodal constraint
Uy=0
FIGURE 131 Double antisymmetry: (a) planar -

(b) extrude. Uy=0
(one node)
Solution ID tab > Solutions tab > Solution ID: SOL > Constraint ID: CONST
> Load ID: LOAD > Click on the Accept button.
By this action a unique solution name (SOL) has been assigned to the con-
straint (CONST) and load (LOAD) name pair created previously.
Execution You are now ready to start the computation. Click on the Compute Solution
icon from the Main Toolbar and when the Solution dialog window appears
select the Linear tab and complete the requested information as done before:

Thin Solids
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits: 1 to: 8.
Convergence: None. Next, click on the Solve button. A sequence of solutions of
increasing polynomial order (from p=1 to p=8) will be obtained.
Extraction of results The procedures for estimating the error in energy norm, plotting the data of interest,
etc., are the same as those described for the 3D analysis. Following the same steps,
the results shown in FIGURE 132 will be obtained.
Note about thickness It is possible to have piecewise thickness assignments in 2D and then extrude. The
program takes care of the thickness transition automatically. The only consideration
is that the stresses in the transition region should be interpreted in an average sense.
In reality, if a sharp transition exists in 3D, then the stresses in that region would be
4
unbounded. In the extrusion these stresses are finite, however. The smoothening is
performed in an integral sense, so that the sharp transition does not exist when
extruding. Numerical testing on the effect of thickness transitions in extrusion indi-
cated that the stresses away from the transition are very close to the stresses
obtained solving a 3D-solid (non-extruded) model.
Summary As demonstrated by this very simple example problem, the Extrusion option can be
used for any problem defined in the 2D reference system. Once the model is
extruded, the loads and constraints can be edited before executing the analysis.
Care must be exercised in ensuring that the three-dimensional body is properly con-
strained. For example, if in the pipe problem we did not enforce the plane-strain
condition, then a rigid body translation along the z-axis would have been possible.
To prevent rigid body displacement, it would have been necessary to specify a
nodal constraint in the z-direction (any node can be constrained).
Thin Solids
Thin solid elements are formulated into StressCheck to allow independent control
of the p-discretization in the transverse (thickness) and in-plane directions. This
allows substantial savings in computational time, without compromising the quality
and accuracy of solution, when laminated composites are modeled.
Two types of thin solids elements are available: Hexahedral and pentahedral ele-
ments. In the case of hexahedral elements, any of the three possible directions can

Thin Solids
FIGURE 132 Results for the

Extrusion.
be selected to represent the thin direction. In the case of pentahedral ele-

ments, only the direction connecting the triangular faces can be declared as the
thin direction.
Degrees of freedom The number of degrees of freedom associated with a thin solid element
depends on the polynomial order in the in-plane uv-direction (p-level) and on
the polynomial order in the thin w-direction (q-level). For q = p the element is

Thin Solids
a regular solid, and for q fixed and p variable the element is a thin solid. The num-
ber of degrees of freedom (DOF) equals the number of shape functions per field (n)
multiplied by the number of fields (3 in three-dimensions): DOF = 3n. The number
of degrees of freedom for different p-levels and values of q is shown in Table 4 for
the trunk and product spaces of thin hexahedra and for the trunk space of pentahe-
dral elements.
Table 4: Number of Degrees of Freedom (DOF) for thin solid elements

DOF for thin solids
p-level Hexahedra Pentahedra
Trunk Space Product Space Trunk Space
4
q=p q=1 q=2 q=p q=1 q=2 q=p q=1 q=2
1 24 24 36 24 24 36 18 18 27
2 60 48 60 81 54 81 45 36 45
3 96 72 84 192 96 144 78 60 69
4 150 102 126 375 150 225 126 90 108
5 222 138 174 648 216 324 192 126 156
6 315 180 231 1029 294 441 279 168 213
7 432 228 297 1536 384 576 390 216 279
8 576 282 372 2187 486 729 528 270 354
q-discretization Any fixed value of q between 1 and 8 can be assigned to a thin-solid element. The
thin direction is determined based on the input provided by the user in the p-dis-
cretization interface. By selecting the face of an element, the thin direction is under-
stood to be in the direction normal to the selected face. This is illustrated FIGURE
133 which shows the setting of the p-discretization interface and the element faces
selected to indicate the thin-direction. In this example, the q-level was fixed at 1 in
the direction perpendicular to the selected faces.
Multiple p-discretization assignments are possible for a given problem. Some ele-
ments may be assigned a value of q=1, others a different value of q, and still others
be treated as regular solids. The rule is based on the object selection in the p-dis-
cretization interface. The default record is an ALL record, in other words all the

Thin Solids
FIGURE 133 p-Discretization interface to assign q-level to thin solids.
elements in the mesh are assigned p=1 variable (regular solid). If a SET record
is added, the new record will apply to the selected elements, and anything not
included in the SET record will be controlled by the ALL record.
For example, consider the problem shown in FIGURE 134 that represents a
sector of a pipe composed of six thin plies, three at each side of a thicker core.
The p-discretization interface contains 3 records: One ALL record and two
SET records. Note that one set record applies to the three plies above the core
and the other record to the three plies below the core. No SET record is avail-
able for the element of the core, therefore the ALL record applies to it.
When using the Select/Face or Select/Face Surface, there is a new checkbox

called Multi-layer. If checked, then StressCheck automatically selects the
corresponding face of every element that is connected in attached layers. If a
blank element is encountered, the propagation will be interrumped. NOTE:

Thin Solids
FIGURE 134 Multiple p and q-discretization records for the same problem.
There can be unintended consequences when multi-layer face propagation is per-

formed in a curved area, because the propagation may not be appropriate.
Example Laminated strip under sinusoidal load: Consider a 16-ply [4(0/90)]S simply sup-
ported (a/h=20) laminated composite under plane strain conditions subjected to a
sinusoidal traction as shown in FIGURE 135. Each ply is of the same material and
thickness (t=0.0625 mm) with the following properties:
EL = 1.38x105 MPa, ET = 9.3x105 MPa, GLT = 4.6x105 MPa, GTT = 3.1x105 MPa
LT = 0.3, TT = 0.5
where L indicates the direction parallel to the fibers and T is the transverse direc-
tion.

Thin Solids
FIGURE 135 Laminated strip under sinusoidal traction. Notation.
Because of symmetry, only half of the beam was considered for the analysis.
The mesh shown in FIGURE 136 consists of 16 extruded quadrilateral ele-
4 ments, one for each ply.
FIGURE 136 Laminated strip: Mesh and boundary conditions.
Plane strain conditions were enforced in 3D by prescribing zero normal dis-

placements to the front and back faces of the 5-units deep strip (FIGURE 137).
Half of the load was applied to the top surface and the other half to the bottom
surface to preserve the anti-symmetry conditions. The 2D problem description
can be loaded from the Tutorial Handbook: BeamLaminate.sci. After loading
the problem, extrude it, add the constraints in the Z-direction to simulate plane-
strain conditions and then specify the q-level to the elements as described
before.

Thin Solids
FIGURE 137 Laminated strip mesh. 3D view.
This problem represents an infinite strip under sinusoidal normal traction and there-
fore it is free from any boundary layer effects. The solution is first obtained when
each element is considered as a regular solid and uniform p-extension is used. The
results are then compared with those corresponding to a uniform p-extension using
thin solids with q=1, q=2 and q=3. In all cases the direct solver option in the Stress-
Check solve interface was used and the results include:
The estimated relative error in energy norm.
The convergence of the vertical displacement Uy at x=0 as a function of the
number of degrees of freedom (DOF).
The contour plot corresponding to the normal stress x displayed over the
deformed shape.
The through-thickness normal stress distribution x along one edge on the
symmetry face (x=0 in FIGURE 136).
The through-thickness shear stress distribution xy along one edge on the
anti-symmetry face (x=a/2 in FIGURE 136).
The results are shown in FIGURE 138 for the solution corresponding to regular sol-
ids. FIGURE 139 shows the results for the thin solid with q=1, q=2 and q=3.

Thin Solids
FIGURE 138 Laminated strip. Results for regular solids (q=p).

Thin Solids
FIGURE 139 Laminated strip.

Results for thin solids.

Thin Solids
The results clearly show the ability of the thin solids to approximate the three-
dimensional problem as the q-level is increased. The global behavior (energy,
deflection) of the laminated strip and the local behavior (in-plane normal stress
x) is well represented by the thin solids with q=1. Note, however, that the
transverse shear stress is not represented well by the q=1 model, except in the
average sense. For the case q=1, the shear stress distribution is piecewise con-
stant. This is because the approximation of the displacement in the transverse
direction is linear, and therefore the transverse shear strain is constant within
each layer. Because the material properties change at the interface between
plies, the shear stress distribution is piecewise constant. For the cases q=2 and
q=3, the shear stress distribution is practically identical to the one obtained for
the regular solids.
Table 5 presents a summary of the results for p=8. The first column shows the
4 model order as determined by the q-level. The last entry in the column corre-
sponds to the regular solid. The second column shows the corresponding
degrees of freedom (DOF) while the third column is the total potential energy
of the solution. The fourth column shows the vertical deflection at the center of
the strip Uy(0,-h/2,0) and the fifth column is the normal stress x(0,-h/2,0) at
the bottom surface in the symmetry plane.
Table 5: Results for laminated strip at p=8
Model DOF Potential Uy(0,-h/2,0) x(0,-h/2,0)

Energy
q=1 1666 -3.010570 -0.24085 394.6
q=2 2578 -3.011574 -0.24093 394.2
q=3 3234 -3.011574 -0.24093 394.2
p=q 4274 -3.011574 -0.24093 394.2
Selecting the q-level The minimum q-level that should be assigned to a thin solid is problem-depen-
dent. It depends on the topology, type of loading and the goals of the computa-
tion. It is recommended that for every new class of problem being considered,
a q-extension be performed to ascertain that proper convergence is achieved. In
other words, run a p-extension for a fixed q-level and repeat for a different q-
level. Check the sensitivity of the results to increasing values of the q-level.
The following guidelines are intended to provide some a-priori information in

selecting the proper q-level:
For membrane dominated problems q=1 is typically sufficient.

Post-processing
For bending dominated problems q=2 or 3 may be required depending on

the type of problem. For laminated composites where several plies are
explicitly included in the mesh, q=1 is sufficient if details of the transverse
stress distribution are not of interest. Otherwise, q greater or equal to 2
should be used.
Post-processing
In StressCheck Version 6.0, the post-processing windows Plot, Min/Max and Points
let you select either total or mechanical strains for extraction. This feature is imple-
mented for 2D plane-strain, extrusion and 3D-elasticity solutions, both linear and
nonlinear. Additionally, all six components of stress/strain can be output in the lam- 4
ina (material) coordinate system for both flat and cylindrical elements when lami-
nate composites are used. Also the generalization of the stress/strain extraction with
user-defined coordinate systems, includes general user-defined Cartesian or cylin-
drical coordinate systems that can have any arbitrary rotation in 3D space.
Total/mechanical strains
By definition, the mechanical strain tensor in the global coordinate system is com-
puted as the difference between the total strain tensor and the thermal strain tensor:
( total ) ( therm )
{ } ( mech ) = { } { }

Post-processing
In StressCheck, the total strains are computed in the global system as the deriv-
atives of the global components of the displacement vector (ux, uy, uz):

0 0
x
( total )

x 0 0
y
y
ux
z 0 0
{}
( total )
= z
= uy
xy
0
y x uz
yz

zx 0
z y
4
0
z x
The thermal strains are computed based on the coefficients of thermal expan-
sion (CTE) given in the material directions and the specified thermal loading.
In the global coordinate system, the thermal strain tensor is computed as:
( therm )
x xx

y yy

( therm ) z zz
{} = = T
xy xy

yz yz
zx zx

where T is the temperature change, and the ij are the transformed CTEs after
rotation from the material directions into the global coordinate system. For iso-
tropic materials, the CTEs are constant, so no transformation is needed. For
orthotropic, transversely isotropic or laminate materials, the CTEs are rotated
applying the same transformation rules used for strains (see for example,
Experimental Stress Analysis by J.W.Dally and W.F.Riley, 2nd Edition, Sec-
tion 2.3).

Post-processing
A toggle switch in the Plot, Min/Max and Points interface of StressCheck allows
the user to select if the requested strain for output is total (Et) or mechanical (Em).
FIGURE 140 shows the Plot interfaces in the default condition (total strains) and
after the toggle switch is selected (mechanical strain).
FIGURE 140 Update of Plot interface to extract total/mechanical strains.
The mechanical strains can be computed in the global system, in any local (Carte-
sian or Cylindrical) system and in the material principal directions. If a principal
strain is requested and the mechanical strain switch is on, then the program first
computes the mechanical strain tensor in the global system and then solves for the
corresponding principal strain as described in page 35.
As an example of the implementation, consider a rectangular strip (2 units long,

0.25 unites high and 1 unit deep) under plane strain conditions subjected to a uni-
form temperature change (T = -415o). The following properties are considered in
the material directions:

Post-processing
E11 = 23.5106, E22 = E33=1.5106, G12 = G13 = 0.88106, G23 = 0.58106
12 =23 = 13 = 0.3, 11 = 410-7, 22 = 33 = 210-5.
As shown in FIGURE 141, the material 1-axis is aligned with the global X-
axis, while the material axes 2 and 3 are aligned with the global axes Z and Y,
respectively. Also shown in the figure are the relations of the CTEs and Pois-
sons ratio between the two systems. Plane-strain conditions are enforced by
setting to zero the normal displacement on the faces perpendicular to the Z-
axis.
FIGURE 141 Strip with uniform T.

Post-processing
The exact values of the total and mechanical strains for this problem are:
total 4
x = ( x + z zx ) T = 3.249 10
mech total 4
x = x x T = 1.589 10
total 2
y = ( y + z zy ) T = 1.079 10
mech total 3
y = y y T = 2.490 10
total
z = 0
4
mech total 3
z = z z T = 8.3 10
This problem was meshed using two pentahedra and one hexahedral element, and it
can be loaded from the Tutorial Handbook: StrainTM.sci. A single solution for p=1
is sufficient in this case because the strains are constant. The deformed configura-
tion is shown in FIGURE 142. As expected, the contraction in the X-direction is
FIGURE 142 Deformed and undeformed configuration for the strip.
much smaller than in the Y-direction and the contraction in the Z-direction is pre-
vented by the normal constraints.

Post-processing
Finally, FIGURE 143 shows the total and mechanical strains at a point as com-
puted by StressCheck. The results are identical to the exact values shown
above.
TOTAL STRAINS
4 MECHANICAL STRAINS
FIGURE 143 Total and mechanical strains at a point.
Stress/strains in material directions
All six components of stress/strain can be output in the lamina (material) coor-
dinate system for both flat and cylindrical elements when laminate or orthotro-
pic material properties are specified.
Laminate in Cartesian For the case of laminate properties in Cartesian systems (flat laminates), con-
sider the three coordinate systems indicated in FIGURE 144: The XYZ-global
system, the xyz-local Cartesian system where the laminated properties are
defined, and the 123-material system. The orientation of the local system rela-
tive to the global system is arbitrary, and the material 3-axis is always in the
direction of the local z-axis. The following steps are involved in computing the
stress/strain in the material directions:
1 - Compute all six stress/strain components in the global directions XYZ. This
is required because StressCheck solves the problem in global coordinates, and

Post-processing
4
FIGURE 144 Global, local and material coordinates for flat laminates.
therefore the displacement vector and the material properties are available in the
global system.
2 - Compute all six stress/strain components in the xyz-system by rotating the glo-
bal components using the direction cosine matrix of the local system.
{ } xyz = [ T ] { } XYZ
{ } xyz = [ T ] { } XYZ
T
{ } = { x y z xy yz zx }
T
{ } = { x y z xy yz zx }
EQ 1
The transformation matrices are given by:

Post-processing
2 2 2
l1 l2 l3 l1 l 2 l 2 l3 l3 l 1
2 2 2
m1 m2 m3 m1 m 2 m2 m3 m3 m 1
2 2 2
[ T ] = n1 n2 n3 n1 n 2 n2 n3 n3 n1
2l 1 m 1 2l 2 m 2 2l 3 m 3 l 1 m 2 + m 1 l 2 l 2 m 3 + m 2 l 3 l 3 m 1 + m 3 l 1
2m 1 n 1 2m 2 n 2 2m 3 n 3 m 1 n 2 + n 1 m 2 m 2 n 3 + n 2 m 3 m 3 n 1 + n 3 m 1
2n 1 l 1 2n 2 l 2 2n 3 l 3 n 1 l2 + l 1 n2 n2 l3 + l2 n3 n 3 l1 + l3 n1
2 2 2
l1 l2 l3 2l 1 l 2 2l 2 l 3 2l 3 l 1
2 2 2
m1 m2 m3 2m 1 m 2 2m 2 m 3 2m 3 m 1
4
2 2 2
[ T ] = n1 n2 n3 2n 1 n 2 2n 2 n 3 2n 3 n 1
l1 m 1 l2 m2 l3 m 3 l1 m 2 + m 1 l2 l 2 m3 + m2 l3 l3 m 1 + m 3 l1
m1 n 1 m 2 n2 m3 n 3 m 1 n 2 + n 1 m2 m2 n 3 + n 2 m3 m 3 n 1 + n 3 m1
n1 l1 n2 l2 n3 l 3 n1 l2 + l1 n2 n2 l3 + l2 n3 n 3 l 1 + l 3 n1
EQ 2
x l 1 l2 l3 X

y = [ R ] { X } = m 1 m 2 m 3 Y EQ 3

z n 1 n2 n 3 Z
In Eq.3, [R] is the direction cosine matrix of the local system relative to the
global coordinate system.

Post-processing
3 - Compute the stress/strain components in the material system by rotating the xyz-
components about the z-axis. Referring to FIGURE 144 and the transformation
equations of step 2, we have:
11 x

22 y

33 z
{ } 123 = = [ T ]
12 xy

23 yz

31 zx
xyz
11 x 4

22 y

33 z
{ } 123 = = [ T ]
12 xy

23 yz
31 zx
xyz
In this case, the rotation matrix [R] is given by:
cos sin 0
[ R ] = sin cos 0 EQ 4
0 0 1
These transformations are applicable for 2D and 3D. For the case of 2D-plane
strain, the global stress components yz and zx are set to zero before the transfor-
mation into the local system is performed. Similarly, the global strain components
z=yz=zx=0 for plane-strain.
Laminate cylindrical For the case of laminate properties in cylindrical systems, similar transformations
are performed. Referring to FIGURE 145, the following operations are performed
to determine the stress/strain in the material directions:
1 - Compute all six stress/strain components in the global directions XYZ.

Post-processing
FIGURE 145 Notation for coordinate system tranformation.
2 - Compute all six stress/strain Cartesian components in the xyz-system by

rotating the global components using the direction cosine matrix of the local
system according to Eq.1 to Eq.3.
3 - Compute the angular position of the extraction point in the cylindrical

system, and rotate the Cartesian stress/strain tensor according to the following
expressions:
r r

z z
{ } rz = = [ T ] { } xyz { } rz = = [ T ] { } xyz
r r
z z
zr zr
[T] and [T] are given by Eq.2 and the rotation matrix is the same as Eq.4.

Post-processing
4 - Compute the stress/strain components in the material system by rotating the

cylindrical components through an angle :
11 11
22 22
33 33
{ } 123 = = [ T ] { } rz { } 123 = = [ T ] { } rz
12 12
23 23
31 31
[T] and [T] are again given by Eq.2, and the rotation matrix is:
4
0 cos sin
[ R ] = 0 sin cos
1 0 0
To have access to the computation of the stress/strain in the material directions, a

new system type option was added to the post-processing windows of the user
interface. As shown in FIGURE 146 for the case of the Plot interface, the option
Material is available in the system combo box.
The same system option is available in the Points and Min/Max interfaces. Note
that the labels for the strain/stress components are unchanged when the Material
option is selected. The interpretation is based on the transformation equations pre-
sented above. Table 6 summarizes the interpretation of the StressCheck functions
based on the system selection.
Table 6: StressCheck functions for different reference systems.

StressCheck Function Global/Local Cartesian Local Cylindrical Material Direction
Sx / Ex x / x r / r 11 / 11
Sy / Ey y / y / 22 / 22
Sz / Ez z / z z / z 33 / 33
Txy / Gxy xy / xy r / r 12 / 12
Tyz / Gyz yz / yz z / z 23 / 23
Txz / Gxz xz / xz rz / rz 31 / 31

Post-processing
FIGURE 146 Plot interface with

the material system option.
Note: For formula extraction, the System Option in the Formula form controls
the interpretation of the system type in the Plot interface.
Additional post-processing features
Several additional enhancements were implemented to the post-processing

capabilities of StressCheck V6. These include:
1 - Added new functionality in the Min/Max extraction interface:

Extraction along any curve or surface. Previously, only elements or
element edges/faces could be selected for Min/Max extraction. By
selecting the object Any Boundary in the Min/Max interface, any curve
or surface can be selected and the min/max of the required functional
will be determined on that boundary.
If an element is selected and the analysis reference is Extrusion, then it
is now possible to perform the extraction on any plane parallel to the
XY-plane. The location of the plane is controlled by the input in the Z-

Post-processing
plane field. The value of the Z-plane can be any number between 1.0 and
1.0, with Z-plane=0 representing the mid-plane of the extrusion.
If an element edge is selected and the analysis reference is Extrusion, then
it is possible to interpret the extraction to indicate the position of the edge
in any plane parallel to the XY-plane. This feature allows defining the
extraction procedure in 2D, and then interpreting the extraction as if the
edge is located in an arbitrary plane (defined by the Z-plane input field)
when the model is extruded.
2 - Added new functionality in the Point extraction interface. If an element edge is

selected and the analysis reference is Extrusion, then it is now possible to interpret
the extraction to indicate the position of the edge in any plane parallel to the XY-
plane. As in the case of the Min/Max extraction, this feature allows defining the
extraction procedure in 2D, and then interpreting the extraction as if the edge is
located in an arbitrary plane (defined by the Z-plane input field) when the model is
4
extruded.
3 - The Handbook interface was modified to include a combo box that list all the
available saved setting for plotting, so that the handbook user can select from the
list. Previously, the user had to click on the Plot button as many times as there were
saved settings to display the results, with no possibility of changing the order in
which the results were presented.

Post-processing

5 Modal and Buckling
Analyses
This chapter contains a description of the procedures used in executing a Modal Analysis and bifurca-
tion (eigenvalue) Buckling Analysis. The goal of a Modal Analysis is to find the natural frequencies and 5
mode shapes. StressCheck provides a capability for taking into account the effects of initial stresses on
the computed natural frequencies. The goal of a Buckling Analysis is to find the load factor correspond-
ing to a given loading condition, and the corresponding buckling shapes. These two types of analyses
are discussed together because the problem setup and post-solution procedures are almost identical.
Modal Analysis is available for planar, plate bending and three-dimensional problems; while Buckling
Analysis is available only for three-dimensional problems.
It is recommended that you become familiar with the Planar Elasticity, Plate Bending and 3D-Elasticity
chapters before performing Modal or Buckling Analysis.
Input data preparation

Preparation of the input data consists of the following steps:
Opening a database
Description of the solution domain
Specification of material properties. Make sure that you provide the spe-
cific density (mass per unit volume) for the material
Analysis Guide Chapter 5: Modal and Buckling Analyses 215

Specification of loading conditions (Modal Analysis without pre-stress

does not require load specification)
Specification of constraints
Association of a solution name with a constraint name and load name
(buckling only)
Specification of the discretization parameters
Recommended p-levels
Modal and Bifurcation Buckling Analyses are applicable to beams, plates,
shells and similar three-dimensional bodies. In general, when one dimension of
a body is much smaller than the others, locking will occur at low p-levels. It is
recommended therefore that p-levels should range from not less than p=3 to at
least p=6.
Vibration under pre-stress

Modal Analysis is used for the computation of the frequencies and associated
5 mode shapes at which a linear elastic body will tend to vibrate once it was set
into motion in the absence of external loading. Therefore specification of load-
ing is not required for a standard Modal Analysis. However, in many practical
problems the natural frequency is influenced by the existence of pre-stress. For
example, a rotating helicopter blade vibrates at a higher frequency than a sta-
tionary one. StressCheck has the capability to account for the effect of pre-
stress. If this option is used then StressCheck first solves the linear problem,
then, utilizing the linear solution, computes the geometric stiffness matrix,
which modifies the elastic stiffness matrix for the eigenvalue computation. The
pre-stress option is available only for three dimensional problems, including
extruded problems.
Units
The units for the material properties should be given in a consistent set. For
example, if using US units, the force is given in pound force (lbf), the time in
seconds (sec), the length in inches (in), the pressure or stress in lbf/in2 (psi), the
mass in lbf/g (lbf-sec2/in), and the specific density in lbf/g-in3 (lbf-sec2/in4),
where g is the gravitational acceleration (g=386.1 in/sec2). Using SI units, the
force is given in Newtons (N), the mass in kilograms (kg), the time in seconds
216 Chapter 5: Modal and Buckling Analyses Analysis Guide

Modal analysis
(sec), the length in meters (m), the pressure or stress in N/m2 (Pa), and the density
in kilogram per cubic meter (kg/m3). For both the US and SI units, the natural fre-
quencies are reported in cycles per second (Hz) and in radians per second. If you
chose a time unit other than seconds, the results should be interpreted as cycles per
unit time or radians per unit time.
For Modal Analysis, when the modulus of elasticity is given in MPa (N/mm2), then
the density should be given in Ns2/mm4. This change is necessary because:
2 2
kg Ns 12 Ns
- = 10 ----------4- .
1 -----3- = 1 --------
4
m m mm
Consider, for example, an aluminum alloy. If the modulus of elasticity is E=75200

MPa, then the density should be =2800 10-12 Ns2/mm4. In the list of standard
materials provided with StressCheck, these are the units used for E and .
Modal analysis 5
Consider the square plate with the square opening shown in FIGURE 147. Of inter-
est is the computation of the natural frequencies and mode shapes.
FIGURE 147 Square plate with square opening.

Modal analysis
FIGURE 147 shows the solution domain consisting of a square plate of length
a=10.0 inches with a centered square opening of size b=5.0 inches and a thick-
ness h=0.10 inches. All four sides of the plate are soft simply supported (Uz=0)
and the material properties are those of an ASTM-A36 carbon steel (E=29.5
x106 psi, v=0.295, =7.36 x 10-4 lbf-sec2/in4).
After opening a new database, from the Reference and Theory Selectors
change the default analysis to Plate Elasticity. Create the finite element mesh
for the full plate. The use of symmetry conditions is not recommended for
Modal Analysis because symmetric structures have non-symmetric modes of
vibration. Assign constant thickness to all elements. Select ASTM A-36 from
the list of standard materials (set the shear factor to Energy) and assign that
material to all elements. Specify soft-simple support conditions to all external
boundaries of the plate. The eight-element mesh for this problem is shown in
FIGURE 148. In general, it is not necessary to grade the mesh in the vicinity of
sharp corners when only the lowest natural frequencies and mode shapes are of
interest.
FIGURE 148 Mesh and constraints for example problem.
You can load this problem from the Tutorial Handbook. Activate the Hand-
book Analysis interface by choosing the Handbook Library icon from the Main
Toolbar. When the Handbook interface appears, click on the Browser icon of
the Model Info tab to access the Model Browser. Choose the Tutorial Hand-

Modal analysis
book, and double click on the file blevins11-8-2.sci. The problem will be loaded
into StressCheck. Refer to the Users Guide for more information about the Hand-
book interface.
Executing a Modal Analysis

To execute a Modal Analysis, select the Compute Solution icon from the Main
Toolbar and when the Solver dialog window appears select the Modal tab. The
Modal Analysis input area shown in FIGURE 149 will appear. The available
options are as follows:
FIGURE 149 Modal Analysis input area for Plate Bending.
Extension: the options in Modal Analysis are Upward-p, Downward-p, and Uni-
form-h. These options are described in Chapter 1.
Type: Two output options are available: Frequencies only or Frequencies and
modes. Frequencies only means that the natural frequencies will be computed
and stored but not the mode shapes. Frequencies and modes means that the natu-
ral frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes will be computed and stored.
The second option requires more CPU time than the first.

Modal analysis
p-limits: Select a range, such as 3 to 6. If you have just created a problem then
it is good practice to select (say) p=1 to 3. This will run quickly and if there is
any problem with the input data then appropriate error messages will appear.
Remember that you need a range of at least three solutions to be able to obtain
an error estimate based on p-extension.
Frequency: Two options are available: Range and Interval. Range means
that the requested output will be computed from the frequency number i to the
frequency number j, where i and j are selected in the Frequency numbers
fields. Interval means that the requested output will be computed for all fre-
quency values greater than or equal to the lower limit (in Hz) specified in the
first Frequency values field and less than or equal to the upper limit specified
in the second Frequency values field.
Pre-stress: StressCheck has the capability to take into account the effect of
pre-stress on the natural frequency of vibration. To exercise this option you
must be performing a three-dimensional analysis and the body must be prop-
erly loaded and constrained. StressCheck will compute the stresses and make
the appropriate corrections to the stiffness matrix.
Next select the SOLVE! tab and the following options will be available:
5
Execute: The options are Initialize and Restart. Initialize means that the
sequence will be computed from the first p-limit or, in the case of h-extensions,
from the current mesh to the number of refinements specified by the Run Limit
entry. Restart is used when a sequence of p-levels has been computed and
you wish to compute higher p-levels (if running Upward), or lower p-levels (if
running Downward), retaining the computed data. In this case simply increase
the upper (or lower) p-limit to its desired value and select Restart.
Run Mode: The options are Automatic and Stepwise. You may execute an
Automatic sequence of solutions for the extension and limits selected. Alterna-
tively, you may execute Stepwise, requiring you to click on the Solve button
following the solution for each p-level or h-refinement.
Method: The options are Iterative or Direct. Iterative means that the Itera-
tive Solver (default) is used. Direct means that the Direct Solver is used.
Converge: This option is not available for modal analysis.
Display: StressCheck will allow you to monitor one of the following while the
solution proceeds:

Modal analysis
- The Sequence switch is used to monitor the progress of the solution. The elements
are highlighted when they are processed into the solver.
- Engineering results may be monitored by using the layout switch to activate the
Results layout. Select the desired Output controls in the Results class of interest
before activating the solution.
Monitoring result functions is useful in the case of large problems where sequential
analysis executed stepwise is employed. The monitored data provide information
on the basis of which you can decide whether to stop or continue the extension pro-
cess. For small problems full p-extension should be performed.
Example Let us execute a Modal Analysis for the plate problem described above. Consider-
ing downward p-extension, enter the following information in the Solver dialog
window:
Modal tab > Extension: Downward-p > Type: Frequencies and modes > p-limits:
8 to 1 > Frequency: Range > Frequency numbers: 1 to 5.
Next, choose the SOLVE! tab to get the solution. Complete the following informa-
tion: 5
Click on the Solve button.
The top portion of the Modal dialog window displays the status of the execution.
The message bar located on the main window displays which operation is being
performed for each run.
Note: If Modal Analysis is performed after a linear analysis, both sets of solution
records will be available in the database. The Initialize option in the Modal Solver
deletes only the records of existing modal solutions, while the same option in the
Linear Solver deletes ALL existing records. Therefore, if a linear analysis is per-
formed after a Modal Analysis has been executed, all solution records for the
Modal Analysis will be lost.
Post-solution operations
There are two basic post-solution operations which are relevant for modal analysis:
Frequency convergence and display of the mode shapes. The frequency conver-
gence is performed under the Error tab in the Results dialog window, while the dis-

Modal analysis
play of the deformed shapes is done under the Plot option as explained in the
following.
Frequency convergence From the Main Menu Bar select the View Results icon and when the Results
dialog window appears select the Error tab (FIGURE 150). To obtain an error
estimate, there must be at least three runs in a sequence. The available solution
names and run numbers are displayed in the scrolling list. The solution corre-
sponding to each eigenpair (frequency and mode shape) is identified by the
name provided in the Solution ID class followed by an underscore (_) and a
number. For example, referring to FIGURE 150, the solution corresponding to
the first eigenpair is labeled SOL_00001.
FIGURE 150 Input area for error estimation.
To check the convergence of the first two natural frequencies for the plate
problem, complete the Error estimation input area for each solution and click
on the Accept button. The estimated error for the first natural frequency is plot-
ted in FIGURE 151 as a function of the number of degrees of freedom (DOF).
FIGURE 152 shows the tabular results for the first two natural frequencies.

Modal analysis
FIGURE 151 Convergence of first natural frequency on log-log scale.
FIGURE 152 Convergence of first two natural frequencies.

Modal analysis
Plotting of mode shapes To obtain a deformed configuration, select the Plot tab from the Results dialog
window (FIGURE 153). To display the mode shape associated with a given
frequency, select the corresponding solution name and run number, select
Shape: Deformed and then click on the Plot button.
FIGURE 153 Mode shapes corresponding to the first natural frequency.
For the first natural frequency complete the Plot option input area as follows
(options other than defaults are indicated):
Plot tab > Select > All Elements > Solution: SOL_00001 > Run: 1 > Plot:
Solution > Shape: Deform > Midsides: 2 > Click on the Plot button.
To visualize the mode shape of the first natural frequency of the problem, you
need to rotate the model. Use the Views Toolbar to rotate the model until you
get the desired view (see FIGURE 153).

Modal analysis for beams
The main window has a legend that includes the solution ID, the run number, the
degrees of freedom, the natural frequency, the mode shape number, and the maxi-
mum and minimum values of the displayed function. The maximum and minimum
values have only relative significance, since mode shapes are known only up to an
arbitrary multiplier.
Note: StressCheck computes repeated eigenvalues. If you plot the second and third
mode shapes for this problem, both have the same, or very nearly the same, natural
frequency but different mode shapes.

Consider the pinned-pinned multispan continuous beam with pinned intermediate
supports shown in FIGURE 154. The objective of the analysis is to find the first
natural frequency and the corresponding mode shape. The typical span, L= 200 in,
is taken to be the distance between adjacent supports. The material properties are
those of the steel ASTM-A36 (E= 29x106 psi, = 0.295, = 7.36x10-4 lbf-sec2/in4).
The beam is an AISC W 10x15 (A= 4.41 in2, I= 68.9 in4). US units are used. 5
L L L L
FIGURE 154 Multispan beam with intermediate supports.
Model creation After opening a data base, set the analysis mode to Planar Elasticity. Select the
Model Info icon from the Main Toolbar and when the Model Information dialog
window appears select the Parameters tab. Provide the following information:
Name: L > Description: Characteristic Span > Value: 200 > Limit: >0, Class:
General > Click on the Accept button.

Provide the geometric description of the beam by selecting the Create Model
icon and supplying the following information:
Geometry tab > Create > Line > Locate > Input toggle switch ON > X: 0.0,
Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, length: 4*L, angle: 0.0 > Accept.
Mesh tab > Create > Node > Offset > Repeat # = 5, offset: 0.0 + 0.25 > Click
on the line created in the previous step > Turn the Repeat switch off.
Create > Beam > Selection. Create four beam elements by connecting pairs
of consecutive nodes.
To define the section properties select the Section Prop. tab from the Input dia-
log window, and supply the following information:
Select > All Elements > Database tab.
After you click on the Database tab, the AISC Section Database box will
appear (FIGURE 155). As you click on any of the entries in the scrolling win-
dow of the box, the Area and Moment of Inertia will be displayed in the Sec-
tion properties region. Once you selected a section (W 10x15 in this example
5 problem), you can store the properties by clicking on the Accept button. Note
that in the Section Properties Input dialog window the 3rd and 4th Moments
also appear. These two moments are calculated and assigned to the elements by
StressCheck automatically when you click on Accept.
To enter the material properties information select the Material tab from the
Input dialog window and supply the following information:
Material tab > Define > Linear > Selection > Define tab > Option: Standard
Mtrl. > Units: U.S. > Material: Linear > Type: Isotropic. From the standard
list of materials appearing in the scroll window of the material entry form,
click on the ASTM-A36 and its properties will be entered automatically.
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > ID: ASTM-A36 > Accept.
To enter constraint data select the Constraint tab from the Input dialog window
and provide the following information:
Constraint tab > Select > Node > Single Node > ID: CONST > Direction: XY
> Data type: Fixed > System: Global > Turn on the switches in front of X
and Y > Click on the left most node and then click on Accept. A pinned sup-
port will be created on that node because the rotation was not fixed.

FIGURE 155 AISC Section Database box.
Select > Node > Single Node > ID: CONST > Direction: XY > Data Type: Fixed
> System: Global > Turn on the switch in front of Y only > Click on the rest of
the nodes while holding the Shift key > Click on Accept.
Finally, select the Solution ID tab and provide the following information:
Click on Accept.
Solution Now you are ready to start the computation. Click on the Compute Solution icon
and when the Solver dialog window appears supply the following information.
Modal tab > Extension: Upward-p > Type: Frequencies and modes > p-limits: 3 to
8 > Frequency: Range > Frequency numbers: 1 to 1.
Display: Sequence > Click on the Solve button.

After the execution is complete, click on the View Results icon and when the
dialog window appears select the Error tab. Complete the following informa-
tion:
Error tab > Solution: SOL_00001 > Run: 1 to 6 > Click on the Accept button.
The results will be displayed in tabular form in the Report window as shown in
FIGURE 156. Note that the estimated relative error is practically zero for run
#4 which corresponds to a p-level of 6.
FIGURE 156 Multispan beam: Convergence of the first natural frequency.
The first natural frequency obtained from Ref. [53], Table 8-3d using the clas-
sical formulation of beams is f1= 30.81 Hz, which compares well with the
value of 30.57 shown in FIGURE 156.
To plot the mode shape associated with the first natural frequency, select the
Plot tab and complete the following information:

Buckling analysis
Plot tab > Select > All Elements > Solution: SOL_00001 > Run: 6 > Plot: Solu-
tion > Shape: Deform > Midsides: 5 > Click on the Overlay button > Click on the
Plot button. The mode shape is shown in FIGURE 157.
FIGURE 157 Mode shape corresponding to the first natural frequency.
Buckling analysis 5
Consider the circular disc of outside radius a=100 inches, inside radius b=50 inches
and thickness th=2.0 inches, fixed in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the
disc along the external boundary and subjected to a uniform radial compression
as shown in FIGURE 158. The material properties are those of a plain carbon steel
(E=30 x 106 psi, v=0.3).
Set the analysis mode to Planar Elasticity and create a 2D-finite element mesh of
the full disc. Assign constant thickness and isotropic material properties to all the
elements in the mesh. Apply a constant unit normal traction on the outside bound-
ary (the normal traction should be specified as negative) and apply rigid body con-
straints. The finite element mesh and boundary conditions are shown in FIGURE
159a. After the problem is created in 2D, change the analysis mode from Planar to
Extrude and add the constraint in the Z-direction to the element faces on the outer
surface of the disc. The mesh and boundary conditions created in 2D will be con-
verted to their 3D equivalent (see FIGURE 159b). Refer to Chapter 4 for instruc-
tion on how to perform an extrusion and specify the constraints on the extruded
elements. This problem can be loaded from the StressCheck Library, Tutorial
Handbook: Buckling.sci.

Buckling analysis
th
FIGURE 158 Circular disc under radial compression.
Executing a Buckling Analysis

To perform a Buckling Analysis, StressCheck first solves the linear problem
corresponding to the specified loads and constraints, then, utilizing the stress
field computed from the linear solution, computes the geometric stiffness
matrix, which is used for the eigenvalue computation. Therefore, after the
Buckling Analysis is completed, two sets of solutions are available: the linear
solution, which establishes the pre-buckling stress state and the eigenvalue
buckling solution.
To execute a bifurcation Buckling Analysis select the Compute Solution icon

from the Main Toolbar and when the Solution dialog window appears select
the Buckling tab (FIGURE 160). The available options are as follows:

Buckling analysis
(a) 2D-mesh (b) Extruded mesh

5
FIGURE 159 Mesh and boundary conditions for buckling problem.
FIGURE 160 Input area for Buckling Analysis.

Buckling analysis
Extension: The options in Buckling Analysis are Upward-p, Downward-p, and

Uniform-h.
Type: Two options are available: Buckling load only or Buckling load and
shapes. Buckling load only means that the buckling load factors will be com-
puted and stored but not the mode shapes. Buckling and shapes means that
the buckling load factors and the corresponding buckling mode shapes will be
computed and stored. The second option requires more CPU time than the first.
p-limits: Select the range of p-values for which you wish the analysis per-
formed. Remember that in the case of thin bodies locking will occur at low
p-levels; so, let p range between from not less than 3 to at least 6.
Buckling: The options are: Range and Interval. Range means that the
requested output will be computed from the buckling load number i to the
buckling load number j, where i and j are selected in the Load numbers fields.
Interval means that the requested output will be computed for all load num-
ber values greater than or equal to the lower limit specified in the first Load
value field and less than or equal to the upper limit specified in the second
Load value field.
5 Load numbers: Enter the range of eigenvalues you wish to compute. Very
likely, you will be interested in the lowest eigenvalue which is the smallest
multiplier (load factor) for the load identified by the load name in the solution
ID form. In that case enter 1.
After completing the information in the Buckling tab, select the SOLVE! tab.
The SOLVE! window requires the following information:
Execute: The options are Initialize and Restart. Initialize means that the
sequence will be computed from the lowest p-level to the highest or, in the case
of h-extensions, from the current mesh to the number of refinements specified
by the Run Limit entry.
Restart is used when a sequence of p-levels has been computed and you wish
to compute higher p-levels (if running Upward), or lower p-levels (if running
downward), retaining the computed data. In this case simply increase the upper
(or lower) p-limits to its desired value and select Restart.
Run Mode: The options are Automatic and Stepwise. You may execute an
Automatic sequence of solutions for the extension and limits selected. Alterna-

Buckling analysis
tively, you may execute Stepwise, requiring you to click on the Continue button fol-
lowing the solution for each p-level or h-refinement.
Method: The options are Iterative or Direct. Iterative means that the Iterative
Solver (default) is used. Direct means that the Direct Solver is used.
Converge: This option is not available for buckling analysis.
Display: StressCheck will allow you to monitor one of the following while the
solution proceeds:
- Engineering results may be monitored by using the layout switch to activate the
Results layout. Select the desired output controls in the Results class of interest
before activating the solution.
Monitoring result functions is useful in the case of large problems where sequential
analysis executed stepwise is employed. The monitored data provide information
on the basis of which you can decide whether to stop or continue the extension pro-
cess. For small problems full p-extension should be performed.
- The Sequence switch is used to monitor the progress of the solution. The elements
are highlighted as they are included into the solver. 5
Example To compute the first buckling load and shape for the circular disc under radial com-
pression (FIGURE 158), considering an upward p-extension from p=5 to 8, enter
Buckling tab > Extension: Upward-p > Type: Buckling and shapes > p-limits: 5 to
8 > Buckling: Range > Load numbers: 1 to 1.
Next, choose the SOLVE! tab to get the solution. Complete the requested informa-
tion as shown below:
Display: Sequence > Click on the Solve button.
The top portion of the buckling status box displays the status of the execution. The
message bar located on the main window displays which operation is being per-
formed for each run.

Buckling analysis
Post-solution operations
There are two basic post-solution operations which are relevant to buckling
analysis: buckling load convergence and display of the buckling shapes. The
buckling load convergence is performed under the Error estimation option in
the Results dialog window, while the display of the deformed shapes is done
under the Plot option as explained in the following section.
Load convergence Select the Error tab from the Results dialog window. To obtain an error esti-
mate, there have to be at least three runs in a sequence. The available solution
names and run numbers are displayed in the scrolling list of the input area (see
FIGURE 161). The solution corresponding to each eigenpair (buckling load
and mode shape) is identified by the name provided in the Solution ID input
form followed by an underscore (_) and a number followed by the letter B. For
example, the solution corresponding to the first buckling load is labeled
SOL_0001B. The linear solution is also available in the scrolling list of the
input area with the name SOL (assuming that SOL is the name given in the
Solution ID input form).
To check the convergence of the buckling load for the circular disc under radial
5 compression described above, click on the last record of the buckling solution
in the scrolling list of the input area and click on the Accept button. The esti-
mated error for the buckling load factor is shown in FIGURE 161. The buck-
ling load obtained from Roarks Formulas for Stress and Strains (Ref. [51],
Table 35, Case 12, page 688) is = 2769 psi, which is very close to the value
computed with StressCheck: = 2702 psi at p=8. Note that we specified unit
radial compression, and therefore the load factor is the same as the buckling
stress.
Plotting buckling shape Select the Plot tab from the Results dialog window. To display the buckling
mode shape associated with a given buckling load, complete as follows:
Plot tab > Select > All Elements > Solution: SOL_0001B > Run: 4 > Plot:
Solution > Shape: Deform > Midsides: 3 > Click on the Plot button.
The buckling mode shape will be displayed in the Graphic window as shown in
FIGURE 162.

Using the eigensolver
FIGURE 161 Convergence of buckling load.

5

There are two eigensolvers in StressCheck. One solver is based on the Lanczos
method, the other is based on the QR method. The Lanczos solver is used by
default. To select the QR solver, specify the parameter _qr.
When running a downward p-extension, the element stiffness and mass (resp. geo-
metric) matrices corresponding to the highest p-level are saved and reused for all
lower p-levels. Thus, the downward p-extension is more efficient than the
upward.
Some problems may develop in using the eigensolvers. The possible remedies are
discussed in the following:

5
FIGURE 162 First buckling mode shape.
Problem: Frequency (buckling load) number i is non-monotonic

When the frequency or buckling load values do not decrease monotonically as
the number of degrees of freedom are increased (see under Frequency Conver-
gence and Load Convergence on how to check for convergence), determine for
which run number (or p-level) the value increases, and then try one of the fol-
lowing:
Remedy 1: Specify a higher accuracy by setting parameter _nfig>6 (_nfig is

the number of decimal digits of accuracy desired in the eigensolver. By default
_nfig=6).
Remedy 2: Switch to the QR eigensolver by defining the parameter _qr

(arbitrary value) and recompute at those p-levels for which the eigenvalues are
not monotonic.

Problem: Program appears to be running too long

You are executing a modal or Buckling Analysis in automatic mode, and at a given
run number (p-level) the program seems to become very slow. In that case, press
the escape (Esc) key while the focus is in the Graphic Window. When the program
stops, try one of the following:
Remedy 1: If the tolerance is too small, the solver may take too long to compute
the eigenpairs. Request a lower accuracy by setting the parameter _nfig<6.
Remedy 2: Switch to the QR solver by defining the parameter _qr for the p-level
for which the slow performance is detected. Run in Stepwise mode and switch back
to the Lanczos solver by deleting the parameter _qr after the run is completed.
Note Rigid body constraints alone should not be used in Modal and Buckling Analysis.
The reason is that rigid body modes are admissible solutions and the corresponding
eigenvalues are zero. If you run a problem which is not fully constrained, the eigen-
solver will find the zero eigenvalues. To speed-up the computation however, it is
recommended that you specify the parameter _k_indef (arbitrary value) before
executing the Modal/Buckling Analysis.
5


6 Conduction Heat
Transfer
This chapter contains guidelines for the preparation of input data for steady state heat conduction prob-
lems. In addition, post-solution procedures are illustrated by examples. StressCheck can be used for
solving linear, steady state heat conduction problems with prescribed temperature, flux and convective
boundary conditions. The effects of temperature-dependent material properties and radiation can also be
accounted for using the nonlinear procedure described in the Advanced Guide. The computed tempera-
ture distribution can be used in a very convenient way for computing the load vector for thermo-elastic
problems.
The implementation covers planar, axisymmetric, and three-dimensional problems. 6

Preparation of the input data consists of the following steps:
Opening a database and selecting the analysis type
Entering geometric data: solution domain and finite element mesh
Specification of thickness (for planar problems)
Specification of material properties
Specification of flux boundary conditions, the temperature of the convec-
tive medium and heat generated per unit volume and unit time
Analysis Guide Chapter 6: Conduction Heat Transfer 239

Model problem: Pipe with cooling fins
Specification of temperature boundary conditions and the convective

heat transfer coefficients
Association of a solution name with the flux and temperature boundary
conditions
Assignment of an extension process.
An explanation of the available options is presented through a model problem

described in the following.

A circular pipe has an internal radius of 25 mm, an external radius of 30 mm.
Ten evenly spaced, tapered cooling fins are attached to the pipe. Taking advan-
tage of twenty-fold symmetry, the solution domain is as shown in FIGURE
163. The material is an aluminum alloy, the coefficient of thermal conduction
(k) of which is 0.206 W/mmoC. The internal wall temperature is 500oC. Cool-
ing is by convection. The coefficient of convective heat transfer (hc) is
1.2x10-3 W/mm2 oC and the temperature of the convective medium is 20oC.
Therefore the mathematical model is formulated as follows:
E Circular arc,
F
6 Subtended angle: 2.5o
18o C
7.5o
A B
25 5 15
FIGURE 163 Circular pipe with cooling fins. Solution domain.
240 Chapter 6: Conduction Heat Transfer Analysis Guide

Solve the heat conduction problem:
2 2
u u
+ = 0
2 2
x y
subject to the following boundary conditions:
(a) Along AB and EF symmetry condition is prescribed, that is, the flux is zero:
u
qn = k = 0
n
where n represents the normal to the boundary, k is the coefficient of heat conduc-
tion and u(x,y) is the temperature.
(b) Along BC, CD, and DE convective boundary condition is prescribed:
qn = hc ( u uc )
where hc is the coefficient of convective heat transfer, also called film coefficient,
and uc is the temperature of the convective medium.
(c) Along FA the temperature of 500oC is prescribed. 6

The objective is to determine the temperature distribution and the heat dissipated by
the finned pipe per unit length.
Selecting analysis type After opening a new database, from the Reference and Theory selectors change the
default analysis to Planar Heat Transfer.

Geometry and mesh Click on the Create Model icon from the main tool bar and select the Geometry
tab. To create the mesh shown in FIGURE 163, consider first the geometric
description:
Geometry tab > Create > Circle > Locate > Turn on the Repeat switch and
enter 2 > Input toggle switch ON > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, radius: 25 + 5, P1-
Min: 0.0, P1-Max: 18.0, rot-Z: 0.0 > Click on the Accept button.
Create > Circle > Locate > Input toggle switch ON > X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0,
radius: 45, P1-Min: 0.0, P1-Max: 2.50, rot-Z: 0.0 > Click on the Accept but-
ton. > Click on the Center Model icon in the Views toolbar.
Create the nodes and elements by selecting the Mesh tab in the StressCheck
Input window, and proceeding as follows:
Mesh tab > Action: Create > Object: Node > Method: Offset > Input toggle
switch ON > offset: 0.0. With the mouse cursor select the three circles.
Create > Node > Offset > offset: 2.5 > Select circle of radius = 45.
Create > Node > Offset > offset: 7.5 > Select the first and second circles.
Create > Node > Offset > offset: 18.0 > Select the first and second circles.
Create > Quadrilateral > Selection. Define three quadrilateral elements as

shown in FIGURE 163.
Thickness To assign thickness, click on the Thickness tab in the StressCheck Input dialog
6
window. Assign unit thickness to all the elements of the model problem by
selecting:
Thickness tab > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method: Selection >
Thickness: 1.0 > Click on the Accept button.
Material Properties To enter the material properties select the Material tab in the StressCheck Input
dialog window and the input area shown in FIGURE 164a will appear. The
specification of material properties is in two parts: the definition of material
properties and the assignment of material properties to the elements.

(a) (b)
FIGURE 164 Input area for material properties.

6
The coefficients of heat conduction kxx, kxy, kyy and, optionally, the constant Q>0
may be specified. The coefficients of heat conduction are defined by the following
relationship:
u
qx k xx k xy x
=
qy k xy k yy u
y
where qx, qy are the heat flux vector components and u(x,y) is the temperature. The
coefficients of heat conduction are subject to the restrictions:
kxx>0, kyy >0 and kxx kyy - kxy2>0.

The constant Q is zero in the case of the heat conduction problem. If you select
Q>0 then StressCheck will solve the elliptic Helmholtz equation, namely:
u u u u
k xx + k xy k xy + k yy + Qu = f ( x, y )
x x
y y x y
subject to the specified boundary conditions.
As in the case of the elasticity problems, StressCheck provides a standard list

of material properties. These must be understood as generally accepted average
values. Actual material properties may vary substantially from these average
values. It is your responsibility to ensure that the material data are prop-
erly defined for your application.
To define material properties select Defined Mtrl. or Standard Mtrl., depending

on whether you wish to specify kxx, kxy, kyy yourself or you wish to select it
from the standard material list provided by StressCheck. If you choose the
standard list then specify whether US or SI units are to be used. The US units
for kxx, kxy, kyy are understood to be Btu/sec in oF, the SI units are understood to
be in W/mmoC. This means, of course, that the length dimensions must be in
inch (resp. mm) units when US (resp. SI) units are chosen. Similarly, the tem-
perature must be specified in Fahrenheit (resp. Celsius) units when US (resp.
SI) units are chosen. Of course, you may use any consistent system of units
when you enter the material properties yourself.
For the model problem, kxx=kyy=0.206 should be entered. For isotropic materi-
6 als kxy is always zero.
Material tab > Define tab > ID: MAT > Option: Defined Mtrl. > Units: SI >
kxx: 0.206, kxy: 0.0, kyy: 0.206 > Click on the Accept button.
Assign tab > Action: Select > Object: All Elements > Method: Selection >
ID: MAT > Click on the Accept button.
Flux The flux boundary condition data include the following:

flux specified along boundaries, element edges or faces
temperature of the convective medium
Select the Flux tab in the StressCheck Input dialog window and the input area
will appear as shown in FIGURE 165. Enter a name into the field next to ID.
Next select the boundaries or edges (resp. elements) for which flux boundary

conditions (resp. heat source data) are to be prescribed by pointing to the appropri-
ate edges and elements in the Model window.
FIGURE 165 Flux and heat source boundary conditions.

6
For the model problem, enter the following information about the temperature of
the convective medium:
Flux tab > Select > Edge > Conv. Temp. > ID: FLUX > Value: 20 > Select the ele-
ment edges labeled BC, CD, DE in FIGURE 163 while holding the Shift key >
Click on the Accept button.
The convective boundary condition data for the model problem is shown in FIG-
URE 165. The zero convective temperature is a natural boundary condition and
does not have to be entered.
As in the case of the model problem, in many cases zero flux is specified in connec-
tion with symmetric boundary conditions. The case of zero flux is a natural

boundary condition and hence does not have to be explicitly prescribed.

Nonzero flux values are specified either as constants, parameters, or by a for-
mula. If you select formula then the dialog window for entering formulas will
appear. The details are described in the Users Guide. Having entered the for-
mula into the formula dialog window, dismiss it and enter the formula name in
the appropriate field of the flux input area.
Heat source Heat source data are also entered through the same input area. The object
selected may be an element, a group of elements, or all elements. By heat
sources we understand heat generated (or absorbed) per unit volume. If US
units are used then the heat source data are in Btu/sec in3 units. If SI units are
used then the heat source data are in J/sec mm3.
When you click on the Accept button, the specified boundary condition data
will be entered into the database. Confirmation will appear in the scrolling list
in the input area.
Remark: Equilibrium requirement.
When flux values are prescribed along the entire boundary in 2D then the fol-
lowing condition must be satisfied:
q t d s + f ( x , y ) t dx d y = 0
n

6 where qn is the normal component of the flux vector at the boundary, t is the
thickness, f(x,y) is the heat generated per unit volume, is the boundary of the
solution domain . This is analogous to the equilibrium requirement in
mechanics which states that the tractions and body forces must be in equilib-
rium. Analogously to the rigid body constraint in mechanics an arbitrary
temperature value must be prescribed at a node.
Temperature To access the input area shown in FIGURE 166, select the Temperature tab in
the StressCheck Input window and enter a name next to ID. Select the
boundaries, edges or faces for which temperature boundary conditions or
convective boundary conditions are to be specified. Select Temperature or
Conv. Coeff., depending on whether you wish to prescribe temperature or
convective coefficients on the selected boundaries or edges. Next enter the
temperature or convective coefficient as a constant, a formula, or a parame-
ter.

FIGURE 166 Temperature and coefficients of convective heat transfer.

6
The details for entering formulas are described in the Users Guide. The entry form
for parameters appears when selecting the Model Info icon from the Main Toolbar.
Finally, click on the Accept button. This will cause the boundary condition to be
entered into the database. Confirmation will appear in the scrolling list.
For the model problem, enter the following information about the inside tempera-
ture and the convective coefficient:
Temperature tab > Select > Any Curve > Temperature > ID: TEMP > Value: 500
> Select the leftmost circular boundary > Click on the Accept button.
Select > Edge > Conv. Coeff. > ID: TEMP > Value: 0.0012 > Select the edges
labeled as BC,CD,DE in FIGURE 163 while holding the Shift key > Click on the

Accept button. The finite element mesh with the boundary condition sym-
bols is shown in FIGURE 167.
FIGURE 167 Pipe with cooling fins: Mesh and boudary conditions.
Remark: Continuity requirement
The prescribed temperature along the boundary must be a continuous function.

No abrupt changes from one element to the next are allowed. StressCheck will
issue an error message when it encounters a discontinuity in the prescribed
temperature boundary condition.
Remark: Convective boundary conditions
6 The coefficient of convective heat transfer hc is related to the conduction pro-

cess in the thin stationary layer of fluid at the wall surface and modifies the
stiffness matrix of the system. For this reason the film coefficient has to be
treated as a principal boundary condition and hence entered in the Temperature
input class.
The temperature of the convective medium uc, on the other hand, affects the
right-hand side of the system of equations, therefore has to be treated as a natu-
ral boundary condition and hence entered in the Flux input class.
Defining Solution ID Select the Solution ID tab in the StressCheck Input window, and the input area
shown in FIGURE 168 will be displayed on the screen. Enter the following
information:

FIGURE 168 Input area for Solution ID.
Solution ID tab > Solutions tab > Solution ID: SOL > Temperature ID: TEMP > 6
Flux ID: FLUX > Accept.
Executing analysis Next select the Compute Solution icon from the Main Toolbar. When the Solver
window appears complete the following information:
Linear tab > Extension: Upward-p > p-limits: 1 to 8 (FIGURE 169 a).
Convergence: None > Display: Sequence > Click on the Solve button (FIGURE
169 b).
Since we did not specify the discretization parameters, the trunk space was the
default setting for the analysis.

FIGURE 169 Solver input window: (a) Linear tab - (b) SOLVE tab.
Extracting results Select the View Results icon from the Main Toolbar and then the Error tab.
FIGURE 170 shows the estimated relative error in energy norm for runs 1 to 8.
FIGURE 170 Convergence of the potential energy.

Note that the rate of convergence is small (less than 1). The reason for this is that,
due to the presence of the re-entrant corner (point D in FIGURE 163), the exact
solution has a singularity. Therefore convergence is slower. If we are interested in
the total heat loss, or the temperature only, then the solution is sufficiently accurate
for engineering purposes.
The temperature contours, shown in FIGURE 171 for p=8 do not change apprecia-
bly when p is changed from 6 to 8. It is recommended that you verify this. Select
the Plot tab from the Results dialog window and complete as follows:
Plot tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Solution: SOL, Run: 8 > Plot:
Solution > Contour: Fringe > Functions: U > Midsides: 10 > Plot.
FIGURE 171 Temperature contours, p=8.
Similarly, check the heat loss by selecting the Heat Flow tab in the Results window.
Heat Flow tab > Select > Edge > Selection > Solution: SOL > Runs: 8 to 8 >
Click on the two edges associated with the inner wall of the pipe.

You will find that at p=8 the heat loss is 10.856 W/mm for the sector analyzed
when measured along the inner wall. For the entire pipe this figure must be
multiplied by 20, since we took advantage of the 20-fold symmetry in defining
the solution domain.
The Standard Functions available in StressCheck are listed in Table 7.
TABLE 7. Standard functions. Heat Transfer.
Symbol Explanation
U Temperature
Ux Temperature gradient in the x-direction (Ur)
Uy Temperature gradient in the y-direction (Uz)
Uz Temperature gradient in the z-direction
Qx Heat flux per unit area in the x-direction (Qr)
Qy Heat flux per unit area in the y-direction (Qz)
Qz Heat flux per unit area in the z-direction
Fmla Formula. Using this option, any mathematical expression containing the standard
functions can be computed for a given solution.
Calc Calculator. Using this option, any mathematical expression containing standard
functions can be computed for any combination of solutions.
Note: Symbols in brackets ( ) are appropriate for axisymmetric analysis.
6
Exercise 1 Repeat the solution of the model problem using the three element mesh and
product space. You will find that the accuracy is slightly higher, but the data of
interest, the temperature distribution and the total flux, are not changed appre-
ciably. This shows that these data are virtually independent of the discretiza-
tion and hence must be close to their exact values.
Exercise 2 Change the reference from Planar Heat Transfer to Extrude Heat Transfer. Run
the problem again. This will perform a fully three dimensional solution. Since,
when no boundary conditions are specified the flux is understood to be zero,
the extruded solution will be the same as the planar one. The error estimate will
be slightly different, however, due to the fact that the number of degrees of
freedom is different.

Exercise 3 Change the thickness of the model problem to 100 mm and define a temperature
distribution by a formula,
u = 500 + 2z
on the inner surface. This can be done by editing the appropriate record in the
StressCheck Temperature input window. On displaying the temperature distribution
for p = 8, you will find the results shown in FIGURE 172.
FIGURE 172 Temperature distribution for the model problem of Exercise 3.
Note: When a 2D mesh is extruded, the elements will extend from -t/2 to t/2 in the
z-direction, where t is the assigned thickness to the elements. That means that the
temperature given by the above formula will vary from 400C at z=-50 to 600oC at
z=50.

Verification example
The purpose of this example is to demonstrate that StressCheck yields the cor-
rect results for temperature, heat flux, total heat flow, and potential energy.
Problem description
Consider a thick-walled pipe made of a material with a coefficient of heat con-
duction k = kxx = kyy = 1.0, kxy = 0.0. The internal radius is 1.0 and the external
radius is 2.0. The internal wall temperature is 10, the external wall is cooled by
convection. The coefficient of convective heat transfer (hc) is 1.0, the tempera-
ture of the convective medium (uc) is also 1.0 and unit thickness is assumed.
These data are chosen to make hand calculations simple.
This is, essentially, a one-dimensional problem because the temperature is a

function only of the radial distance from the center. A 45-degree sector of the
pipe is shown in FIGURE 173.
6 45o
A B
FIGURE 173 Pipe sector.
1.0 1.0
The boundary conditions are as follows:

1 u
Along AB and CD: q n = k --- = 0
r
Along DA: u = 10
u
Along BC: q n = k = hc ( u uc ) .
r

Geometry and mesh To construct the geometric description and mesh, select the Create Model icon from
the main tool bar and perform the following steps:
Geometry tab > Create > Circle > Locate > Repeat #= 2 > Input toggle switch on
> X: 0.0 + 0.0, Y: 0.0 + 0.0, Z: 0.0 + 0.0, radius: 1.0 + 1.0, P1-Min: 0 + 0, P1-
Max: 45 + 0, rot-Z: 0 + 0 > Click on the Accept button.
Mesh tab > Create > Node > Offset > Repeat#= 2 > Input toggle switch on > off-
set: 0 + 45. Move the mouse cursor to the Model window and click near each cir-
cular arc to create a total of 4 nodes.
Create > Quadrilateral > Selection. Create the element by clicking near each of
the four nodes.
Thickness tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > Thickness: 1.0 > Click on the
Accept button.
Material Material tab > Define tab > ID: PROP > Option: Defined Mtrl. > Units: US > kxx:
1.0, kxy: 0.0, kyy: 1.0 > Click on the Accept button.
Material tab > Assign tab > ID: PROP > Select > All Elements > Selection >
Boundary conditions Flux tab > Select > Any Curve > Convective Temperature > ID: FLUX > Value:
1.0. > Select the rightmost circular arc > Click on the Accept button. 6
Temperature tab > Select > Any Curve > Temperature > ID: TEMP > Value: 10.0
> Use the mouse cursor to select the leftmost circular arc > Click on the Accept
button.
Temperature tab > Select > Any Curve > Convection Coefficient > ID: TEMP >
Value: 1.0 > Select the rightmost circular arc > Click on the Accept button.
Solution ID Solution ID tab > Solutions tab > Solution ID: SOL > Temperature ID: TEMP >
Flux ID: FLUX > Click on the Accept button.
The exact solution

We are interested in solving:

2 2
1 u 1 u
u
u = + --- + ----- = 0
2 r r r2 2
r
subject to the boundary conditions indicated above. It is easily verified that the
exact solution is:
u ( r ) = c 1 ln ( r ) + c 2
where:
18
c 1 = ---------------------- = 7.54308
ln ( 4 ) + 1
c 2 = 10.0
The temperature at the outer wall is therefore:
18
u ( 2 ) = ----------------------ln ( 2 ) + 10 = 4.77154
ln ( 4 ) + 1
The exact value of the normal flux at the outer boundary is:
c1
q n = k u = ----- = 3.77154
6 r r = 2 2
The exact value of the total heat flux through the 45 degree sector of the pipe is

---
4
q =
ku r rd = c --4- = 5.92432
1

By definition, the potential energy is that functional which is minimized by the

exact solution over the set of all admissible functions. For details refer to Ref. [3].
In this case the potential energy is defined by:

--- ---
42 4
u + u
[ u ( 2 ) u ] r d
2 2
1
EX = --- k
x y
dx dy + 1--- h c c
2
2 2
01 0
By substituting the exact solution and the given values for k, hc and uc, we have:
EX = 15.487536 + 11.1718956 = 26.6594319
The finite element solution

Using one finite element, trunk space, at p=8 StressCheck yields for the tempera-
ture of the outer wall:
u FE ( 2 ) = 4.77154
showing agreement with the exact solution to at least 6 digits. This high accuracy is
due to the fact that the exact solution can be easily approximated by the mapped
polynomials. 6
StressCheck reports the flux vector components in the x-y system, denoted by Qx
and Qy. Select the Points tab from the Results window and the input area shown in
FIGURE 174a will appear. Enter the solution name, the desired run number, select
the Function: Fmla, enter an arbitrary formula name, for example Qn, into the field
next to Formula. In the Formula dialog window (FIGURE 174b), select the system
option in the formula to be Cylindrical and define Qn as:
Qn = Q cos ( t ) + Q sin ( t )
x y
This is the radial component of the flux vector.

(b) Formula dialog window.
(a) Results dialog window.

FIGURE 174 Points Extraction.
Selecting any point on the outer edge will yield for p=8:
6
Qn = 3.77152
which is very close to the exact value, q n = 3.77154 .
To find the value of the total heat flux, select the Heat Flow tab in the Results
window, and the input area shown in FIGURE 175 will appear. Enter the fol-
lowing information:
Heat Flow tab > Action: Check > Object: Edge > Method: Selection > Solu-
tion: SOL > Run: 8 to 8 > Click on the pipe boundary. For p=8 StressCheck
will report the value:
q = 5.92430
FE
which is very close to the exact value.

FIGURE 175 Input area for heat flow.
To estimate the relative error in energy norm, select the Error tab from the Results
dialog window. Enter the solution name and run numbers 1 to 8. StressCheck will
report the number of degrees of freedom, potential energy, rate of convergence and 6
estimated error in energy norm, as shown in FIGURE 176.
As seen in FIGURE 176, at p=8, trunk space, one element, StressCheck reports:
FE = 26.6594315
which is, once again, very close to the exact value.
Exercise Repeat this example using (a) two triangular elements, (b) axial symmetry and one
quadrilateral element, (c) axial symmetry and two triangular elements.
In the axially symmetric case you will find that the total heat flux reported by
StressCheck is:
( q FE ) AX = 7.54305

FIGURE 176 Convergence of the potential energy. Trunk space.
and the potential energy at p=8, trunk space, one quadrilateral element, is:
( FE ) AX = 33.9438425
This is because in the axisymmetric case StressCheck reports data for a one-
radian sector. In the planar case we used a 45 degrees sector (/4 radians). To
6 compare the total heat flux and potential energies, it is necessary to multiply
the axisymmetric data by /4. Thus, for

( FE ) PLANAR = --- ( FE ) AX = --- 33.9438425 = 26.6594316
4 4
which is exactly the same result as reported for the planar quadrilateral ele-
ment. Similarly we have:

( q FE ) PLANAR = --- ( q FE ) AX
4
Of course, the temperature values and the heat flux require no such adjustment.
The proper geometric description for axisymmetric analysis is shown in FIG-
URE 177.

Stresses caused by thermal loading
Boundary conditions:
D C
AD: u=10
1.0
BC: qr = hc (u-uc)
A B
1.0 1.0 R
FIGURE 177 Pipe sector for axisymmetric analysis.

In many cases we are interested not only in the temperature distribution but also in
the stress maxima caused by thermal loading. StressCheck makes it very conve-
nient to import the solution from the thermal problem into the elasticity problem
and to compute the load vector for the thermal loading. The procedure is illustrated 6
in the following through the model problem shown in FIGURE 163. For the pur-
poses of computing the thermally induced stresses, we use E=7.0x104 MPa,
=0.365, a(th)=2.35x10-5/ oC, Plane Stress.
Referring to FIGURE 163, the boundary conditions for the elasticity problem are:
Along AB and EF symmetry boundary conditions are prescribed: un=Tt=0. Along
the other boundary segments stress-free boundary conditions Tn=Tt=0 are pre-
scribed.
To solve the thermally loaded elasticity problem after the thermal problem has been
solved, switch from Planar Heat Transfer to Planar Elasticity. Enter and assign the
material properties for the elasticity problem using a name which is different from
the name used for the material properties in the case of the Planar Thermal problem
as shown below:

Material tab > Define > Linear > Selection > Define tab > ID: PROP_EL >
Option: Defined Mtrl. > Units: US > Material: Linear > Type: Isotropic >
Case: Pl. Stress > E: 7.0e4, v: 0.365, a(th): 2.35e-05 > Click on the Accept
button.
Assign tab > Select > All Elements > Selection > ID: PROP_EL > Click on
the Accept button.
Next define the loading as indicated below.
Load tab > Select > All Elements > Thermal > ID: LOAD_TH > Import
Thermal Solution > Solution: SOL > Run: 8 > Thermal ID: SOL, Run #: 8 >
FIGURE 178 Thermal loading.
Note that the load ID must be different from the ID given to the thermal case.

Next define the constraint conditions for the elasticity problem as follows:
Constraint tab > Select > Edge > Symmetry > ID: SYM > Select the edges corre-
sponding to AB and EF in FIGURE 163 > Click on the Accept button.
Specify the Solution ID, giving an unique name to the solution of the elasticity
problem, which is different from the solution name of the thermal problem. In this
example problem, we used SOL as the name of the solution for the thermal prob-
lem, and SOL_EL for the elasticity problem.
Next we solve the elasticity problem from p=1 to 8 and we find that in this case the
maximal stress is steadily increasing. No convergence to a limiting value is evident.
The reason for this is the presence of the reentrant corner. The stress, corresponding
to the exact solution of the elasticity problem, is not finite. In order to ensure that
the elastic stress is finite, it is necessary to introduce a fillet to round the reentrant
corner.
Introducing a fillet of radius 1.5 mm at the reentrant corner, the mesh is modified as
shown in FIGURE 179. Upon solving the thermal problem again, we find that the
FIGURE 179 Mesh with fillet.
heat flux is: q = 10.52 W/mm, which is very close to the value found for the cross
section without fillets, indicating that small fillets do not alter the heat flow signifi-
cantly.

Next we solve the elasticity problem and we find that the maximum stress
occurs near the fillet and its value is 46.8 MPa. The contour plot for the first
principal stress is shown in FIGURE 180.
6 FIGURE 180 Contour plot for the first principal stress.
Note: After modifying the mesh, check the boundary conditions to see that
they are properly applied.

7 Network License
Management
StressCheck uses a network license server to control access to the various modules available in the pro-
gram. The license management facility provided by StressCheck is based on a third party toolkit from
Globetrotter Software called FlexLM.
Each customer licenses one or more of the modules contained in StressCheck, and may license one or
more keys for each module. License keys may be locked to a specific computer, or may float on the
network to give any network connected user access to the program. The license manager also provides
several utilities which can be used to monitor program usage, and to troubleshoot network licensing
problems.
What is License Management?

7
License management is the control of user access to an application program which
has been licensed from a software vendor. Each license key issued to a customer
corresponds to one concurrent user of a licensed module within an application pro-
gram. Each module has an associated code which is embedded in the password(s)
issued to and installed by the application user. When the user activates the program
and uses one of the licensed modules, the license server checks to see whether or
not the module has been licensed, and whether or not the maximum number of con-
current users of the module has been reached (i.e. there is a key available). If a key
Analysis Guide Chapter 7: Network License Management 265

What is License Management?
is available, it is checked out to the current user, and the module is enabled for
use. If no key is currently available (either the module was not licensed, or all
keys are currently checked out) an error message is issued and access to the
licensed module is prevented. When the user finishes using the module, it is
automatically checked back in to the server so that it may be used by another
user.
There are two basic types of licenses which are available for StressCheck, a
node-locked license and a floating license. The node-locked license limits
usage of the program to a single computer. This means that a user must login to
a specific computer in order to use StressCheck. A floating license means that
the program is accessible to anyone whose computer is network connected to
the computer where StressCheck is installed. As long as the users computer is
one for which the program is supported, and the appropriate version of Stress-
Check has been installed somewhere on the network, then the user may use
StressCheck if a license key is available. Since the type of license is controlled
by the password which is issued to the user, the license type may be changed at
any time by simply issuing a new password.
At the present time, the StressCheck license manager controls access to the fol-
lowing features:
1. Graphic User Interface (Base module)

2. Linear Elasticity Analysis
3. Nonlinear Elasticity Analysis
4. Thermal Analysis
5. Modal/Buckling Analysis
6. Measurement Analysis
7. Margin Check Analysis
7 8. Cold Working Analysis.
9. Fracture Mechanics Extraction
Once a password has been installed and the license server has been activated,
there is little need for further direct interaction between the license server and
the StressCheck user. However, if problems should occur, or if the user is sim-
ply interested in monitoring the usage of StressCheck, a variety of utilities are
266 Chapter 7: Network License Management Analysis Guide

License Server and Password Installation
provided for the purpose of trouble shooting, and monitoring license usage. These
utilities are summarized in the sections which follow.
License Server and Password Installation

Installation of the StressCheck password and activation of the license server are
usually performed in one step. You simply place a copy of the file (license.dat or
license_demo.dat) in the top level StressCheck installation directory.
The license server is actually two separate programs which are running in the back-
ground. The vendor (server) daemon monitors the number of concurrent users and
usually runs on only one system in the network. The second program is called a
local daemon, and runs on each users computer. The local daemon validates the
password for the requested program module and communicates with the server dae-
mon to find out whether a license key for the requested module is available. In large
networks, where there is some probability that the server may go down or the net-
work connection between the users computer and the license server may go down,
it may be necessary to have the license server running on more than one machine.
The vendor daemon (esrd.exe) is usually activated at the time StressCheck is

installed and should run continuously. If the system goes down, it should automati-
cally be reactivated when the system comes back up. If for any reason the license
server stops, it may be reactivated using FlexLM control panel applet described in a
later section. The server daemon is automatically started when StressCheck is
installed.
The local daemon (Imgrd.exe) is automatically activated when the StressCheck

program is started. It should not be necessary to manually start the local daemon.
License Management Trouble-shooting

A number of problems can occur during license management activation, and during
the day to day use of applications licensed in a network environment. These prob-
lems usually result in an error message issued by StressCheck when a user attempts
to use the program or attempts to access a specific module of the program.
Analysis Guide Chapter 7: Network License Management 267

License Management Trouble-shooting
The message: Cannot access license file usually means that the license file is
not installed the correct path (i.e. .../esrd), or the file has the wrong access priv-
ilege for the user who is trying to run the program, or perhaps the license ven-
dor daemon (esrd.exe) is not running. You may also check the status of the
license management daemons by running the utility /mtools.exe.
Documentation describing the functionality of FlexLM is found in the Stress-

Check installation folder named /flexuser.
268 Chapter 7: Network License Management Analysis Guide

8 References
[1] Bennett, J. A. and Botkin, M. E. 1985. Structural shape optimization with geo-
metric description and adaptive mesh refinement, AIAA Journal 23, pp. 458-
462.
[2] Schiermeier, J. E. and Szab, B. A. 1987. Interactive Design Based on the p-

Version of the Finite Element Method, Finite Elements in Analysis and Design
3: 93-107. North-Holland.
[3] Szab, B. A. and Babuska, I. 1991. Finite Element Analysis, John Wiley and
Sons, Inc. New York.
[4] Bortman, J. and Szab, B. A. 1992. Analysis of Fastened Structural Connec-

tions, AIAA Journal, Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2758-2764.
[5] Bortman, J. and Szab, B. A. 1992. Nonlinear Models for Fastened Structural
Connections, Computers and Structures, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 909-923.
[6] Gui, W. and Babuska, I. 1986. The h-, p- and hp-Versions of the Finite Element 8
Method in One Dimension. Part I: The Error Analysis of the p-Version. Part II:
Analysis Guide Chapter 8: References 269

The Error Analysis of the h and hp-Versions. Part III: The Adaptive hp-Ver-
sion. Numerische Mathematik, Vol. 49, pp. 577-612; 613-657; 659-683.
[7] J. M. Whitney and J. N. Pagano. 1970. Shear Deformation in Heteroge-

neous Anisotropic Plates, Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 37, 1031-
1036.
[8] J. M. Whitney. 1973. Shear Correction Factors for Orthotropic Laminates

Under Static Load, Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol 40, 302-304.
[9] A. K. Noor and J. M. Peters. 1989. A Posteriori Estimates for Shear Correc-
tion Factors in Multi-Layered Composite Cylinders, Journal of Engineering
Mechanics, ASCE, Vol. 115, No. 6, 1225-1244.
[10] J. M. Whitney and C. T. Sun. 1973. A Higher Order Theory for Extensional
Motion of Laminated Composites, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 30,
85-97.
[11] J. N. Reddy and C. F. Liu. 1985. A Higher-Order Shear Deformation Theory

of Laminated Elastic Shells, International Journal of Eng. Sci., Vol. 23, No.
3, 319-330.
[12] M. Di Sciuva. 1987. An Improved Shear-Deformation Theory for Moder-

ately Thick Multilayered Anisotropic Shells and Plates, Journal of Applied
Mechanics, Vol. 54, 589-596.
[13] E. J. Barbero and J. N. Reddy. 1990. An Accurate Determination of Stresses

in Thick Laminates Using a Generalized Plate Theory, International Jour-
nal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 29, 1-14.
[14] D. H. Robbins Jr. and J. N. Reddy. 1993. Modelling of Thick Composites

Using a Layerwise Laminate Theory, International Journal for Numerical
Methods in Engineering, Vol. 36, 655-677.
8 [15] R. K. Kapania. 1989. A Review on the Analysis of Laminated Shells,

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, Vol. 111, No. 2, 88-96.
270 Chapter 8: References Analysis Guide

[16] J. N. Reddy. 1990. A Review of Refined Theories for Laminated Composite
Plates, Shock and Vibration Digest, Vol. 22, 3-17.
[17] A. K. Noor and W. S. Burton. 1990. Assessment of Computational Models for

Multilayered Composite Shells, Applied Mechanics Review, Vol. 43, 67-97.
[18] W. Gilewski and M. Radwandska. 1991. A Survey of Finite Elements Models

for the Analysis of Moderately Thick Shells, Finite Elements in Analysis and
Design, Vol. 9, 1-21.
[19] B. A. Szabo and G. J. Sahrmann. 1988. Hierarchic Plate and Shell Models
Based on p-Extension, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engi-
neering, Vol. 26, 1855-1881.
[20] B. A. Szabo. 1989. Hierarchic Plate and Shell Models Based on p-Extension,
Analytical and Computational Models of Shells, A. K. Noor, T. Belytschko and J.
C. Simo, Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, Vol. 3, 317-331.
[21] C. Schwab. 1989. Dimensional Reduction for Elliptic Boundary Value Prob-
lems, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Maryland, Department of Mathematics, Col-
lege Park.
[22] I. Babuska, B. Szabo and R. Actis. 1992. Hierarchic Models for Laminated
Composites, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol.
33, 503-535.
[23] R. Actis and B. Szabo. 1993. Hierarchic Models for Bidirectional Composites,
Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, Vol. 13, 149-168.
[24] R. L. Actis. 1991. Hierarchic Models for Laminated Plates, Ph.D. Thesis,
Sever Institute of Technology, Washington University, St. Louis.
[25] B. A. Szabo and R. L. Actis. 1992. Hierarchic Models for Laminated Plates,
Adaptive, Multilevel and Hierarchical Computational Strategies, edited by A. K.
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Noor, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, AMD-Vol. 157, 69-94.

[26] I. Babuska, J. M. dHarcourt and C. Schwab. 1991. Optimal Shear Correc-
tion Factors in Hierarchic Plate Modelling, Institute for Physical Science
and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Technical Note BN-
1129.
[27] Arnold, D. N. and Falk, R. S. 1990. The Boundary Layer of the Reissner-
Mindlin Plate Model: Soft Simply Supported, Soft Clamped and Free
Plates, SIAM J. Math. Anal., Vol. 21, pp. 281-312.
[28] Schwab, C. and Wright, S. 1992. Boundary Layer Approximation in Hierar-

chical Beam and Plate Models, Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD.
[29] Hodge, P. G., Jr. and White, G. N., Jr. 1950. A Quantitative Comparison of
Flow and Deformation Theories of Plasticity, Journal of Applied Mechan-
ics, Vol. 17, pp. 180-184.
[30] Budiansky, B. 1959. A Reassessment of Deformation Theory of Plasticity,

Journal of Applied Mechanics, Trans. Am. Soc. Mech. Engrs., Vol 81E, pp.
259-264.
[31] Rice, J. R. 1968. A Path Independent Integral and the Approximate Analy-
sis of Strain Concentration by Notches and Cracks, Journal of Applied
Mechanics, Trans. Am. Soc. Mech. Engrs., Vol. 35, pp. 379-386.
[32] Hutchinson, J. W. 1968. Singular Behavior at the End of a Tensile Crack in

a Hardening Material, J. Mech. Phys. Solids, Vol. 16, pp. 13-31.
[33] Nagtegaal, J. C., Parks, D. M. and Rice, J. R. 1974. On Numerically Accu-

rate Finite Element Solutions in the Fully Plastic Range, Computer Methods
in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 4, pp. 153-177.
[34] J. E. Ashton and J. M. Whitney. 1970. Theory of Laminated Plates. Progress

in Material Science Series, Volume IV. Technomic Publishing Co., Inc.
8

[35] S. W. Tsai. 1966. Mechanics of Composite Materials. Part II-Theoretical
Aspects. Technical Report AFML-TR-66-149, Air Force Material Laboratory,
Research and Technology Division, Air Force System Command, Wright-Pater-
son Air Force Base, Ohio.
[36] L. P. Pook. 1988. Unacceptable Differences in Published Stress Intensity Fac-

tors Solutions. Technical Note, Fatigue Fract. Engng. Mater. Struct., Vol. 12,
No. 1, pp 67-69.
[37] Pvm 3.0 Users Guide and Reference Manual. Technical Report ORNL/TM-
12187, Engineering Physics and Mathematics Division, Mathematical Science
Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, February 1993.
[38] Anderson, E., et al. 1992. LAPACK Users Guide, Society for Industrial and
Applied Mathematics.
[39] Kuo, An-Yu. 1987. On the Path-Independent Line Integral for Axisymmetric
Cracks with Nonaxisymmetric Loading, Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 54,
833-837.
[40] Yosibash, Z. and Szab, B.A. 1995. The Solution of Axisymmetric Problems
Near Singular Points and Computation of Stress Intensity Factors, Finite Ele-
ments in Analysis and Design., Vol. 19, 115-129.
[41] Beer, F. P. and Johnston, E.R. 1992. Mechanics of Materials, Second Edition,
McGraw-Hill, Inc.
[42] Szab, B. A., Actis, R. L. and Holzer S. M. 1995. Solution of Elastic-Plastic

Stress Analysis Problems by the P-Version of the Finite Element Method, The
IMA Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications, Vol. 75, pp. 395-416.
[43] Nathan, A. and Brot, A. 1993. An Analytical Approach to Multi-Site Damage,

17th Symposium of the International Committee on Aeronautical Fatigue, Stock-
holm, Sweden, June 10. 8

[44] Yosibash, Z. and Szabo, B. A. Numerical Analysis of Singularities. Part 1:
Computation of Eigenpairs. International Journal for Numerical Methods in
Engineering, 38, 2055-2082 (1995).
[45] Szabo, B. A. and Yosibash, Z. 1996. Numerical Analysis of Singularities.

Part 2: Computation of Generalized Flux/Stress Intensity Factors. Interna-
tional Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 39, 409-434.
[46] Yosibash, Z. Numerical Thermo-Elastic Analysis of Singularities in Two-

Dimensions. International Journal of Fracture, 74, 341-361, 1996.
[47] Babuska, I. and Miller, A. The Post-processing Approach in Finite Element

Method - Part 2: The Calculation of Stress Intensity Factors. Int Jour. Num.
Meth. Engrg., 20: 1111-1129, 1984.
[48] Lee, K. and Cho, Y. H. Boundary Element Analysis of Thermal Stress Inten-
sity Factors for Cusp Cracks. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 37 (4): 787-
798, 1990.
[49] Prased, N. N. V., Aliabadi, M. H., and Rooke, D. P. The Dual Boundary Ele-
ment Method for Thermoelastic Crack Problems. International Journal of
Fracture, 66: 255-272, 1994.
[50] Sumi, N. and Katayama, T. Thermal Stress Singularities at tips of Griffith

Crack in a Finite Rectangular Plate. Nuclear Eng. Desgn., 60: 389-394, 1980.
[51] W.C. Young, Roarks Formulas for Stress and Strain, McGraw Hill Book
Company, Sixth Edition, 1988.
[52] Tuma, J. J. Structural Analysis, Schaums Outline Series, McGraw Hill Book
Company, 1969.
[53] Blevins, R. D. Formulas For Natural Frequencies And Mode Shape, R. E.

Krieger Publishing Co., Inc., 1984.
8

[54] Ramberg W. and Osgood W. Description of Stress-Strain Curves by Three
Parameters. NACA Technical Note 902, 1943.
[55] Sun, C.T. and Li, S. Three-Dimensional Effective Elastic Constants for Thick
Laminates. Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 22, pp. 629-639 (1988).

8

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Error and Warning

Messages
This Appendix contains a brief discussion of important error and warning messages which may be
issued by StressCheck.
There are many other messages which can occur but are very unlikely. If you encounter a message not
listed here that you do not understand, please contact your software supplier for a complete explanation.
Error 13 Unable to allocate XXX bytes of dynamic memory in NAME.
A software error has occurred. Please notify your software supplier.
Error 14 Database version mismatch (Program=XXX, Database=YYY) Do you wish to con-

tinue? (Answer: [Y]es to continue, No to abort)
The program version does not match the database file version. There may be
incompatibility between the database and the program. If you have an older version
of the program, you may wish to use it to open the database file and dump a batch
file of your model input data before proceeding to use the new program.
Error 15 Could not obtain a license for feature = NAME.
All license keys for the named feature are in use by other StressCheck users. You
must wait for a key to be returned to the license server. To find out who has the
Analysis Guide Messages 277

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license keys checked out, activate the license administration tool xnetAd-
min.
Error 74 DatabasInput string has { } character limit. Truncating input string from
{< >} to {< >}.
Your input string is too long for the current input field.
Error 75 Parameter: { } may not be used in a formula.

Parameter name must not begin with a digit, or contain a special symbol.
Parameter name must be distinct from intrinsic functions (i.e. sin,cos).
Parameter name must not be constant or coord. name (X,Y,Z,R,T,C1,C2,...).
Parameter names have restrictions so that the name will not be confused with
intrinsic functions or spatial variable names that might appear in a formula.
Please avoid use of the restricted names.
Error 76 Parameter: { } is invalid or conflicts with a reserved name.

Parameter name must not be constant or coord. name (X,Y,Z,R,T,C1,C2,...).
Parameter name must be distinct from intrinsic functions (i.e. sin,cos).
Parameter name must not begin with a digit, or contain a special symbol.
Parameter names have restrictions so that the name will not be confused with
intrinsic functions or spatial variable names that might appear in a formula.
Please avoid use of the restricted names.
Error 113 Invalid file name = XXX.
The file name shown is not valid, or cannot be opened for some reason. Check
the pathname for mistakes, or check file ownership, protection, etc.
Error 115 Bad file: XXX.
The file named does not exist, is already open, or is not the proper format.
Error 116 A data base file must be open to perform the selected operation.
278 Messages Analysis Guide

M
Use the OPEN command to open a data base file, then issue the desired command
to UPDATE, LOAD, DUMP, CLOSE, etc.
Error 117 A data base file must be open before executing a module.
Use the OPEN command to open a data base file, then issue *EXECUTE to invoke
the appropriate module execution.
Error 118 Cannot open file: XXX.
The file named could not be opened NEW. Perhaps it is already open.
Error 119 The current data base must be CLOSED before opening a new one.
Use the CLOSE command to close the current data base file, then issue the OPEN
command.
Error 300 Function translation failed.
Illegal logical operator: x.
Error 360 Multiple regions cannot be auto-meshed.
The automesher can only mesh one simple closed region at a time.
Warning 361 Mesh may be invalid or not satisfy min and max angle requirement. If you wish to
improve the quality of mesh, make the Repeat # greater than { }.
Warning 362 Some boundary loop cannot be closed.
The automesher has detected an open loop. There must be a gap in the boundaries
defining the region to be meshed.
Error 363 The automesher requires that the user select boundaries to indicate regions which
are to be meshed.
No boundaries are selected.
Error 364 Boundaries { } and { } overlap.

M
Some boundaries are overlapping, and creating a redundant area of the bound-
ary defining the region. Remove the overlap condition and try again.
Error 1002 The requested feature has not been password enabled. Please contact your soft-
ware supplier for a valid password to activate this feature.
Error 1009 Invalid neutral format record type = XXX.
An invalid format specifier was encountered in your batch input file. Look for
*XXX in the batch file and remove or correct the record.
Error 1023 Elements { }, { } and { } are redundant.
More than 2 elements are sharing the same face.
Error 1024 Element { } has redundant nodes.
Element references the same node more than once.
Error 1025 Element { } is too distorted. It should be reconstructed.
Element may have edges which intersect opposite face, which crossover
another edge of the element, or has some other pathologic condition which
leads to a negative area/volume.
Error 1067 Element XXX has no property orientation points in table NAME.
When performing a fitting of property data from a table, there must be data
specified for every element in the model. Please supply tabular data for ele-
ment XXX.
Error 1068 E matrix for property NAME is not positive definite.
Property NAME has coefficients which cause the material stiffness matrix to
be singular.
Warning 1069 E matrix for property NAME has a condition number > 20.0.
Property NAME has coefficients which cause the ratio between the largest and
the smallest eigenvalue of the material stiffness matrix to be > 20.

M
Error 1070 E matrix for property NAME cannot be computed.
E matrix has negative determinant or material type may not be implemented.
Error 1071 Invalid value of Poissons ratio (must be >= 0.0 and < 0.5).
The Poissons ratio for Isotropic material has to be positive and less than 0.5.
Error 1073 Plate extraction failed. Z coordinate may be out of range.
The provided Z-coordinate is out of range. Valid values of Z-coordinate are

between zero and half the plate thickness (0 <= Z <= h/2).
Error 1075 Zero density detected during modal analysis.
Check if density was provided in the property definition.
Error 1076 Assignment of mixed PRODUCT and TRUNK space is not supported in 3D.
StressCheck does not currently support mixing elements which have different basis
function spaces in 3 dimensions. You must make all elements either trunk space or
all product space. If you wish to use product space in 3D all elements must be hexa-
hedrons. Product space in 3D is not recommended.
Error 1077 Model contains elements or combinations of elements which are not currently sup-
ported.
Solids or shells are not allowed in any planar model. Solids and shells may not be
mixed in the 3D reference system.
Error 1078 Composite curve { } contains segments which are not piecewise continuous.
This composite curve should not be referenced by any element definition. The
slope discontinuity will not be properly represented by an element which contains
the discontinuity on its edge.
Warning 1079 Composite curve { } contains segments which are not slope continuous.
This curve may introduce errors in attached elements.

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This composite curve should not be referenced by any element definition. The
slope discontinuity will not be properly represented by an element which con-
tains the discontinuity on its edge.
Error 1096 OBJECT number XXX may not be copied.
The copy operation is not yet supported for this object type. Some objects
which are created in StressCheck may not be copied because the associativity
relationships are particularly complex. When the copy operation encounters an
object of this type, the operation is aborted.
Error 1097 Object X cannot be associated with Object Y.
Associative objects are evaluated in order of creation. The object being moved
was created before the referenced object. To avoid this limitation, you may first
delete the object you wish to move, and then re-create it.
Error 1099 The operation is not supported for the object(s) selected.
You have selected a combination of ACTION, OBJECT, and METHOD which

is not supported by the program.
Error 1100 Object cannot be created tangent to curves XXX and YYY.
The tangency method is currently supported only for circles and points.
Warn 1101 The location of NODE X is difficult to compute.
The node is probably an intersection or tangency in a region where an iterative

algorithm has failed to isolate the location accurately within a preset iteration
limit. The computed location is only approximate.
Error 1102 The location of NODE Y could not be computed.
One of the following conditions may apply:
1. Intersection or tangency cannot be computed.
2. Offset on a curve which does not exist.
3. Specification in a local system which does not exist.

M
4. Equality with a point which does not exist.
Warning 1105 Nodes were reordered for element XXX.
The nodes of an element were shifted to a position which caused the element to
become illegal. The program has automatically renumbered the nodes so that the
element will be legal. This may cause boundary conditions attached directly to ele-
ment edges or faces to be different than what it was intended.
Error 1106 OBJECT NAME cannot be deleted. Object is part of an associative relationship.
You have attempted to purge an object which is still being referenced by some other
object in the model. You must remove this reference before you will be able to
purge the object. This reference may be from a SET definition, or some other asso-
ciative geometry definition.
Error 1128 Zero or negative thickness detected in element XXX.
Formula or fitted thickness has resulted in a zero or negative thickness at some

point in element XXX.
Error 1130 Element EEE edge nodes YYY & ZZZ do not form a valid edge.
A set definition probably references an element edge by explicitly listing the edge
nodes (element: node1-node2). It is advisable to convert the reference to a direct
edge reference (element: edge).
Error 1131 Element EEE face nodes WWW,XXX,YYY,ZZZ do not form a valid face.
A set definition probably references an element face by explicitly listing the face
nodes (element: n1-n2-n3-n4). It is advisable to convert the reference to a direct
face reference (element: face).
Error 1138 XXX number YYY references an object which is not selected. The copy operation
cannot be performed.
When objects are selected for a copy operation, the program checks to see that all
associative relationships can be preserved in the new copy. If any object referenced
in an associative relationship from an object selected for copying, is not itself
selected, the copy operation is aborted. Make sure that all appropriate objects are
selected before attempting to copy.

M
Error 1139 XXX number yyy is not selected but is referenced by a copied object.
This is the object which is referenced by the object selected for the copy opera-
tion. You must select this object in order for the copy to be performed. This is
the first object encountered which is referenced by an object being copied, but
may not be the only such object.
Error 1140 Redundant or conflicting boundary conditions on the same element edge.
Name = NAME, element = XXX, edge =YYY.
Edge YYY of element XXX has been assigned redundant or conflicting

boundary conditions in case NAME. This can happen under the following con-
ditions:
1. The user assigned more than one load or constraint to the same edge
(face).
2. The user assigned more than one load or constraint to the same
boundary which was then inherited by edge (face) YYY.
3. The user assigned a load or constraint to a boundary and to an edge

(face) which inherits from the boundary.
An edge (face) can inherit a boundary condition from a boundary if the ele-
ment is explicitly attached to the boundary or if the edge is collinear (face is
coplanar) with a boundary. Sometimes you may want some element edges
(faces) which are collinear with a LINE (coplanar with a PLANE) to be loaded
or constrained. In this case you should apply the boundary condition explicitly
to the edge (face) instead of applying it to the boundary. One particular situa-
tion where this might occur is when attempting to load or constrain the faces of
a crack. In this case, the element edges (faces) which lie on the crack face
should be loaded or constrained explicitly.
Error 1141 Redundant body force or Poisson conditions on the same element. Name =
NAME, element = XXX already loaded.
The same element probably appears in more than one load specification for the
same load case (i.e. the element is contained in more than one SET definition).
Error 1142 Redundant or conflicting boundary conditions on the same element face. Name
= NAME, element = XXX, face = YYY.

M
See discussion above for Error 1140. Applies to 3D surfaces and faces.
Error 1150 Inconsistent constraints found in element = XXX, case = NAME.
Displacement and temperature boundary conditions specified for intersecting

boundaries, edges or faces must be consistent. Consistency tests are performed for
nodes and edges. Check the constraint or temperature data.
Error 1151 Constraint error found in element = XXX, case = YYY. Symmetry or anti-symmetry
condition applied to a face which is not flat. Tolerance may be controlled with
parameter _SURFACE_TOL. Number of points checked on each face controlled
with parameter _SURFACE_MIDPT.
The tolerance parameter (_SURFACE_TOL) may be set to a value which repre-

sents the difference in distance between a point which is in the plane of the con-
strained surface, and the point which lies on the face of the element. There can
sometimes be some numerical error in representing faces which have curved edges
but which are supposed to be flat.
It is sometimes useful to specify the number of points to be sampled from the face
for purposes of determining whether the face is planar. The parameter
_SURFACE_MIDPT is the number of points along an edge of an element. The
actual number of points used to check planarity of a quadrilateral face will be
(n+2)*(n+2).
Error 1163 Parameter { } expression may not be recursive.
A parameter has been defined using an expression which references itself. For
example a = b + c; b = a + d;
Warning 1206 Model changed since last solution. Post-processing results may not be reliable.
The program has detected a change in the model definition due to the addition or
modification of an element, node, boundary, etc. This may or may not affect your
post-processing results, depending on what was changed and what is being post-
processed. Use caution when interpreting results.
Error 1208 Eigenvectors are not available. Rerun with mode shapes selected.
In the Execution Status interface for modal and buckling analysis, there is a choice
between computing only the eigenvalues (load factors), or both the eigenvalues

M
(load factors) and mode shapes. If you select to compute only the eigenvalues
(load factors), then the mode shapes are not available and you will not be able
to display the shapes. You must rerun the solution with the appropriate option
selected.
Error 1210 Matrix assembly FAILED. No elements to assemble, check to see whether nick-
names have been provided.
Either there are no elements in the model, or the Parts and Assembly combo
boxes are set such that no elements are being displayed on the main window.
Error 1215 Degrees of freedom exceeds program limit: { }. Reduce element

count or revise p-level assignment.
The version of the program has imposed a limit on the number of degrees of
freedom to be solved. You may use bounded or fixed p-level assignment to
restrict the p-level in regions which are not of interest in order to minimize the
degrees of freedom.
Error 1218 No elements were assigned non-linear material properties.
If no elements have non-linear material properties, you cannot perform a non-

linear analysis. Change material definitions.
Error 1220 Element XXX stiffness or load generation failed.
This is an internal error which should be reported to your software supplier.

The element shape may be too distorted. Use the Edit/ Geometry/ Mesh/
Check/ Distort feature to test element distortion.
Error 1222 Element XXX load generation failed.

Error 1223 Element XXX stiffness generation failed.


M
Error 1224 Element XXX constraint generation failed.
This is an internal error which should be reported to your software supplier. The
element shape may be too distorted. Use the Edit/ Geometry/ Mesh/ Check/ Distort
feature to test element distortion.
Error 1225 Element XXX is too distorted. (see Geometry/Check/Distort).
StressCheck makes sure that all elements in the model satisfy basic minimum and
maximum interior angle conditions. The interior angle of an element must not be
less than 1 degree or greater than 179 degrees. The distortion of elements may be
checked in the Geometry/Mesh dialog window. Choose Action: Check, Object:
Element, Method: Distort.
Error 1226 Element { } is too distorted, mapping failed during nonlinear analysis.
The shape change is too large to be properly simulated. You may need to remesh
the model in the distorted area in order to properly represent the deformed domain.
Error 1259 The global matrix and vector assembly failed.
Error 1260 The solver failed.
Error 1261 The eigensolver failed.
Note 1310 XXX redundant nodes have been trimmed from the model.
During H-refinement, the program will trim nodes from the model which appear to
be redundant. The tolerance which is used to determine if two nodes are close to
each other may be controlled by the parameter _TRIM_TOL.
Error 1311 Boundary XXX construction failed.
This usually indicates that an object such as a spline curve or surface which is con-
structed from a set of points or curves, cannot be constructed because one of the

M
underlying objects can no longer be evaluated. This can happen if an underly-

ing object was itself computed as an intersection which is no longer valid.
Error 1312 Intersection could not be computed.
The program does not yet support all possible combinations of surface inter-
sections. At the present time, it is possible only to intersect two planes and two
properly aligned cylinders.
Warning 1315 The fillet/intersection { } may not be accurate enough for your purposes.
If you need more accuracy, it may help to increase the resolution to a value
greater than { }.
The primary intent of this message is to inform the user that the fillet surface or
intersection curve may not have the desired shape. This usually means that the
fillet/intersection is not closed, but perhaps should be. If the resulting surface/
curve is satisfactory for your modeling purposes, do not increase the resolu-
tion.
Increasing the resolution may have undesired consequences. The computation

time will be significantly increased, and the robustness of the shape to changes
in geometric dimensions may be sacrificed. It is not recommended to increase
the resolution above 25 unless there are extreme circumstances that require
such a high resolution. Do not increase resolution if your only objective is to
suppress this message.
Error 1700 Contour integral requires all element edges intersected by the integration cir-
cle to be radial from the crack tip.
The radius of the integration circle can be arbitrary but the circle must be
inside the solution domain and it must cross only interelement boundaries
which lie on radial lines with respect to the crack tip.
Warning 1701 Contour integral may not be valid if material is not LINEAR and ISOTROPIC.
The computation of the stress intensity factors by the contour integral method
is valid only for linear-elastic isotropic materials. See Appendix B.
Error 1702 Node X is not a crack tip.

M
There may be redundant nodes at the same location as the actual crack tip, or there
is no free face at the node.

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Index I
A assign 25, 76, 164, 185

Adaptivity 169 built-in 26, 110, 165
Analysis dialog box 186
buckling 229 dialog window 25
linear 31, 78, 115, 168 display 186
modal 215 extrusion 188
Axial force 66 fastener connection 27
Axisymmetric elasticity 71 fastener displacement 27
hinge 26
point 27, 111
B rigid body 26, 111, 166
Beam 57, 225 single node 26
Bending moment 64 soft-simple support 110
Buckling analysis 215, 230 spring coefficient 165
spring coefficients 26
C symmetry 26, 27, 110, 165, 180, 186
Check Convective boundary conditions 241,
equilibrium 45, 52 245
load 24 Convective temperature 244
mesh 8 Convergence 33, 170
Constraints
antisymmetry 26, 110, 165
Analysis Guide Index 291

Index
D Frequency 220
Deformed shape
I plot 63 G
Discretization Geometry
p- 78 create 176
q- 193, 200
H
E Heat Transfer analysis
Eigensolvers 235 convective boundary condition 248
Elasticity flux boundary conditions 244
3D 139 heat source boundary condition 246
planar 1 material properties 242
Element temperature boundary condition 246
beam 5 verification example 254
fastener 5
hexahedral (brick) 146
pentahedral (wedge) 146
I
quadrilateral 5 Input file 30
tetrahedral 146 Installation
thin solid 191 password 267
triangle 5
vanishing angle 8, 147 L
Equilibrium 52 Laminated composite 13, 103, 150
check 246 Cartesian 206
Error cylindrical 209
estimator 34, 79, 172 example 14, 150, 195
Example problem License
3D-elasticity 174 features 266
axisymmetric 89 floating 266
planar 46 local daemon 267
plate bending 130 management 265
thermal analysis 254 management trouble-shooting 267
Execute node-locked 266
buckling analysis 230 server daemon 267
linear analysis 31, 78, 115 Line
modal analysis 219 create 183
Extension 29, 31, 168 Load
Extrusion 182 assign 18, 75, 107, 158, 179, 185
bearing 21, 159
F body force 21, 75, 158
Flux 246 check 160
Formula concentrated force 21, 159
define 21 convergence 234
dialog window 18
292 Index Analysis Guide

Index
formula 22, 75 deformed shape 124

interference 21 discretization error 118
moment 21 distributed load 107 I
spring 19, 158 edge moment 108
thermal 21, 158, 261 edge resultants 128
traction 19, 158, 185 edge shear 108
types 18, 19, 75, 107 example 130
hierarchic models for 113
M laminated material 103
Material properties load 107
material properties 102
assign 75, 148
modeling error 119
check 185
condition number 185 point load 109
Plotting
define 10, 75, 147
buckling shape 234
laminate orthotropic 150
orthotropic 149 deformed shape 82, 124
mode shape 224
temperature dependent 154
standard functions 41
temperature dependent (formula
option) 155 Ply Group 104
Point
temperature dependent (table
extraction 84, 213
option) 155
Mesh Pre-stress 220
Principal directions 54
check 8
create 7, 143, 184
design 5 R
Min/Max Repeat
extraction 42, 67, 83, 127 object creation 183
Min/Max extraction 212 Resultant 43
Modal analysis
beams 225 S
eigensolver 235
Scratch directory 33, 117, 171
execute 237
Section properties 58, 161
frequency convergence 222 Shear correction factor 102
plates 217
Shear force 65
Mode shape 224
Solution IDs
specification 28
N Spring constant
Node linear 26
create 184 Stacking Sequence 105
Standard functions
P axisymmetric elasticity 80
heat transfer 252
Plate bending
planar elasticity 37
constraint 110
plate bending 121
Analysis Guide Index 293

Index
Strains
components 37, 80
I equivalent 38, 82
material directions 206
principal 38, 81
thermal 202
total/mechanical 201
Stress
components 39, 81
concentration factors 51
equivalent 40, 82
material directions 206
principal 39, 81
resultants 43, 85, 122
thermal 261
T
Table 155
Temperature
boundary condition 248, 261
temperature dependent
properties 154
units 244
Thickness
assign 9, 101, 184
Thin solids 191
degrees of freedom 192
example 195
selecting q-level 200
stress/strains in material
directions 206
U
Units 2, 216, 244
V
Vanishing angles 147
294 Index Analysis Guide

Stress Check Analysis Guide

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Stress Check Analysis Guide

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StressCheck

StressCheck includes portions of FLEXlm license manager version 6.1. Copyright

Tech Soft America (www.hoops3d.com) supplied the following core technology:

StressCheck incorporates MeshSim a product of Simmetrix Inc.

Engineering Software Research & Development, Inc. makes no representations or warran-

Analysis Guide Table of Contents i

4 Three-Dimensional Elasticity 139

ii Table of Contents Analysis Guide

Defining the solution ID 167

5 Modal and Buckling Analyses 215

6 Conduction Heat Transfer 239

7 Network License Management 265

Analysis Guide Table of Contents

Error and Warning Messages 277

iv Table of Contents Analysis Guide

Setting the analysis type and choice of units

Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 1

Entering geometric data

The process of entering geometric data is demonstrated through an example in

Example StressCheck makes it very convenient to specify solution domains bounded by

2 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

FIGURE 1 Geometry input.

Define next the inner circle by the commands:

Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 3

Circular fillet, radius = 15

FIGURE 2 Part of a linkage arm. The length units are in millimeters.

This completes the specification of the solution domain.

4 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

Entering mesh data

Quadrilateral elements: They are constructed by selecting 4 nodes in any order.

Triangular elements: They are constructed by selecting 3 nodes in any order.

Beam elements: They are constructed by selecting 2 nodes in any order.

Fastener elements: Special elements that can be attached to circular boundaries.

Designing the mesh

Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 5

FIGURE 3 Portion of a linkage arm. Mesh details.

6 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

To create nodes 13 through 15:

Now we are ready to create the elements. To create a quadrilateral element:

To create a triangular element:

Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 7

Checking the mesh

Mesh tab > Check > Edge > Free Edge.

Note on vanishing angles

8 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

FIGURE 5 Thickness input.

Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 9

Entering material properties

2. Specify whether you wish to define a Linear elastic, Elastic-Plastic or Non-

10 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

FIGURE 6 Material properties input.

Note: The material properties on the standard list of StressCheck are

Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 11

5. Specify whether the analysis is to be Plane Stress or Plane Strain.

Note: For orthotropic and transversely isotropic materials, a coordinate sys-

To assign materials to elements:

12 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

A capability is available to facilitate the input of orthotropic material properties for

Analysis Guide Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity 13

(a) Material axes (b) Rotation of material axes

FIGURE 7 Material coordinate systems for orthotropic plies.

dure provides great flexibility, since various ply groups of different

14 Chapter 1: Planar Elasticity Analysis Guide

FIGURE 8 16 ply [4(0/90)]S simply-supported laminated composite