Paper ID #16445

Enhancement of a Finite Element Analysis Course for Structural Engineer-

ing
Dr. Shahnam Navaee, Georgia Southern University
Dr. Navaee is currently a Full Professor in the Civil Engineering and Construction Management Depart-
ment in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology at Georgia Southern
University. Dr. Navaee received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State
University in 1980 and 1983, and his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson
University in 1989.
Dr. Junsuk Kang, Georgia Southern University

Dr. Junsuk Kang earned his Ph.D. degree in Structural Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineer-
ing at Auburn University, AL, USA in 2007. He obtained his master’s degree in Structural Engineering
from Korea University, South Korea, in 2000 and his Bachelor’s degree was in Civil and Environmental
Engineering from Korea University, South Korea, in 1998. Prior to entering PhD study, Dr. Kang worked
as a Senior Civil Engineer in Hong Kong site and Seoul Headquarter of Hyundai Engineering and Con-
struction Co., Ltd. during 2000- 2002. After his PhD study, he had taken many projects supported by
ALDOT and Air Force Research Laboratory as a research associate at Auburn University during 2007
– 2011. Dr. Junsuk Kang has taught Structures courses in the Department of Civil Engineering and
Construction Management at Georgia Southern University as an assistant professor since 2012.

American
c Society for Engineering Education, 2016
 Enhancement of a Finite Element Analysis
Course for Structural Engineering

Abstract

In this paper the enhancement of an introductory Finite Element course in the newly established
Civil Engineering and Construction Management Department at Georgia Southern University is
discussed. Typically in an Introductory Finite Element course offered in many engineering schools,
a simple less elaborate FE package is used to deliver the course concepts. In the newly developed
course discussed in the paper, a state-of-the-art commercial software package is planned to be
utilized to further enhance the marketability of the students upon graduation. Along with this choice
comes the challenge of developing suitable tutorials and examples to familiarize the students with
various important tools and special features of this sophisticate package in the minimum amount of
time possible. The submitted paper explores one possible strategy to accomplish this task. This
course is designed for exploring the civil engineering applications focusing specifically on analysis
of structural components, rather than solving problems related to other fields such as fluid mechanics
or heat transfer. The planned projects in the course explore strategies in analyzing a variety of
structural members such as trusses, beams, frames, as well as other solid continuums. The course is
expected to complement other structural engineering related courses delivered in the curriculum
such as Structural Analysis and Advanced Structural Analysis. Solutions of problems obtained in
this course using the FE package can be compared and contrasted against the results from other
classical methods discussed in these courses. Some of these methods include: Slope-Deflection
Method, Moment Distribution Method, and Matrix Stiffness Method. These comparisons further
enhance the knowledge of the students in area of structures and provide them with new perspectives.

Several prepared example problems for the course are included in the paper to further illustrate the
value of the project. Each of these examples is selected for a unique purpose, covering specific
topics, and illustrating important principles. Collection of the prepared course examples such as the
ones included in this paper will provide the students with the strong foundation in the areas of
analysis of structures, preparing them well for their future studies and for pursuing rewarding
professional careers.

I. Introduction

In this educational project instructional modules and examples are created for analyzing various
structural members using the Abaqus software, a well-known Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
package used in many research institutions and prestigious engineering schools in the United States
and around the world. Even though a number of electronic tutorial files accompany this
comprehensive software packages, these files in their presented format are not suited for direct
utilization in a course. In the current project, the investigator has prepared an easier and more
practical guide for students to be able to use this sophisticated simulation package. The instructional
modules and examples created in this project are developed to complement the CENG 5336
(Introduction to Finite Elements) course, a technical elective in the Civil Engineering program at
Georgia Southern University. This course that has never been taught previously in the CE program.
These modules provide an overview of some of the most powerful features of this package and aid
in introducing the users to various Abaqus special components and commands. Each example is
selected to demonstrate the utility of a particular feature of the software in accomplishing a new task,
a task which was not required in the previous examples. Developed tutorials essentially provide the
details related to performing the following listed activities using the order indicated.

(1) Creating a part

(2) Creating a material
(3) Defining and assigning section properties
(4) Assembling the model
(5) Creating an analysis step
(6) Requesting data output
(7) Applying boundary conditions
(8) Applying loads
(9) Meshing the model
(10) Creating an analysis job
(11) Checking the model
(l2) Running an analysis job
(13) Post processing.

Even though the analysis of any structural member using Abaqus mainly involves undertaking the
above listed tasks, the intricacies involved in each of these steps can significantly be different
depending on the special type of problem analyzed and the analysis method selected. Tutorial
examples developed in this project cover the analysis of structural members such as (1) trusses, (2)
beams, (3) frames, and (4) solid continuum elements. The project will continue so that other
examples can be developed for investigating more complicated problems such as those involving
non-linear structures and structures subjected to dynamic loads.

The following two factors can be perceived as possible drawbacks in utilization of this sophisticated
tool in a FE course; (a) the cost of the package, and (b) the steep learning curve associated with the
software. Each one of these issues has been addressed in the project. It should be noted that even
though the commercial cost for purchasing this package is relatively high, the Dassault Systems
offers substantially discounted educational licenses of the full version of the software for classroom
use. Additionally, the student version of Abaqus can be downloaded free of charge from the
Dassault Systems website. The free student version of the software is the essentially the full
commercial version, limited to handling models containing up to one thousand nodes. It is deemed
that this number of nodes is sufficient enough for the purpose of modeling a variety of structural
components in an introductory finite element course. The student can download this free version on
their personal computers and use it as they wish to master their expertise. The second possible
drawback associated with the steep learning curve of the software has been addressed by creating a
series of tutorials in the course as further discussed in more details in the remaining sections of the
paper.

In this course the students are instructed to construct and analyze a variety models for structures
such as trusses, beams, frames, and various other solid continuums. Some of these structures are
taken from well-known textbooks such as the one listed in the reference section of the paper1-8.
Several of these textbooks are currently adopted for use in the Civil Engineering program at the
authors’ institution.
The Finite Element solutions for several of the examples used in the course are provided in the paper
to better illustrate the scope of the project. In performing the special tasks needed for each selected
sample problem, a series of steps have to be followed in succession in order to yield the correct
solution. In most cases, these steps involve selection of various options in specific menus,
submenus, and dialog boxes of the software interface. Remembering and following these steps
without a having a properly prepared guide can be a difficult and confusing task. For the sample
problems such as the ones presented in this paper, a step-by-step guide is prepared to outline the
needed procedures. In preparing these guides, screenshots of various important stages of the
procedures are included to clearly outline the sequence of required steps. The prepared guides will
be of outmost importance in completing the assigned exercises. A sample four-page tutorial guide
developed for a frame example is included at the end of section IV in Figure 11. This guide outlines
the key steps and the specific procedures needed in analyzing the discussed frame.

Once the students are familiarized with the special features of this comprehensive software tool
using the provided tutorial examples, they are assigned to develop the solutions for other more
complicated problems using their newly acquired skills. Solving these new problems will provide an
excellent opportunity for students to test their understanding, gain further experience, and further
enhance their competencies in utilizing this tool. Utilization of Abaqus in this course in the manner
described will prepare the students for pursuing rewarding professional and academic careers.

II. Truss Analysis

The first type of structure the students are assigned to analyze in the course is a simple truss such as
the one presented in Figure 1. By completing this exercise the students learn how to perform the
thirteen essential operations involved in the finite element analysis of a part utilizing Abaqus. These
operations were listed in the previous section of the paper. The tools used for initiating each of the
thirteen tasks can be seen on the left hand-side of the screen shown in Figure 1. In addition to
experimenting with these tools, in this exercise the students specifically learn how to create various
cross sectional profiles and assign them to different truss members, and additionally learn how to
generate a tabular report of the computed results. In this problem, students are instructed to use a 2-
noded linear 2-D truss element (“T2D2 Element”) when meshing the model. A screenshot of the
report showing the computed values of the reaction forces at the roller and pin supports, nodal
displacements at the joints, as well as the axial stresses in the truss members is provided in Figure 2.
The student will have an opportunity to compare the values obtained from their FE analysis to the
results from other methods of analysis such as the Virtual Work Method or Castigliano’s Method.
The students were exposed to these methods in the Structural Analysis courses they have previously
taken.

III. Beam Analysis

The procedure for analyzing a beam utilizing Abaqus is next discussed in the course. One sample
exercise assigned to the students is presented in Figure 3. In this exercise, a statically indeterminate
continuous beam subjected to several loads is analyzed. In addition to providing the students with
additional expertise in modeling a structural member, the students are further instructed about the
techniques in Abaqus by which a variety of loads can be applied to the structures in various
combinations and load cases. In this problem, a 2-noded linear beam element in a plane (“B21
Element”) is used in modeling the beam. This exercise also outlines a method by which the
distribution of the internal reactions along the length of the beam can be plotted. One sample plot
showing the moment distribution for the beam is provided in Figure 4. Similar to the previous case,
the FE analysis results for this problem can be compared against the calculated values obtained using
other methods of analysis such as the Slope-Deflection Method or Moment Distribution Method.

IV. Frame Analysis

The third type of exercise included in the course involves the analysis of a frame utilizing Abaqus.
Two sample two-dimensional frame examples that could be assigned to the students are provided in
Figures 5 and 8. As stated previously, each assigned exercise in the course is selected to teach the
students about a new feature of the package, a feature that was not explored in the previous
exercises. For example, when analyzing the frame presented in Figure 5, students learn how to
apply an inclined distributed load and also place a roller support on an inclined surface. Each of
these specific operations requires following a set of steps. Moreover in this exercise, the students
learn how to cut a member to obtain the internal reactions at the cut surface. One sample cut has
been presented in Figure 6. In this exercise the students additionally become more familiarized with
specific techniques for preparing tabular reports. A sample report showing the computed values of
the support reactions as well as the displacements and rotations of the nodes on the frame has been
presented in Figure 7. These results are based on utilizing a “B21 Element” and correspond to the
case where E = 200 GPa and ν = 0.32. As stated in the Introduction section, a four-page tutorial
developed for the frame example shown in Figure 5, is included at the end of this section in Figure
11. This guide outlines the key steps and the specific procedures needed in analyzing the discussed
frame. As in the previous examples, the students can be asked to compare the results from their FE
analysis against the values obtained utilizing other classical methods of analysis discussed in the
Structural Analysis courses.

A sample three-dimensional multi-story frame such as the one presented in Figure 9 is also intended
to be used as an additional exercise to further enhance the students’ competencies in analyzing a full
range of structures . The specific cross sectional profiles of structural members can be inputted in
Abaqus utilizing dialog boxes such as the ones depicted in Figure 10. In addition to discovering
more about the analysis of three-dimensional structures, in this exercise the students also learn more
details related to displaying a variety of results such as the ones presented in Figure 9. Included in
Figure 9 is the deflected shape of the frame, along with the Von Mises stress contours produced in
the frame members. The results displayed in Figure 9 correspond to the case when a three-
dimensional 2-noded beam element (“B31 Element”) is used to mesh the part.

In the discussed course, the students further have the opportunity to verify the accuracy of their
results obtained using Abaqus to the output generated from other structural engineering software
packages such as SAP2000. Verification of these results will provide the students with additional
confidence in their ability to properly and effectively utilize Abaqus.
 Model Tree/Results Tree
providing all essential
tools needed for creating
and analyzing a part.

6k
E 2 in2 D

A-36 Steel
E = 29,000 ksi, ν = 0.32

2 in2 3 in2 2 in2 3 in2 4 ft

6k

3 in2 B 3 in2
A
C
4 ft 4 ft

Figure 1. Determinate Truss Subjected to Concentrated Loads Applied at Joints

Figure 2. Report Tabulating the Reactions at the Truss Supports, Displacement at Joints, and
Axial Stress in Members
 A-36 Steel
E = 29,000 ksi, ν = 0.32

12 k
2 k/ft

A B C

24 ft 4 ft 4 ft

Figure 3. Continuous Beam Subjected to a Concentrated and a Distributed Load

Figure 4. Sample Plot Showing the Distribution of the Moment along the Beam
 A-36 Steel
E = 200 GPa, ν = 0.32

A
C
50 kN/m

1.5 m

B
4m 2m

Figure 5. 2D Frame with an Inclined Roller Support Subjected to an Inclined Distributed Load

Computed resultant
reaction at the pin
support.

Computed internal resultant

force and moment at the
cut section.

Figure 6. A free Body Diagram of the Cut Frame Showing the Resultant Internal Force and
Moment at the Cut Section
Figure 7. Generated Tabular Report Showing the Reaction Forces at the Frame Supports and the
Displacements and Rotations of Nodes

8 ft 8 ft 12 ft
3 k/ft
6k C
B
E
800 in4 650 in4

15 ft 400 in4 200 in4

A D

A-36 Steel
E = 29,000 ksi, ν = 0.32

Figure 8. Example of a 2D Frame Containing Various Cross Section Profiles

 1 k/ft
1 k/ft

W 8x31
W 18x35
2 k/ft
20 ft

2 k/ft

W 8x31
W 18x35

20 ft

20 ft A-36 Steel
20 ft E = 29,000 ksi, ν = 0.32

Figure 9. Sample 3D Frame Subjected to Four Distributed Loads

(a) (b)

Figure 10. Dialog box in Abaqus for Specifying the

Cross Sectional Profiles of Members
 CENG 5336 - Introduction to Finite Elements
ABAQUS Tutorial Guide: Frame_1 Exercise (Page 1 of 4)

In this tutorial a guide for obtaining the support reactions and displacement of the frame joints are outlined. The
modulus of elasticity and the Poisson’s Ratio of the frame members are respectively: E = 200 GPa and  = 0.32.

250 mm

50 mm

Cross-Section Frame

Steps:

1. Create Model: In the Model Tree, double-click the Parts container to open the Create Part dialog box.
Name the part Frame_1 and for the Modeling Space, Type and Base Feature Shape, respectively use: 2D
Planar, Deformable, and Wire. For the Approximate size you can use 10. Click Continue. Sketch the frame
shown above as instructed in the previous tutorials. Click Done.
2. Create Material: In the Model Tree, double-click the Materials container and create a new material. In the
Edit Material dialog box, name the material Steel. Click on Mechanical > Elasticity> Elastic, and enter the
values of Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio indicated above. Click OK.
3. Create Profile: On the menu bar of the Materials module, select Profile > Create and further select the
Rectangular shape for the cross-section and click Continue. Enter the dimensions of the cross section as
specified above (a = 0.050 m, b = 0.250 m) in the Edit Profile dialog box and click OK.
4. Create Beam Section Orientation: On the menu bar of the Materials module, select Assign > Beam Section
Orientation and select the entire frame by drawing a box around it and click Done. Press the Enter key on the
keyboard to accept the default setting. Once this done, you will see the local axial & transverse coordinate axes
generated on each member of the frame. Click OK and Done. Note that this step is needed for applying the
inclined load on the frame at a later time.
5. Create a Section: In the Model Tree, double-click the Sections container to open the Create Section dialog
box. In this box, select both Beam and Beam options for the Category and Type. Click Continue and OK.
6. Assign the Section to the Frame: On the Model Tree, expand the branch for part named Frame_1 by first
clicking on the “+” symbol to expand the Parts container and subsequently clicking on the “+” symbol again to
expand Frame_1. Double-Click the Section Assignments, select the entire frame by drawing a box around it.
Subsequently, click Done and OK.
7. Define the Frame Assembly: In the Model Tree, expand the Assembly container and double-click the
Instances. In the Create Instances dialog box, select the Frame_1 and click OK.

Figure 11(a). Sample Tutorial Guide Prepared for the Frame_1 Exercise (Page 1 of 4)
 CENG 5336 - Introduction to Finite Elements
ABAQUS Tutorial Guide: Frame_1 Exercise (Page 2 of 4)

8. Create an Analysis Step: In the Model Tree, double-click the Steps container. In the appeared Create Step
dialog box, enter a name for the Step. You can use Load Step as the step name. Subsequently in this box,
select Linear Perturbation as the Procedure type, and further select Static, Linear perturbation as the
specific option from the provided list. Click Continue and on the appeared Edit Step dialog box enter the
following description for the load Step: Inclined Load Applied on the Frame. Click OK to finalize this
step.
9. Request Data Output: In the Model Tree, right-click the mouse on the Field Output Requests container, and
select Manager from the appeared list to open the Field Output Requests Manager dialog box. In this box,
select the cell labeled “Created” if not already selected, and click the Edit button on the right side of the dialog
box. In the Edit Field Output Request box, you can view the list of variables that are selected by default to be
written to the output database (.odb file). This list can be modified as desired. In this exercise, in addition to
the variables already selected as defaults, we also toggle on the SF check box to also output the section forces
and moments (this task can be done by first expanding the Forces/Reactions and subsequently selecting the SF
option). By choosing this option, we will be able to shows the internal reactions graphically at any cut section
and also print these results in the tabular format. Click OK and Dismiss to finalize this step. Save your file at
this point. Remember that it is always a good idea to save your file periodically in the middle of the process to
be on the safe side.
10. Create Boundary Conditions: To assign a pin at point A (shown on the frame diagram), in the Model Tree,
double-click the BCs container to open the Create Boundary Condition dialog box. In this box, name the
boundary condition Pin, select Initial as the Step (from the drop down menu), choose Displacement/Rotation
option from the Types for Selected Step list, and click Continue. Next, in the viewport, select point A and
click Done. On the appeared Edit Boundary Condition dialog box, toggle on U1 and U2 check boxes to
constrain the translational motions in the global x and y directions. Click OK.

Procedure for Creating a Boundary Condition on an Inclined Member:

To place a roller at the inclined edge of the frame at pint B, perform the following steps:
(a) As outlined previously for the pin support, double-click the BCs container to open the Create
Boundary Condition dialog box. In this box, name the boundary condition Roller, select Initial as
the Step (from the drop down menu, if not already selected), choose Displacement/Rotation option
from the Types for Selected Step list, and click Continue. Next, in the viewport, select point B
(shown on the frame diagram) and click Done.
(b) On the appeared Edit Boundary Condition dialog box, click the Create Datum CSYS icon and
on the appeared Create Datum CSYS dialog box, accept the default name of Datum csys-2, and
select Rectangular as the Coordinates System Type. Click Continue.
(c) Click successively on points C and B (located on the inclined member of the frame) to respectively
define an origin and a point on the positive x-axis. This is needed to define a rotated local coordinate
system. Click the button in the Prompt area at the bottom of the Viewport to finalize
this procedure. On the appeared Create Datum CSYS, click Cancel since we do not want to create
another new Datum csys (Datum csys-3).
(d) On the appeared Edit Boundary Condition dialog box, click the Edit icon , click on the
button in the Prompt area at the bottom right-hand side of the Viewport, select Datum
csys-2 from the Datum CSYS List dialog box, and click OK.
Figure 11(b). Sample Tutorial Guide Prepared for the Frame_1 Exercise (Page 2 of 4)
 CENG 5336 - Introduction to Finite Elements
ABAQUS Tutorial Guide: Frame_1 Exercise (Page 3 of 4)

(e) In the Edit Boundary Condition Dialog Box, toggle on the U2 check box to constrain the motion in
the direction perpendicular to the inclined member of the frame. Click OK. Now you should see the
constraint placed on the node in the correct direction.
11. Apply Load: In the Model Tree, double-click the Loads container to open the Create Load dialog box. In
this box, (a) name the load Distributed; (b) from the list of steps, select the Load Step; (c) in the Category
list, accept Mechanical as the default option; (d) in the Types for Selected Step list, select Pressure, and click
Continue, (e) select the surface for the load by clicking on the edge of the inclined member (member BC) and
click Done, (f) the direction of the load can be specified by clicking on either or button,
depending on how the load is applied. For this exercise, select the Magenta button, (g) enter the magnitude of
the distributed load (50 kN/m) in the appeared Edit Load dialog box, and click OK.
12. Select an Element Type: In the Model Tree, expand the Frame_1 model under the Parts container and
double-click Mesh item. On the menu bar of the Mesh module, select Mesh > Element Type and drag the
mouse to select the entire frame to be assigned an element type. Click on Done. In the appeared Element
Type dialog box; select Standard as the Element Library, Linear as the Geometric Order, and Beam as the
Family of elements. Note that a brief description of the element type selected appears at the bottom of the
dialog box. In this example, we have selected the element type: “B21: A 2-node linear beam in a plane”. Click
OK and Done successively.
13. Seed and Mesh the Model: At this stage, we have to first seed the edge of the part instance and then mesh the
part instance. To seed the model, on the menu bar of the Mesh module select Seed > Edges, drag the mouse to
select the entire frame to be assigned seeds. Click Done. In the appeared Local Seeds dialog box, select
By Number as the Method, and choose the number of elements desired on each edge. For this exercise, choose
10 elements on each edge. Click OK and Done successively. From the menu bar of the Mesh model, select
Mesh > Region and drag the mouse to select the entire frame to be meshed. Click Done.
14. Create an Analysis Job: In the Model Tree, double-click the Jobs container to open the Create Job dialog
box. In this box, name the job Frame_1_Job and click Continue. In the appeared Edit Job dialog box, use
Frame_1 Analysis as the Description for the job, and click OK.
15. Run Analysis: In the Model Tree, click on the “+” symbol to expand the Jobs container, right-click on
Frame_1_Job, select Submit from the appeared menu, and click OK. Once the job is submitted, the status of
the job will be indicated next to the job name. If there are not any errors, the status will change from
Submitted to Running, and finally to Completed. Wait till the job is completed to proceed with the
remaining steps.
16. Graphical Post-processing: Once the job has been successfully run, the Visualization module of Abaqus/CAE
allows you to graphically view the results and generate the tabular data in the form desired. Details regarding
various graphical post-processing procedures were covered in an earlier tutorial and therefore not included in
this particular guide. The only specific procedure provided in this tutorial is related to the creation of a View
Cut at a section of the structure, a feature that was not discussed in the previous tutorials.

Procedure for Creating a View Cut:

(a) In the Model Tree, right-click on Frame_1_Job, and select Results from the appeared menu to enter
the Visualization module.
(b) On the menu bar of Visualization module, select Tools > View Cut > Create as illustrated on the
first screenshot provided on the next page.

Figure 11(c). Sample Tutorial Guide Prepared for the Frame_1 Exercise (Page 3 of 4)
 CENG 5336 - Introduction to Finite Elements
ABAQUS Tutorial Guide: Frame_1 Exercise (Page 4 of 4)

(c) On the appeared Create Cut dialog box, you have the option of choosing a name for your cut. For
this exercise, accept the default name Cut-4 and click OK.
(d) Again on the menu bar of Visualization module, select Tools > View Cut > Manager.
(e) In the View Cut Manger dialog box, toggle on the check box under the icon in the Model
columns (as shown on the second screenshot provided below) to display the resultant force and
moment along the View Cut. Additionally note that by dragging the Position slider available at the
bottom of the View Cut Manger dialog box, you are also able to translate or rotate the Plane View
Cut.

Tools used for creating and

managing a View Cut.

(a)

Toggle on the check box

shown to place the internal
reactions along the View.
Cut.

(b)
Position slider used for
translating or rotating the
Plane View Cut.

Snapshots of Abaqus Screen Showing Several Stages of Creating a View Cut

17. Generate Data Report: To generate the tabular data report for this problem, proceed with the following steps.
Note that the first outlined step is only necessary in case you have decided to skip the graphical post-processing
procedure discussed above. (a) In the Model Tree, right-click on Frame_1_Job and select Results from the
appeared menu to enter the Visualization module, (b) On the menu bar of this module, select Report > Field
Output, (c) From the Variable tabbed page of Report Field Output, select Unique Nodal as the Output
Variables Position, and toggle on: RF1, RF2, RM3, U1, U2, and UR3 to print the reactions forces and
displacements at the frame nodes, (d) Click on the Setup tabbed page of the Report Field Output, toggle off
the “Append to File” check box, and click OK. The tabular report of the requested data will now be written by
default into the abaqus.rpt file located in the Temp folder of your computer’s C drive. This file can be
viewed using the Notepad text editor.

Figure 11(d). Sample Tutorial Guide Prepared for the Frame_1 Exercise (Page 4 of 4)
V. Continuum Member Analysis

Once the students have been familiarized with the essential features of Abaqus for analyzing
structural members such as the ones presented in the previous sections, they are next instructed to
utilize this package to perform a FE analysis for investigating the behavior of continuum members
using several other planned exercises. Two sample exercises are included in this section to further
illustrate.

Lever Arm Example

In the presented exercise a lever arm containing two small cylindrical holes is subjected to two
concentered load at one end and is supported by a fixed hexagonal shaped prism inclusion at the
other end. The inclusion has a different material property than the lever arm. A generated three-
dimensional model for this problem is provided in Figure 13. Included in this figure are the
material specifications for each of the two material types used. To create the three-dimensional
model of the problem, students are first coached to develop a two-dimensional sketch that they can
later extrude. The sketching and modifying tools in Abaqus along with the two-dimensional sketch
of the lever arm can be seen in Figure 12. Using these tools, any combination of geometric shapes
can be created, modified, dimensioned, and further edited. Introduction of students to these tools
enables the students to generate the model for most any structural component they may encounter.

Once the three-dimensional model is created, the students are further instructed to partition the
model using several portioning techniques and tools available in Abaqus. This partitioning provides
a guide for effective meshing of the model. The specific partitions created for this problem can be
seen in Figure 13.

The procedure for meshing of a part including topics related to various meshing techniques, and
selecting appropriate element shapes, element types, and seed numbers are explored in detail at this
stage of the exercise, so that students fully understand this essential stage in the FE analysis of a
part. A 10-noded quadratic tetrahedron element (“C3D10 Element”) is used in this exercise for the
main and the sub part. Figure 14 shows the meshing used along with the Von Mises stress contours
for each of the two parts of the model.

Sketching toolbox in
Abaqus containing a
variety of tools for
creating, modifying,
dimensioning, and
further editing of the
parts in a model.

Figure 12. 2D Sketch of the Part Created for Construction of the 3D Model
 100 N A-36 Steel
(E = 29,000 ksi, ν = 0.32)
100 N

Partitions created for meshing the

model using various partitioning tools
in Abaqus.

Stainless 304 Steel

(E = 29,000 ksi, ν = 0.27)

Figure 13. Screenshot of the Created Abaqus Model showing the Partitions Used for the Lever
Arm and the Inclusion

100 N

100 N

Figure 14. Von Mises Stress Contours for the Separated Parts of the Model
A special powerful feature of Abaqus allows the users to be able to cut a model with the planar,
cylindrical, or spherical cut surface to reveal and examine the stress distribution in the interior of a
part. Once this surface cut has been generated, it can also easily be translated along specified
directions to conveniently allow the user to inspect the stress distribution at any desired location on
the part. In a case where a planar cut has been used, the students can also rotate this plane surface
cut around specified axes, if necessary.

Another useful feature in Abaqus allows the users to create a “free body cut” to compute the
resultant force and moment at the any cut surface on the continuum member. One such free body
cut is shown in Figure 15 for the discussed model. This cut is generated by cutting the lever arm by
a plane perpendicular to the axis of the lever arm.

Once the full set of results for the created model is successfully generated, students are further
instructed on how to create a tabular report of the variables needed for any subset of the model, in
the format desired.

Computed internal
resultant force and
moment at the cut
planar surface.

Figure 15. A Free Body Cut Generated by a Planar Cut Perpendicular to Axis of the Lever Arm
Bolted Connection Example
In this exercise a three-dimensional FE model of a bolted joint for a full-scale two-story aluminum
frame is developed and discussed. The frame assembly shown in Figure 16 is constructed in the
Structures laboratory in the Civil Engineering and Construction Management Department at Georgia
Southern University.

(a) (b)

Figure 16. Two Story Aluminum Frame under Investigation: (a) Entire Structure,
and (b) Shear-Moment Connection at 6B1-6B2 Location

The FE model for one of the connection of the frame depicted in Figure 16(b) is provided in Figure
18. This model was constructed using the details obtained from the shop drawing of this particular
connection provided in Fig. 17. Figure 18(a) shows the beam and loading conditions, while Figures
18(b) and 18(C) respectively show the generated mesh and the corresponding Von-Mises stress
contours. In producing the FE model of this connection, various connecting parts consisting of two
I-beam girders, four gusset plates, and thirty bolts & nuts were created and assembled to accurately
describe the details of the bolted connection.

Analyzed Bolted Connection

Figure 17. Shop Drawing of Bolt Connection Depicted in Figure 16(b)

Material properties of various components of the analyzed connection are provided in Table 1.
Similar to the previous exercise a 10-noded tetrahedron element (“C3D10 Element”) is used in this
study for all girders, plates, bolts, and nuts. Von-Mises stress contours for the bolt and nut
assemblies are provided in Figure 19 along with a truncated section of the produced report showing
the numerical values of some the computed stresses.

100 psi.

Fixed Ends
(b) (c)
100 psi 100 psi
W 5 x 5 1/4
Fixed Fixed

L/4 L/2 L/4 L = 36.5 in.

(a)

Figure 18. Devloped Finite Element Model: (a) Load and Boundary Conditions, (b) Generated
Mesh, and (c) Von Mises Stress Contours

Table 1. Material Properties for the Bolted Connection

Components Material Elastic Modulus (psi) Poisson’s Ratio

Girders & Plates Aluminum 10 (106) 0.33
Bolts & Nuts A-36 Steel 29 (106) 0.32

Once the students are fully familiarized with the more advanced features of Abaqus related to
analyzing connected and assembled parts using the example such as the one presented above, they
will be assigned to develop the FE solution for various other connections used in the discussed
frame. Calculated FE analysis results can be compared against the theoretical values obtained using
the AISC design codes. The assigned exercises offer the following two main advantages: (a) they
enhance the competencies of students in properly applying the finite element tools and techniques in
analyzing continuum members, and (b) they elevate the students’ understanding of the behavior of
structural connections under loads covered in other courses such as the Structural Steel Design. To
make the discussed course more challenging, the students can additionally be assigned to perform
the FE analysis to determine the response of the frame connections subjected to a variety of
dynamically applied loads.
 Element 41393 Element 41417

Element 39801

Element 39862

(b)

(a)`

Bolt Head Elements

(In-between results omitted)

Nut Elements

(c)

Figure 19. (a) Von Mises Stress Contours for the Entire Bolt-Nut Assemblies, (b) Sample Element
Designations for a Bolt-Nut Assembly, and (c) Sample Report Showing the Von Mises Stress
Results
VI. Summary & Conclusion

In the presented paper a procedure for delivering a finite element analysis course in a civil
engineering program using Abaqus is outlined and discussed. The newly designed course guides the
students to effectively utilize various powerful features of this comprehensive package to analyze a
variety of structural components using a series of easy-to-follow tutorials. Some of the special
procedures included in these tutorial guides may not even be known to more experienced Abaqus
users. As previously stated, the electronic documentation files that accompany the software, even
though well-prepared, are not suitable for use in a course in the form presented.

After mastering the essential finite element tools and techniques through performing the discussed
tutorial exercises, the students are assigned additional more complicated problems to further enhance
their knowledge, expertise, and competencies in using this powerful tool. Since the newly designed
course has not yet been delivered, no assessment data is provided in the paper. Once the course is
offered, the collected assessment results will be used to further tweak and enhance the course.

Introducing the students to the powerful features of this comprehensive package will provide them
with the foundation and expertise they need to be able to pursue high level research in an academic
or professional setting. This perhaps is one of the most significant outcomes of the proposed
project. At the authors’ institution, this tool can specifically be utilized for preparing students to
conduct undergraduate research, or graduate research in the Master of Science in Applied
Engineering (MSAE) program.

The authors hope to be able expand this project further and possibly develop more advanced tutorial
examples for other advanced topics such as analysis of nonlinear problems and dynamic analysis of
structures. These new guides can be incorporated in more advanced courses such as Advanced
Finite Elements and Structural Dynamics.

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