Choosing the appropriate element for an analysis type

The Abaqus element library contains the following:

  • stress/displacement elements, including contact elements, connector elements such as springs, and special-purpose elements such as Eulerian elements and surface elements;

  • pore pressure elements;

  • coupled temperature-displacement elements;

  • coupled thermal-electrical-structural elements;

  • coupled temperature–pore pressure displacement elements;

  • heat transfer or mass diffusion elements;

  • forced convection heat transfer elements;

  • fluid pipe and fluid pipe connector elements;

  • coupled thermal-electrical elements;

  • piezoelectric elements;

  • electromagnetic elements;

  • acoustic elements; and

  • user-defined elements.

Each of these element types is described below.

Within Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit, a model can contain elements that are not appropriate for the particular analysis type chosen; such elements will be ignored. However, an Abaqus/Standard model cannot contain elements that are not available in Abaqus/Standard; likewise, an Abaqus/Explicit model cannot contain elements that are not available in Abaqus/Explicit.

The following topics are discussed:

Related Topics
About the element library
In Other Guides
Element type assignment

ProductsAbaqus/StandardAbaqus/ExplicitAbaqus/CAE