Cohesive surface-based interaction across multiple steps

[nomi9]

Dear Abaqus users,

I'm working on a simulation with two static general steps:

• Step 1: Thermal loading (cooling).
• Step 2: Mechanical loading.

I've defined a surface-to-surface contact interaction with small sliding, using a cohesive surface-based interaction property. Damage initiation and evolution criteria are also defined.

My issue is that after the damage initiation criteria gets fulfilled during the cooling step (Step 1), the CSDMG variable to observe the damage evolution criteria starts; however, when the simulation transitions to the mechanical loading step (Step 2), the CSDMG remains constant and does not change further.

Interestingly, if I disable the first step (thermal loading) and only run the mechanical loading step (Step 2), the damage initiation and evolution criteria are fulfilled correctly. This issue only occurs when I run both steps sequentially, starting with the cooling step.

I'm wondering if cohesive surface-based interaction properties are intended to work across multiple steps or if there are specific settings or considerations needed to ensure damage evolution continues in subsequent steps when starting with a thermal step.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[FEA way]

Did you try using amplitudes to apply this loading in a single step ? Which Abaqus release are you using ?

 

[nomi9]

No I didn’t try that. ABAQUS version is 2021