Different coupling types in Abaqus

[bojoka4052]

I have a surface which has different types of equipment on top of it which is not modelled. Nonetheless I want to apply the total load from these (P) on the surface by applying it to the reference point. I was wondering if it would be best to use kinematic, continuum or structural distributing type coupling between the surface and reference point? The equipment in reality is spread out evenly on the surface.

 

[FEA way]

Is the surface modeled with shell elements ? In this case, distributed coupling might be a better option but it would be best to run some tests and compare the results for each type of coupling. Especially since the model is simple.

Check Simuleon’s blog article "Kinematic vs Distributed coupling constraints in Abaqus" for a detailed comparison.