SImple model with Abaqus connector element

[jball1]

I am trying to build a really simple model to help me understand connectors in Abaqus. Here is my model:

https://files.engineering.com/getfi...05-9ff3-0a9f13e3cdcd&file=connector.model.png

I feel dumb, but I can't figure out how to connect one end of the wire that represents the connector to the node at the center of the shell element mesh. I am creating the wire in the interaction module. When I bring up the "create wire feature" menu, I can only select points, not nodes.

I tried just creating a point at the center of the mesh in order to create the wire, and then I created a tie constraint between the point at the end of the wire and the point at the center of the mesh. This solves, but I am not getting any load into my plate.

The connector has a stiffness of 1000 lbs, and the load is 100 lbs. I have also tried simply increasing the load and that has no effect. I have attached my simple input model below. I would greatly appreciate any help. Thanks!

https://files.engineering.com/getfi...5a-8c91-4d13-83cb-d55eccaf889a&file=Job-1.inp

 

[FEA way]

Tie constraint usually works in such cases. For example you can use it to connect beam and shell. You may just need to adjust some settings. Connectors are usually attached to the rest of the model via couplings but if you want point connection then it won’t help. Another way would he to use MPCs.

 

[jball1]

Thank you for the reply. I think my issue was my plate mesh. I only had one free node at the center of the plate. I had Encastre BC's on all of the edge nodes. I didn't realize that if 3 of the 4 nodes of a shell element are fixed, the fourth can't move. I guess I don't understand FEM theory enough... anyways, I increased the mesh density, and now the model is behaving as I would expect.

 

[Konsti]

A bit late in this party, but I would like to note that I use connectors a lot and it took me a while to understand how to connect them to the rest of my model. What I do now is divide and mesh my elements such that I connect mesh nodes (and not points) together.