Thick shell intersection - How to evaluate the stiffness increase?

[ALANIT]

Hello, I've got a general question about FEA and shell intersection: considering the case of two large concrete walls (say about 2 m thick each) that create a T intersection, a finite element model that uses only thick shells elements should consider the stiffness increment due to superposition of real intersection (--> 1 m² section all along the height of the two elements). Do you have any simplified reference to evaluate the stiffness increment in that zone?

Thanks.

 

[FEA way]

You can use offset feature available in most FEA preprocessors to account for material overlap in such T intersection.

 

[ALANIT]

@FEA Way: yes, absolutely, but this is equivalent to model an infinite local stiffness on the overlap region, right? I'm doing this simplified example to extend it on more complex geometries, where the simple offset is a bit more complicate to manage.