Use of connectors to simulate real contact 2

[SofiaB]

Hello,

I am modeling a truss subjected to a vertical displacement(load) in the tip. The problem I'm having is, after a experimental analyses I observed buckling in the chord and a contact between the truss chord and a restraining lateral device That incread the rigidity of the truss( the truss can freely move in vertical direction but in the horizontal it can move only the small gap between truss and constraining device)

In abaqus I used several connectors to represent a non linear spring to try and have the same rigid increace as the real model, but can't seem to achieve that(I used a constrain to associate the center of the chord to it's edges and then in the center aplied the conectors)

Is a connector the best way to represent this? Should I try to build a representation of that device as for exemple a rigid body and then define surface to surface contact?

Any help is very much appreciated
Note: for the buckling representation I have used a horizontal displacement

 

[FEA way]

Connectors can be used to simulate such effects (check this thread about similar problem:

https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=168936).

But if you get wrong results then try with more advanced approach involving contact. You should also enable geometric nonlinearity. For even more accurate results you should perform nonlinear analysis in such way that buckling occurs naturally, without artificial lateral load.

 

[Mustaine3]

A side note: Hiding datums can be done with the Display Group option or, one level higher, with View -> Part/Assembly Display Options -> Datums.

 

[SofiaB]

Hello,

In advancing the approach involving contact I thought about adding a friction behavior on the connectors but now I have a problem in finding the Internal Contact Force. Does anyone know how I can calculate it?

As for the geometric nonlinearity, it's already on.

Thanks in advance.