FAQ 002389 | I would like to create a cross‑section consisting of several elements in SHAPE‑THIN....

Question:

I would like to create a cross‑section consisting of several elements in SHAPE‑THIN. However, I do not succeed to connect the elements in such a way that they act as a single entity.



Answer:

Elements are connected together if you have a common node. Thus, elements 1 and 2 shown in Figure 1 are connected via node 2.



If there is no common node available, you can create a shear-rigid connection by using a null element. In the case of the null element, the normal thickness t is equal to zero. However, the shear thickness t* must be greater than zero. It is necessary to define a shear thickness t * for null elements that are not affected by "normal" elements (t 0) along their entire length. It is recommended to specify the thickness of the thinnest element adjacent to the null element.



A null element can be defined manually or created by using the "Connect node and element" function. It is important to ensure that the connection is always made via the nodes of the elements and not via the auxiliary points (Figure 2).



If elements have to be connected with cross-sections, the cross-sections have to be decomposed into the individual elements beforehand by using the "Extract Profile into Elements" function (Figure 3). This is also demonstrated in the video.



For more information, go to the FAQ page:





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Keywords:

#Connect_elements #Null_element #Non_connected #Shear_rigidity

Connect elements,Null element,Non-connected,Shear rigidity,