ApplicationofDistributedLoads

Introduction
ThistutorialwascompletedusingANSYS7.0.Thepurposeofthistutorialistoexplainhowtoapply
distributedloadsanduseelementtablestoextractdata.Pleasenotethatthismaterialwasalsocoveredin
the'BicycleSpaceFrame'tutorialunder'BasicTutorials'.
Adistributedloadof1000N/m(1N/mm)willbeappliedtoasolidsteelbeamwitharectangularcross
sectionasshowninthefigurebelow.Thecrosssectionofthebeamis10mmx10mmwhilethemodulus
ofelasticityofthesteelis200GPa.

Preprocessing:DefiningtheProblem
1. Openpreprocessormenu
/PREP7

2. GiveexampleaTitle
UtilityMenu>File>ChangeTitle...
/title,DistributedLoading

3. CreateKeypoints
Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>Keypoints>InActiveCS
K,#,x,y

Wearegoingtodefine2keypoints(thebeamvertices)forthisstructureasgiveninthe
followingtable:
Keypoint Coordinates(x,y)
1
2

(0,0)
(1000,0)

4. DefineLines
Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>Lines>Lines>StraightLine
L,K#,K#

CreatealinebetweenKeypoint1andKeypoint2.
5. DefineElementTypes
Preprocessor>ElementType>Add/Edit/Delete...
ForthisproblemwewillusetheBEAM3element.Thiselementhas3degreesoffreedom
(translationalongtheXandYaxis's,androtationabouttheZaxis).Withonly3degreesof
freedom,theBEAM3elementcanonlybeusedin2Danalysis.
6. DefineRealConstants
Preprocessor>RealConstants...>Add...
Inthe'RealConstantsforBEAM3'window,enterthefollowinggeometricproperties:
i. CrosssectionalareaAREA:100
ii. AreaMomentofInertiaIZZ:833.333
iii. TotalbeamheightHEIGHT:10
Thisdefinesanelementwithasolidrectangularcrosssection10mmx10mm.
7. DefineElementMaterialProperties
Preprocessor>MaterialProps>MaterialModels>Structural>Linear>Elastic>Isotropic
Inthewindowthatappears,enterthefollowinggeometricpropertiesforsteel:
i. Young'smodulusEX:200000
ii. Poisson'sRatioPRXY:0.3
8. DefineMeshSize
Preprocessor>Meshing>SizeCntrls>ManualSize>Lines>AllLines...

Forthisexamplewewilluseanelementlengthof100mm.
9. Meshtheframe
Preprocessor>Meshing>Mesh>Lines>click'PickAll'
10. PlotElements
UtilityMenu>Plot>Elements
Youmayalsowishtoturnonelementnumberingandturnoffkeypointnumbering
UtilityMenu>PlotCtrls>Numbering...

SolutionPhase:AssigningLoadsandSolving
1. DefineAnalysisType
Solution>AnalysisType>NewAnalysis>Static
ANTYPE,0

2. ApplyConstraints
Solution>DefineLoads>Apply>Structural>Displacement>OnKeypoints
PinKeypoint1(ieUXandUYconstrained)andfixKeypoint2intheydirection(UY
constrained).
3. ApplyLoads
Wewillapplyadistributedload,of1000N/mor1N/mm,overtheentirelengthofthebeam.
SelectSolution>DefineLoads>Apply>Structural>Pressure>OnBeams

Click'PickAll'inthe'ApplyF/M'window.
Asshowninthefollowingfigure,enteravalueof1inthefield'VALIPressurevalueatnode
I'thenclick'OK'.

Theappliedloadsandconstraintsshouldnowappearasshowninthefigurebelow.

Note:
Tohavetheconstraintsandloadsappeareachtimeyouselect'Replot'youmustchange
somesettings.SelectUtilityMenu>PlotCtrls>Symbols....Inthewindowthatappears,
select'Pressures'inthepulldownmenuofthe'SurfaceLoadSymbols'section.
4. SolvetheSystem
Solution>Solve>CurrentLS

SOLVE

Postprocessing:ViewingtheResults
1. PlotDeformedShape
GeneralPostproc>PlotResults>DeformedShape
PLDISP.2

2. PlotPrinciplestressdistribution
Asshownpreviously,weneedtouseelementtablestoobtainprinciplestressesforlineelements.
1. SelectGeneralPostproc>ElementTable>DefineTable
2. Click'Add...'
3. Inthewindowthatappears
a. enter'SMAXI'inthe'UserLabelforItem'section
b. Inthefirstwindowinthe'ResultsDataItem'sectionscrolldownandselect'By
sequencenum'
c. Inthesecondwindowofthesamesection,select'NMISC,'
d. Inthethirdwindowenter'1'anywhereafterthecomma
4. click'Apply'
5. Repeatsteps2to4butchange'SMAXI'to'SMAXJ'instep3aandchange'1'to'3'instep
3d.
6. Click'OK'.The'ElementTableData'windowshouldnowhavetwovariablesinit.
7. Click'Close'inthe'ElementTableData'window.

8. Select:GeneralPostproc>PlotResults>LineElemRes...
9. Select'SMAXI'fromthe'LabI'pulldownmenuand'SMAXJ'fromthe'LabJ'pulldown
menu
Note:
ANSYScanonlycalculatethestressatasinglelocationontheelement.Forthisexample,
wedecidedtoextractthestressesfromtheIandJnodesofeachelement.Thesearethe
nodesthatareattheendsofeachelement.
Forthisproblem,wewantedtheprincipalstressesfortheelements.FortheBEAM3element
thisiscategorizedasNMISC,1forthe'I'nodesandNMISC,3forthe'J'nodes.Alistof
availablecodesforeachelementcanbefoundintheANSYShelpfiles.(ie.typehelp
BEAM3intheANSYSInputwindow).
Asshownintheplotbelow,themaximumstressoccursinthemiddleofthebeamwithavalueof
750MPa.

CommandFileModeofSolution

TheaboveexamplewassolvedusingamixtureoftheGraphicalUserInterface(orGUI)andthe
commandlanguageinterfaceofANSYS.ThisproblemhasalsobeensolvedusingtheANSYScommand
languageinterfacethatyoumaywanttobrowse.Openthe.HTMLversion,copyandpastethecodeinto
Notepadorasimilartexteditorandsaveittoyourcomputer.Nowgoto'File>Readinputfrom...'and
selectthefile.A.PDFversionisalsoavailableforprinting.