Abaqus Keywords Reference Guide

Abaqus 6.13
Keywords Reference Guide

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 Abaqus Keywords

Reference Guide

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 Legal Notices
CAUTION: This documentation is intended for qualified users who will exercise sound engineering judgment and expertise in the use of the Abaqus
Software. The Abaqus Software is inherently complex, and the examples and procedures in this documentation are not intended to be exhaustive or to apply
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be responsible for the consequences of any errors or omissions that may appear in this documentation.
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trademarks, copyrights, and licenses, see the Legal Notices in the Abaqus 6.13 Installation and Licensing Guide.

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 Preface
This section lists various resources that are available for help with using Abaqus Unified FEA software.

Support

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support (for installation, licensing, and hardware-related problems) for Abaqus are offered through a global
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accessible from the Locations page at www.3ds.com/simulia. The online support system is accessible from
the Support page at www.3ds.com/simulia.

Online support
SIMULIA provides a knowledge database of answers and solutions to questions that we have answered, as
well as guidelines on how to use Abaqus, SIMULIA Scenario Definition, Isight, and other SIMULIA products.
The knowledge database is available from the Support page at www.3ds.com/simulia.
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are tracked. If you contact us by means outside the system to discuss an existing support problem and you
know the support request number, please mention it so that we can query the database to see what the latest
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To facilitate data transfer with SIMULIA, an anonymous ftp account is available at ftp.simulia.com.
Login as user anonymous, and type your e-mail address as your password. Contact support before placing
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Abaqus ID:
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1.0 BROWSING THE Abaqus Keywords Reference Guide

This guide describes all of the input options that are available in Abaqus.
A brief description of the intended use of the keyword is listed at the top of each keyword section.
The Products field lists each of the products that support the keyword. Keywords that are at least
partially supported in Abaqus/CAE include Abaqus/CAE in the list of products. The user interface in
Abaqus/CAE does not necessarily support all optional parameters for each supported keyword.
The Type field indicates whether the keyword appears in the model or history data portion of the input
file. For more information, see “Defining a model in Abaqus,” Section 1.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide.
The Level field indicates the level(s) at which the keyword can appear within the input file if the model
is defined in terms of an assembly of part instances. For more information, see “Defining an assembly,”
Section 2.10.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
The Abaqus/CAE field indicates where within Abaqus/CAE you can locate the user interface related
to the keyword. You can also refer to the online HTML version of Appendix A, “Keyword support,” of the
Abaqus/CAE User’s Guide, which lists all Abaqus keywords and their support within the user interface or
from the input file reader.
To find examples of the usage of a particular keyword in an input file, you can use the findkeyword
utility (defined in “Querying the keyword/problem database,” Section 3.2.14 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide) to search the sample input files included with the Abaqus release. The abaqus fetch utility is used to
extract these input files for use. For example, to fetch input file boltpipeflange_3d_cyclsym.inp, type

abaqus fetch job=boltpipeflange_3d_cyclsym.inp

The abaqus fetch utility is explained in detail in “Fetching sample input files,” Section 3.2.15 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide.

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 A

1. A

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 * ACOUSTIC FLOW VELOCITY

1.1 *ACOUSTIC FLOW VELOCITY: Specify flow velocities as a predefined field for
acoustic elements.

This option is used to specify the fluid flow velocity of node sets or individual nodes for acoustic analysis.
This option defines an underlying flow, about which the acoustic analysis is a linear perturbation.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

Reference:
• “Acoustic, shock, and coupled acoustic-structural analysis,” Section 6.10.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide

Required, mutually exclusive parameters:

ROTATION
Include this parameter to define a flow velocity field due to a rigid body rotation about an axis.
TRANSLATION
Include this parameter to give the x-, y-, and z-components of translational flow velocity in the
global coordinate system or in the local coordinate system if *TRANSFORM was used at these
nodes. Translational flow velocity is the default.

Optional parameter:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve (defined in the *AMPLITUDE
option) that gives the time variation of the flow velocity throughout the step (“Amplitude curves,”
Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
If this parameter is omitted, the default is a STEP function.

Data lines to define translational flow velocity (TRANSLATION):

First line:
1. Node set label or node number.
2. First translational component of flow velocity prescribed (only degrees of freedom 1, 2, or 3
can be entered). See “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for a
definition of the numbering of degrees of freedom in Abaqus.

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3. Last translational component of flow velocity prescribed (only degrees of freedom 1, 2, or 3

can be entered). This field can be left blank if flow velocity for only one component is being
prescribed.
4. Magnitude of the translational displacement or velocity. This magnitude will be modified by
the *AMPLITUDE specification if the AMPLITUDE parameter is used.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define translational flow velocity for different nodes and
degrees of freedom.

Data lines to define rotational flow velocity (ROTATION):

First line:
1. Node set label or node number.
2. Magnitude of the rotation (in radians) or rotational velocity (in radians/time). This magnitude
will be modified by the *AMPLITUDE specification if the AMPLITUDE parameter is used.
The rotation is about the axis defined from point to point , where the coordinates of and
are given next. In steady-state transport analysis the position and orientation of the rotation
axis are applied at the beginning of the step and remain fixed during the step.
3. Global x-component of point on the axis of rotation.
4. Global y-component of point on the axis of rotation.
The following data are required only for three-dimensional cases:
5. Global z-component of point on the axis of rotation.
6. Global x-component of point on the axis of rotation.
7. Global y-component of point on the axis of rotation.
8. Global z-component of point on the axis of rotation.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define rotational flow velocity for different nodes.

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 * ACOUSTIC MEDIUM

1.2 *ACOUSTIC MEDIUM: Specify an acoustic medium.

This option is used to define the properties of an acoustic medium used with acoustic elements. The
*ACOUSTIC MEDIUM option must be used in conjunction with the *MATERIAL option. The
*ACOUSTIC MEDIUM option can be used multiple times to specify all the properties of an acoustic
medium.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

Reference:
• “Acoustic medium,” Section 26.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

BULK MODULUS
Include this parameter to define the bulk modulus for the acoustic medium (default).
CAVITATION LIMIT
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Include this parameter to define the cavitation pressure limit for the acoustic medium.
When the fluid absolute pressure drops to this limit, the acoustic medium undergoes free volume
expansion or cavitation without a further decrease in the pressure. A negative cavitation limit
value represents an acoustic medium that is capable of sustaining a negative absolute pressure up
to the specified limit value. Any nonzero initial acoustic static pressure values such as those due
to the atmospheric pressure and/or the hydrostatic loading can be specified using the *INITIAL
CONDITIONS, TYPE=ACOUSTIC STATIC PRESSURE option.
If this parameter is omitted, the fluid is assumed not to cavitate even under arbitrarily large
negative pressure conditions.
COMPLEX BULK MODULUS
Include this parameter to define the complex bulk modulus for the acoustic medium.
COMPLEX DENSITY
Include this parameter to define the complex density for the acoustic medium.
POROUS MODEL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.

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* ACOUSTIC MEDIUM

Set POROUS MODEL=DELANY BAZLEY (default) to use the Delany-Bazley model to

compute the frequency-dependent complex density and the complex bulk modulus.
Set POROUS MODEL=MIKI to use the Delany-Bazley-Miki model to compute the frequency-
dependent complex density and the complex bulk modulus.
VOLUMETRIC DRAG
Include this parameter to define the volumetric drag coefficient for the acoustic medium.

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the acoustic medium, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
the acoustic medium property is constant or depends only on temperature. See “Specifying field
variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide, for more information.

Data lines to define the bulk modulus of an acoustic material:

First line:
1. Bulk modulus. (Units of FL−2 .)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the bulk modulus as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the cavitation pressure limit of an acoustic material:

First line:
1. Cavitation pressure limit. (Units of FL−2 .)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

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Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the cavitation pressure limit as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data line to define the complex bulk modulus of an acoustic material:

First (and only) line:

1. Real part of the bulk modulus. (Units of FL−2 .)
2. Imaginary part of the bulk modulus. (Units of FL−2 .)
3. Frequency. (Units of T−1 .)

Data line to define the complex density of an acoustic material:

First (and only) line:

1. Real part of the density. (Units of ML−3 .)
2. Imaginary part of the density. (Units of ML−3 .)
3. Frequency. (Units of T−1 .)

Data lines to define the volumetric drag of an acoustic material:

First line:
1. Volumetric drag coefficient. (Units of FTL−4 .)
2. Frequency. (Cycles/time.) Frequency dependence is active only during frequency domain
procedures in Abaqus/Standard.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the volumetric drag as a function of frequency,
temperature, and other predefined field variables.

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Data line when POROUS MODEL=DELANY BAZLEY or POROUS MODEL=MIKI:

First (and only) line:

1. Flow resistivity. (Units of FTL−4 .)

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 * ACOUSTIC WAVE FORMULATION

1.3 *ACOUSTIC WAVE FORMULATION: Specify the type of formulation in acoustic

problems with incident wave loading.

This option is used to identify the type of incident wave loading formulation in acoustic problems.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Model attribute

Reference:
• “Acoustic and shock loads,” Section 34.4.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameter:

TYPE
Set TYPE=SCATTERED WAVE (default) to obtain the scattered wave field solution that will be
produced by incident wave loading.
Set TYPE=TOTAL WAVE to obtain the total acoustic pressure wave solution.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * ADAPTIVE MESH

1.4 *ADAPTIVE MESH: Define an adaptive mesh domain.

This option is used to define an adaptive mesh domain and to specify the frequency and intensity of adaptive
meshing for that domain.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Supported in the Step module; only one adaptive mesh domain can be defined per step.

References:
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “ALE adaptive meshing and remapping in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 12.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “ALE adaptive meshing and remapping in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 12.2.7 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• *ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS
• *ADAPTIVE MESH CONSTRAINT

At least one of the following parameters is required:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set that contains all the solid elements in the
adaptive mesh domain.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) to modify the frequency and intensity of adaptive meshing for an existing
adaptive mesh domain (with the same element set name) or to define a new adaptive mesh domain.
Set OP=NEW if all adaptive mesh domains that are currently in effect should be removed.
To remove only selected adaptive mesh domains, use OP=NEW and respecify all adaptive mesh
domains that are to be retained.
The OP parameter must be the same for all uses of the *ADAPTIVE MESH option within a
single step.

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* ADAPTIVE MESH

Optional parameters:

CONTROLS
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS option associated
with this adaptive mesh domain. Adaptive mesh controls can be used to control the adaptive
meshing in explicit dynamic analysis and in implicit acoustic analysis and to control the advection
algorithms applied to the adaptive mesh domain in explicit dynamic analysis.

FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the frequency in increments at which adaptive meshing is to be
performed. When the option is used in acoustic analysis or when a spatial mesh constraint or an
Eulerian boundary region is defined on the adaptive mesh domain in explicit dynamic analysis, the
default frequency is 1. In all other cases the default frequency is 10.

INITIAL MESH SWEEPS

This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the number of mesh sweeps to be performed at the beginning of the
first step in which this adaptive mesh definition is active. The default number of initial mesh sweeps
is 5 if *ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS, SMOOTHING OBJECTIVE=UNIFORM is used. The
default number of initial mesh sweeps is 2 if *ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS,SMOOTHING
OBJECTIVE=GRADED is used.

MESH SWEEPS
Set this parameter equal to the number of mesh sweeps to be performed in each adaptive mesh
increment. The default number of mesh sweeps is 1.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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1.5 *ADAPTIVE MESH CONSTRAINT: Specify constraints on the motion of the mesh for
an adaptive mesh domain.

WARNING: Abaqus/Explicit does not admit jumps in mesh displacement. If no amplitude

is specified, Abaqus/Explicit will ignore the user-supplied displacement value and enforce
a zero mesh motion constraint.
This option is used to prescribe independent mesh motion for nodes in an adaptive mesh domain or to define
nodes that must follow the material. It can be used only in conjunction with the *ADAPTIVE MESH option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Displacement and velocity adaptive mesh constraints are supported in the Step module.

References:
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 12.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “UMESHMOTION,” Section 1.1.43 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• *ADAPTIVE MESH

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
This parameter is relevant only when some of the variables being prescribed have nonzero
magnitudes. Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve defining the magnitude
of the prescribed mesh motion (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide).
CONSTRAINT TYPE
Set CONSTRAINT TYPE=SPATIAL (default) to prescribe mesh motions that are independent of
the underlying material.
Set CONSTRAINT TYPE=LAGRANGIAN to define nodes that must follow the material.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) to modify existing mesh constraints or to add mesh constraints to degrees
of freedom that were previously unconstrained.

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Set OP=NEW if all mesh constraints that are currently in effect should be removed. To remove
only selected mesh constraints, use OP=NEW and respecify all mesh constraints that are to be
retained.
The OP parameter must be the same for all uses of the *ADAPTIVE MESH CONSTRAINT
option within a single step.

TYPE
Set TYPE=DISPLACEMENT (default) to prescribe mesh displacement.
Set TYPE=VELOCITY to prescribe mesh velocity.

USER
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Include this parameter if the mesh motion is to be defined in user subroutine UMESHMOTION.
This parameter cannot be used when CONSTRAINT TYPE=LAGRANGIAN.

Data lines to prescribe mesh motions that are independent of the material (CONSTRAINT
TYPE=SPATIAL):

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. First degree of freedom constrained. This value is ignored when the USER parameter is
specified.
3. Last degree of freedom constrained. This field can be left blank if the mesh must be constrained
only in one direction. This value is ignored when the USER parameter is specified.
4. Actual magnitude of the mesh motion (displacement or velocity). This magnitude will be
modified by an amplitude specification if the AMPLITUDE parameter is used. This value
will be ignored in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis if TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, no AMPLITUDE
specification is provided, and this value is nonzero.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify mesh constraints at different nodes and degrees
of freedom.

Data lines to define nodes that must follow the material (CONSTRAINT TYPE=LAGRANGIAN):

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Up to 16 entries are allowed per line.

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 * ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS

1.6 *ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS: Specify controls for the adaptive meshing and
advection algorithms.

This option is used to control various aspects of the adaptive meshing and advection algorithms applied to an
adaptive mesh domain. It can be used only in conjunction with the *ADAPTIVE MESH option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

References:
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “ALE adaptive meshing and remapping in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 12.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “ALE adaptive meshing and remapping in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 12.2.7 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• *ADAPTIVE MESH

Required parameter:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to this adaptive mesh controls definition.
Adaptive mesh control names in the same input file must be unique.

Optional parameters:

ADVECTION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set ADVECTION=SECOND ORDER (default) to use a second-order algorithm to remap
solution variables after adaptive meshing has been performed.
Set ADVECTION=FIRST ORDER to use a first-order algorithm to remap solution variables
after adaptive meshing has been performed.

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CURVATURE REFINEMENT
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the solution dependence weight, . The default value is .

GEOMETRIC ENHANCEMENT
Set GEOMETRIC ENHANCEMENT=YES (default in Abaqus/Explicit analyses) to use smoothing
algorithms that are enhanced based on evolving element geometry.
Set GEOMETRIC ENHANCEMENT=NO (default in Abaqus/Standard analyses) to use the
conventional form of the smoothing algorithms.

INITIAL FEATURE ANGLE

Set this parameter equal to the initial geometric feature angle, , in degrees ( ).
This angle is used to detect geometric edges and corners. The default value is . Setting
will ensure that no geometric edges or corners are detected or enforced.

MESH CONSTRAINT ANGLE

This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the mesh constraint angle, , in degrees ( ). The
default value is .
When adaptive mesh constraints are applied to nodes on Lagrangian or sliding boundary
regions, the analysis will terminate if the angle between the normal to the boundary region and the
direction of the prescribed constraint becomes less than . When adaptive mesh constraints are
applied to nodes that are part of a Lagrangian or active geometric edge, the analysis will terminate
if the angle between the prescribed constraint and the plane perpendicular to the edge becomes
less than .

MESHING PREDICTOR
This parameter is interpreted differently in Abaqus/Explicit and Abaqus/Standard analyses.
In an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, set MESHING PREDICTOR=CURRENT (default if the
adaptive mesh domain has no Eulerian boundary regions) to perform adaptive meshing based on
current nodal positions; this method is recommended for all Lagrangian-like problems and for
problems with very large distortions. Set MESHING PREDICTOR=PREVIOUS (default if the
adaptive mesh domain has one or more Eulerian boundary regions) to perform adaptive meshing
based on the positions of the nodes at the end of the previous adaptive mesh increment; this
technique is recommended for Eulerian-like problems where material flow is significant compared
to the overall deformation.
In an Abaqus/Standard analysis, set MESHING PREDICTOR=CURRENT to perform
adaptive meshing based on the positions of the nodes at the start of the current adaptive mesh
increment. Set MESHING PREDICTOR=PREVIOUS (default) to perform adaptive meshing
based on the nodal positions in the original mesh.

MOMENTUM ADVECTION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.

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 * ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS

Set MOMENTUM ADVECTION=ELEMENT CENTER PROJECTION (default) to use the

element center projection method for advecting momentum. This method is less expensive than the
half-index shift method.
Set MOMENTUM ADVECTION=HALF INDEX SHIFT to use the half-index shift method
for momentum advection. This algorithm is more expensive computationally but may demonstrate
better dispersion properties than the element center projection method.

RESET
Include this parameter to reset all adaptive mesh controls to their default values. Controls that are
specified with other parameters on the same *ADAPTIVE MESH CONTROLS option are retained.
If this parameter is omitted, only the specified controls will be changed in the current step; the others
will remain at their settings from previous steps.

SMOOTHING OBJECTIVE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set SMOOTHING OBJECTIVE=UNIFORM (default if the adaptive mesh domain has
no Eulerian boundary regions in explicit dynamic analysis) to perform adaptive meshing that
minimizes element distortion and improves element aspect ratios at the expense of diffusing initial
mesh gradation. This objective is recommended for problems with moderate to large overall
deformation.
Set SMOOTHING OBJECTIVE=GRADED (default if the adaptive mesh domain has one
or more Eulerian boundary regions in explicit dynamic analysis) to perform adaptive meshing
that attempts to preserve initial mesh gradation while reducing distortions as the analysis evolves.
This objective is recommended only for adaptive mesh domains with reasonably structured graded
meshes undergoing low to moderate overall deformation.

TRANSITION FEATURE ANGLE

Set this parameter equal to the transition geometric feature angle, , in degrees ( ).
This angle is used to determine when geometric edges and corners should be deactivated to allow
remeshing across them. The default value is . Setting will ensure that no
geometric edges or corners are deactivated.

Data line to define weights for combining the mesh smoothing methods in Abaqus/Explicit
analyses:

First (and only) line:

1. The weight for the volumetric smoothing method. The default is 1.0.
2. The weight for the Laplacian smoothing method. The default is 0.0.
3. The weight for the equipotential smoothing method. The default is 0.0.

Each of the weights must be zero or positive and their sum should typically be 1.0. If the sum of
the weights is less than 1.0, the mesh smoothing algorithm will be less aggressive at each adaptive

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mesh increment. If the sum of the weights is greater than 1.0, their values are normalized so that
their sum is 1.0.

Data line to define weights for combining the mesh smoothing methods in Abaqus/Standard
analyses:

First (and only) line:

1. The weight for the original configuration projection method. The default is 1.0.
2. The weight for the volumetric smoothing method. The default is 0.0.

Each of the weights must be zero or positive and their sum must be nonzero. The weights are
significant only in a relative sense; their values are normalized so that their sum is 1.0.

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 * ADAPTIVE MESH REFINEMENT

1.7 *ADAPTIVE MESH REFINEMENT: Activate adaptive mesh refinement in an Eulerian

domain.

This option is used to activate adaptive mesh refinement in an Eulerian domain and to specify the refinement
criteria in that domain.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model data

Level: Model

References:
• “Eulerian analysis,” Section 14.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Defining adaptive mesh refinement in the Eulerian domain,” Section 14.1.4 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• *EULERIAN SECTION

Required parameter:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set specified in the *EULERIAN SECTION
option associated with the Eulerian domain where adaptive mesh refinement is activated.

Optional parameter:

LEVEL
Set this parameter equal to the maximum number of levels of refinement. The default value is 1.
RATIO
Set this parameter equal to the ratio of the maximum increase in the number of elements during
mesh refinement compared to the original number of elements in the specified element set. The
default value is 8.0.

Data lines to define the criteria used in the mesh refinement:

First line:
1. Refinement criteria label (see “Defining adaptive mesh refinement in the Eulerian domain,”
Section 14.1.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

1.7–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ADAPTIVE MESH REFINEMENT

2. Value of the refinement criteria if applicable.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define multiple criteria for mesh refinement.

1.7–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ADJUST

1.8 *ADJUST: Adjust user-specified nodal coordinates to lie on a given surface.

This option is used to adjust user-specified nodal coordinates so that the nodes lie on a given surface.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

Reference:
• “Adjusting nodal coordinates,” Section 2.1.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameters:

NODE SET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the node set containing the nodes to be adjusted.

SURFACE
Set this parameter equal to the name of surface to which the nodes are to be adjusted.

Optional parameter:

ORIENTATION
Set this parameter equal to the name of an orientation definition (see “Orientations,” Section 2.2.5 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) that defines the direction for adjusting nodes. If this parameter
is omitted, the nodes are adjusted normal to the specified surface. Only rectangular, cylindrical, and
spherical orientation definitions are supported. Additional rotations defined as part of the orientation
definition are ignored.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

1.8–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * AMPLITUDE

1.9 *AMPLITUDE: Define an amplitude curve.

This option allows arbitrary time (or frequency in an Abaqus/Standard analysis) variations of load,
displacement, and other prescribed variable magnitudes to be given throughout a step.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

Abaqus/CAE: Amplitude toolset; bubble loading is not supported. Similar functionality is available in the
Interaction module.

Reference:
• “Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the amplitude curve.

Optional parameters:

DEFINITION
Set DEFINITION=TABULAR (default) to give the amplitude-time (or amplitude-frequency)
definition in tabular form.
Set DEFINITION=EQUALLY SPACED, PERIODIC, MODULATED, DECAY, SMOOTH
STEP, SOLUTION DEPENDENT, or BUBBLE to define the amplitude according to the definitions
given in “Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
Set DEFINITION=USER to define the amplitude via user subroutines UAMP and VUAMP.
Parameter settings of BUBBLE, SOLUTION DEPENDENT, and USER are not available in
Abaqus/CFD analyses.
INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the alternate input file containing the data lines for this
option. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax
of such file names. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the data follow the keyword line.
This parameter cannot be used if DEFINITION=USER.

1.9–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* AMPLITUDE

SCALEX
Set this parameter equal to the value by which the time values are to be scaled. The default is 1.

SCALEY
Set this parameter equal to the value by which the amplitude values are to be scaled. The default
is 1.

SHIFTX
Set this parameter equal to the value by which the time values are to be shifted. The default is 0.

SHIFTY
Set this parameter equal to the value by which the amplitude values are to be shifted. The default
is 0.

TIME
Set TIME=STEP TIME (default) for step time. If the step in which the amplitude is referenced is
in the frequency domain, STEP TIME corresponds to frequency.
Set TIME=TOTAL TIME for total time accumulated over all non-perturbation analysis steps.
See “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for a discussion of
these time measures.

VALUE
Set VALUE=RELATIVE (default) for relative magnitude definition.
Set VALUE=ABSOLUTE for direct input of absolute magnitudes. In this case the data line
values in the load option are ignored. Because the values given in the field definition are ignored,
the absolute amplitude value will be used to define both the temperature and the gradient. For this
reason, VALUE=ABSOLUTE should not be used when temperatures or predefined field variables
are specified for nodes connected to beam and shell elements whose section definition includes
TEMPERATURE=GRADIENTS (default).

Required parameter for DEFINITION=EQUALLY SPACED:

FIXED INTERVAL
Set this parameter equal to the fixed time (or frequency) interval at which the amplitude data will
be given.

Optional parameter for DEFINITION=EQUALLY SPACED:

BEGIN
Set this parameter equal to the time (or lowest frequency) at which the first amplitude is given. The
default is BEGIN=0.0.

1.9–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * AMPLITUDE

Optional parameter for DEFINITION=TABULAR or DEFINITION=EQUALLY SPACED:

SMOOTH
Set this parameter equal to the fraction of the time interval before and after each time point during
which the piecewise linear time variation is to be replaced by a smooth quadratic time variation
in any case when time derivatives of the amplitude definition are required. The defaults are
SMOOTH=0.25 in Abaqus/Standard and SMOOTH=0.0 in Abaqus/Explicit. The allowable range
is 0.0 SMOOTH 0.5. A value of 0.05 is suggested for amplitude definitions that contain large
time intervals to avoid severe deviation from the specified definition. This parameter is applicable
only when time derivatives are needed (for displacement or velocity boundary conditions in a
direct integration dynamic analysis) and is ignored for all other uses of this option. This parameter
is not available in Abaqus/CFD.

Optional parameters for DEFINITION=USER:

PROPERTIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of properties being entered. The properties are available for
use in user subroutines UAMP and VUAMP. They can be defined on the data lines or directly within
the user subroutine. The default is PROPERTIES=0.

VARIABLES
Set this parameter equal to the number of solution-dependent state variables that must be stored
with this amplitude definition. Its value must be greater than 0. The default is VARIABLES=1.

Data lines for DEFINITION=TABULAR or DEFINITION=SMOOTH STEP with four data points
(eight entries) per each line:

First line:
1. Time or frequency.
2. Amplitude value (relative or absolute) at the first point.
3. Time or frequency.
4. Amplitude value (relative or absolute) at the second point.
5. Etc., up to four pairs per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Each line (except the last one) must have exactly four
time/magnitude or frequency/magnitude data pairs.

Data lines for DEFINITION=TABULAR or DEFINITION=SMOOTH STEP with one data pair (two
entries) per each line:

First line:
1. Time or frequency.

1.9–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* AMPLITUDE

2. Amplitude value (relative or absolute) at the first point.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Each line must have exactly one time/magnitude or
frequency/magnitude data pair.

Data lines for DEFINITION=EQUALLY SPACED with eight values per line:

First line:
1. Amplitude value at the time or frequency given on the BEGIN parameter.
2. Amplitude value at the next point.
3. Etc., up to eight values per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Each line (except the last one) must have exactly eight
amplitude values.

Data lines for DEFINITION=EQUALLY SPACED with one value per each line:

First line:
1. Amplitude value at the time or frequency given on the BEGIN parameter.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Each line must have exactly one amplitude value.

Data lines to define periodic data (DEFINITION=PERIODIC):

First line:
1. N, the number of terms in the Fourier series.
2. , the circular frequency, in radians per time.
3. , the starting time.
4. , the constant term in the Fourier series.

Second line:
1. , the first coefficient of the cosine terms.
2. , the first coefficient of the sine terms.
3. , the second coefficient of the cosine terms.
4. , the second coefficient of the sine terms.
5. Etc., up to eight values per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Each line (except the last one) must have exactly eight
entries, to a total of 2N entries.

Data line to define modulated data (DEFINITION=MODULATED):

First (and only) line:

1. .
2. A.

1.9–4

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * AMPLITUDE

3. .
4. .
5. .

Data line to define exponential decay (DEFINITION=DECAY):

First (and only) line:

1. , the constant term.
2. A, the coefficient of the exponential function.
3. , the start time of the exponential function.
4. , the decay time of the exponential function.

Data line to define a solution-dependent amplitude (DEFINITION=SOLUTION DEPENDENT):

First (and only) line:

1. Initial amplitude value (default = 1.0).
2. Minimum amplitude value (default = 0.1).
3. Maximum amplitude value (default = 1000.).

Data lines to define bubble loading (DEFINITION=BUBBLE):

First line:
1. Charge material constant, K.
2. Charge material constant, k.
3. Charge material constant, A.
4. Charge material constant, B.
5. Adiabatic charge constant, .
6. Ratio of specific heats for gas, .
7. Density of charge material, .
8. Mass of charge material, .
9. Depth magnitude of charge material, .

Second line:
1. Fluid mass density, .
2. Sound speed in fluid, .
3. X-direction cosine of fluid surface normal.
4. Y-direction cosine of fluid surface normal.
5. Z-direction cosine of fluid surface normal.

1.9–5

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* AMPLITUDE

Third line:
1. Acceleration due to gravity, g.
2. Atmospheric pressure, .
3. Wave effect parameter, . Set to 1.0 for wave effects in the fluid and gas; set to 0.0 to neglect
these effects. The default is 1.0.
4. Flow drag coefficient, . The default is 0.0.
5. Flow drag exponent, ( ). The default is 2.0.

Fourth line:
1. Time duration, .
2. Maximum number of time steps for the bubble simulation, . The bubble amplitude
simulation ceases when the number of steps reaches or the time duration, , is
reached. The default is 1500.
3. Relative step size control parameter, . The default is 1 × 10−11 .
4. Absolute step size control parameter, . The default is 1 × 10−11 .
5. Step size control exponent, . The step size, , is decreased or increased according to the
error estimate: . The default is 0.2.

Data lines to define user amplitude properties when PROPERTIES is specified with
DEFINITION=USER:

First line:
1. Enter the amplitude properties, eight per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define all amplitude properties.

1.9–6

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ANISOTROPIC HYPERELASTIC

1.10 *ANISOTROPIC HYPERELASTIC: Specify anisotropic hyperelastic properties for

approximately incompressible materials.

This option is used to define material constants for a general anisotropic hyperelastic material.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Anisotropic hyperelastic behavior,” Section 22.5.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “UANISOHYPER_STRAIN,” Section 1.1.21 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “UANISOHYPER_INV,” Section 1.1.20 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “VUANISOHYPER_STRAIN,” Section 1.2.9 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “VUANISOHYPER_INV,” Section 1.2.8 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

FUNG-ANISOTROPIC
Include this parameter to use the generalized Fung anisotropic strain energy potential.
FUNG-ORTHOTROPIC
Include this parameter to use the generalized Fung orthotropic strain energy potential.
HOLZAPFEL
Include this parameter to use the Holzapfel-Gasser-Ogden strain energy potential.
USER
Include this parameter if the strain energy potential and its derivatives are defined in a
user subroutine (user subroutines UANISOHYPER_INV and UANISOHYPER_STRAIN in
Abaqus/Standard or VUANISOHYPER_INV and VUANISOHYPER_STRAIN in Abaqus/Explicit).

Required parameters if the USER parameter is included:

FORMULATION
Set FORMULATION=STRAIN to indicate that the anisotropic hyperelastic energy potential
is formulated in terms of the components of the Green strain tensor and is defined by either
UANISOHYPER_STRAIN in Abaqus/Standard or VUANISOHYPER_STRAIN in Abaqus/Explicit.

1.10–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ANISOTROPIC HYPERELASTIC

Set FORMULATION=INVARIANT to indicate that the anisotropic hyperelastic energy

potential is formulated in terms of pseudo-invariants and is defined by either UANISOHYPER_INV
in Abaqus/Standard or VUANISOHYPER_INV in Abaqus/Explicit.

TYPE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set TYPE=INCOMPRESSIBLE to indicate that the anisotropic hyperelastic material defined
by UANISOHYPER_INV or UANISOHYPER_STRAIN is incompressible.
Set TYPE=COMPRESSIBLE to indicate that the hyperelastic material defined by
UANISOHYPER_INV or UANISOHYPER_STRAIN is compressible.

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the anisotropic hyperelastic material properties. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
the material properties are constant or depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for
more information.

LOCAL DIRECTIONS
This parameter can only be used in combination with an invariant-based strain energy potential,
such as HOLZAPFEL or USER, FORMULATION=INVARIANT. Set this parameter equal to the
number of preferred local directions (or fiber directions) in the material. The default is LOCAL
DIRECTIONS=0.
When LOCAL DIRECTIONS=N, the definitions of the N local direction vectors in the
reference configuration are specified using the *ORIENTATION, LOCAL DIRECTIONS=M
option, with M ≥ N. If M > N, the first N directions will be used.
If the HOLZAPFEL strain energy potential is used, at least one local direction must be
specified.

MODULI
This parameter is applicable only when the *ANISOTROPIC HYPERELASTIC option is used in
conjunction with the *VISCOELASTIC option.
Set MODULI=INSTANTANEOUS to indicate that the anisotropic hyperelastic material
constants define the instantaneous behavior. This parameter value is not available for frequency
domain viscoelasticity in an Abaqus/Standard analysis. This is the only option available if the
anisotropic hyperelastic potential is defined in a user subroutine.
Set MODULI=LONG TERM to indicate that the hyperelastic material constants define the
long-term behavior. This option is not available when a user subroutine is used to define the
anisotropic hyperelastic potential. It is the default for all other anisotropic hyperelastic models.

1.10–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ANISOTROPIC HYPERELASTIC

PROPERTIES
This parameter can be used only if the USER parameter is specified. Set this parameter equal
to the number of property values needed as data in user subroutines UANISOHYPER_INV
and UANISOHYPER_STRAIN in Abaqus/Standard or VUANISOHYPER_INV and
VUANISOHYPER_STRAIN in Abaqus/Explicit. The default value is 0.

Data lines to define the material constants for the FUNG-ANISOTROPIC model:
First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Second line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Third line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. . (Units of FL−2 .)
7. . (Units of F−1 L2 .)
8. Temperature.

1.10–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ANISOTROPIC HYPERELASTIC

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than zero):
1. First field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the material constants as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.
Data lines to define the material constants for the FUNG-ORTHOTROPIC model:
First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Second line:
1. .
2. . (Units of FL−2 .)
3. . (Units of F−1 L2 .)
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables per line.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the material constants as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.
Data lines to define the material constants for the HOLZAPFEL model:
First line:
1. . (Units of FL−2 .)
2. . (Units of F−1 L2 .)
3. . (Units of FL−2 .)
4. .
5. Fiber dispersion parameter ( ).

1.10–4

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ANISOTROPIC HYPERELASTIC

6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the material constants as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the material properties for the USER anisotropic hyperelasticity model:

No data lines are needed if the PROPERTIES parameter is omitted or set to 0. Otherwise, first line:
1. Give the material properties, eight per line. If this option is used in conjunction with the
*VISCOELASTIC option, the material properties must define the instantaneous behavior. If
this option is used in conjunction with the *MULLINS EFFECT option, the material properties
must define the primary response.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the material properties.

1.10–5

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ANNEAL

1.11 *ANNEAL: Anneal the structure.

This option is used to anneal a structure by setting the velocities and all appropriate state variables to zero.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:
• “Annealing procedure,” Section 6.12.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameter:

TEMPERATURE
Set this parameter equal to the temperature, , to which all nodes in the model will be set after the
annealing has been completed. The default is to maintain the current temperature at all nodes in the
model after the annealing has been completed.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

1.11–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ANNEAL TEMPERATURE

1.12 *ANNEAL TEMPERATURE: Specify material properties for modeling annealing or

melting.

This option is used to define the annealing temperature of elastic-plastic materials. It must be used in
conjunction with the *PLASTIC option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Annealing or melting,” Section 23.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *PLASTIC

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
annealing temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the annealing temperature is
a constant. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

Data lines to define the annealing temperature:

First line:
1. Value of the annealing temperature, .
2. First field variable.
3. Etc., up to seven field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than seven):
1. Eighth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameter
on field variables.

1.12–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * AQUA

1.13 *AQUA: Define fluid variables for use in loading immersed beam-type structures.

This option is used to define the fluid properties and steady-current velocity.

Product: Abaqus/Aqua

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Reference:

• “Abaqus/Aqua analysis,” Section 6.11.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameter:

INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the alternate input file containing the data lines for this
option. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax
of such file names. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the data follow the keyword line.

Data lines to define fluid properties and a steady current:

First line:
1. Elevation of the seabed.
2. Elevation of the still fluid surface.
3. Gravitational constant.
4. Mass density of the fluid.

Second line:
1. Steady velocity of the fluid in the X-direction.
2. Steady velocity of the fluid in the Y-direction.
3. Steady velocity of the fluid in the Z-direction. Only relevant for three-dimensional cases.
4. Elevation.
5. X-coordinate defining the location where the velocity applies. If this value is omitted, the
velocity is assumed to be independent of position in the X-direction.

1.13–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* AQUA

6. Y-coordinate defining the location where the velocity applies. Only relevant for
three-dimensional cases. If this value is omitted in a three-dimensional analysis, the
velocity is assumed to be independent of position in the Y-direction.
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary to define the steady current velocity as a function of
elevation and spatial coordinates. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide, for a description of how to define a property as a function of multiple independent variables.

1.13–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ASSEMBLY

1.14 *ASSEMBLY: Begin an assembly definition.

This option is used to begin an assembly definition. It must be used in conjunction with the *END
ASSEMBLY, *INSTANCE, and *PART options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Assembly module

References:
• *END ASSEMBLY
• “Defining an assembly,” Section 2.10.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the assembly.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

1.14–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ASYMMETRIC-AXISYMMETRIC

1.15 *ASYMMETRIC-AXISYMMETRIC: Define areas of integration for contact elements

used with CAXAn or SAXAn elements.

This option is used to allow Abaqus/Standard to calculate appropriate areas of integration for
ISL- and IRS-type contact elements used in conjunction with CAXAn or SAXAn elements. The
*ASYMMETRIC-AXISYMMETRIC option must be used in conjunction with the *INTERFACE option.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

References:
• “Contact interaction analysis: overview,” Section 36.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Contact modeling if asymmetric-axisymmetric elements are present,” Section 36.3.10 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide
• *INTERFACE

Required parameters:

ANGLE
Set this parameter equal to the angular position (measured in degrees) of the circumferential plane
in which the contact elements exists. Valid values are = 0°, 180° for n = 1; = 0°, 90°, 180° for n
= 2; = 0°, 60°, 120°, 180° for n = 3; and = 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180° for n = 4. Abaqus/Standard
does not model contact correctly on other circumferential planes.

MODE
Set this parameter equal to the number of Fourier modes used with the CAXAn or SAXAn elements
that share nodes with the contact elements.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

1.15–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * AXIAL

1.16 *AXIAL: Used to define the axial behavior of beams.

This option can be used only in conjunction with the *BEAM GENERAL SECTION,
SECTION=NONLINEAR GENERAL option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

References:
• *BEAM GENERAL SECTION
• “Using a general beam section to define the section behavior,” Section 29.3.7 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide

Optional parameters (if neither ELASTIC nor LINEAR is included, elastic-plastic response is
assumed):

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the axial
force–axial strain relationship, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the axial force–axial strain relationship is constant or depends only on temperature. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
ELASTIC
Include this parameter if the axial force–axial strain relationship is nonlinear but elastic.
LINEAR
Include this parameter if the axial force–axial strain relationship is linear.

Data lines if the LINEAR parameter is included:

First line:
1. Axial stiffness of the section.
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

1.16–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* AXIAL

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the axial stiffness as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines if the LINEAR parameter is omitted:

First line:
1. Axial force.
2. Axial strain.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the axial force–axial strain relationship as a
function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

1.16–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 B

2. B

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * BASE MOTION

2.1 *BASE MOTION: Define the base motion for linear, eigenmode-based, dynamic
procedures.

This option is relevant only during linear dynamics procedures that use the natural modes of the system
(*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS without the DIRECT parameter, *MODAL DYNAMIC, and *RANDOM
RESPONSE).

Products: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Natural frequency extraction,” Section 6.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Transient modal dynamic analysis,” Section 6.3.7 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Mode-based steady-state dynamic analysis,” Section 6.3.8 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Random response analysis,” Section 6.3.11 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:
DOF
Set this parameter equal to the direction (1–6, including rotations) for which the base motion is
being defined. This direction is always a global direction.

Required parameter for *MODAL DYNAMIC and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS analyses:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *AMPLITUDE option that defines the time history
(*MODAL DYNAMIC) or frequency spectrum (*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS) of the
motion. This parameter is irrelevant for the *RANDOM RESPONSE procedure. The parameter
DEFINITION=SOLUTION DEPENDENT cannot be used in an *AMPLITUDE referenced by
this option.

Optional parameters:
BASE NAME
Set this parameter equal to the name of the base if this base motion is to be applied to a secondary
base. The base name is defined with the BASE NAME parameter on the *BOUNDARY option in
the *FREQUENCY step.

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* BASE MOTION

LOAD CASE
Set this parameter equal to the load case number. This parameter is used in *RANDOM RESPONSE
analysis, where it is the cross-reference for the load case on the *CORRELATION option.

SCALE
Set this parameter equal to the scale factor for the amplitude curve. The default is SCALE=1.0. This
parameter applies during *MODAL DYNAMIC and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS procedures.

TYPE
Set TYPE=ACCELERATION (default), VELOCITY, or DISPLACEMENT.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for steady-state dynamics analysis:

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the base motion record given
by the amplitude definition.

REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the base motion record given by
the amplitude definition.

There are no data lines associated with this option unless a primary base motion defines
rotation about a point that is not the origin of the coordinate system.

Data line to define the center of rotation for a prescribed rotation:

First (and only) line:

1. X-coordinate of the point about which the rotation is applied.
2. Y-coordinate of the point about which the rotation is applied.
3. Z-coordinate of the point about which the rotation is applied.

This data line is relevant only for a primary base motion defined in the *MODAL DYNAMIC and
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS procedures.

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 * BASELINE CORRECTION

2.2 *BASELINE CORRECTION: Include baseline correction.

This option is used to modify an acceleration history to minimize the overall drift of the displacement obtained
from the time integration of the given acceleration. It must appear immediately after the data lines of the
*AMPLITUDE option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

Abaqus/CAE: Amplitude toolset

References:
• *AMPLITUDE
• “Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define the correction intervals (optional; if no data lines are given, the baseline
correction treats the entire time of the amplitude definition as a single correction interval):

First line:
1. Time point defining the end of the first correction interval and the beginning of the second
correction interval.
2. Time point defining the end of the second correction interval and the beginning of the third
correction interval.
3. Etc., up to eight values per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Each line (except for the last one) must have exactly eight
time points.

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 * BEAM ADDED INERTIA

2.3 *BEAM ADDED INERTIA: Define additional beam inertia.

This option is used in conjunction with the *BEAM SECTION or *BEAM GENERAL SECTION option
to define additional mass and rotary inertia per unit length in shear flexible Timoshenko beam elements.
This option is also used to define mass proportional damping (for direct-integration dynamic analysis) and in
Abaqus/Standard composite damping (for modal dynamic analysis) associated with the added inertia.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

References:
• “Choosing a beam element,” Section 29.3.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Beam section behavior,” Section 29.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

ALPHA
Set this parameter equal to the factor to create inertia proportional damping for added inertia
associated with this option when used in direct-integration dynamics. This value is ignored in modal
dynamics. The default is ALPHA=0.0. (Units of T−1 .)

COMPOSITE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the fraction of critical damping to be used with the beam elements
when calculating composite damping factors for the modes when used in modal dynamics. The
default is COMPOSITE=0.0.
This value is ignored in direct-integration dynamics. It is also ignored in mode-based analyses
based on the SIM architecture, where the *COMPOSITE MODAL DAMPING option should be
used instead.

Data line to define additional beam inertia:

First line:
1. Mass per unit length.
2. Local 1-coordinate of the center of mass within the beam cross-section, .
3. Local 2-coordinate of the center of mass within the beam cross-section, .

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4. Orientation angle for the first axis of the oriented system relative to the first beam cross-
sectional direction in which the rotary inertia is given, (in degrees). Only relevant for beams
in space; otherwise, leave blank.
5. Rotary inertia around the center of mass about the 1-axis in the local inertia system, .
6. Rotary inertia around the center of mass about the 2-axis in the local inertia system, . Only
relevant for beams in space; otherwise, leave blank.
7. Product of inertia, . Only relevant for beams in space; otherwise, leave blank.

The rotary inertia should be given in units of ML. Abaqus does not use any specific physical units,
so the user’s choice must be consistent.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the additional beam inertia.

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 * BEAM FLUID INERTIA

2.4 *BEAM FLUID INERTIA: Define additional beam inertia due to immersion in a fluid.

This option is used in conjunction with the *BEAM SECTION or *BEAM GENERAL SECTION option to
include added inertia effects in Timoshenko beam elements due to immersion in an inviscid fluid.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Beam section behavior,” Section 29.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Acoustic, shock, and coupled acoustic-structural analysis,” Section 6.10.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Loading due to an incident dilatational wave field,” Section 6.3.1 of the Abaqus Theory Guide

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

FULL
Use this parameter to specify a fully submerged beam (default).

HALF
Use this parameter to specify a half-submerged beam.

Data line to define beam fluid inertia:

First (and only) line:

1. Mass density of fluid.
2. Local 1-coordinate of the center of the cylindrical cross-section with respect to the beam cross-
section, x.
3. Local 2-coordinate of the center of the cylindrical cross-section with respect to the beam cross-
section, y.
4. Radius of the cylindrical cross-section, r.
5. Added mass coefficient, (default = 1.0), for lateral motions of the beam.
6. Added mass coefficient, (default = 0.0), for motions along the axis of the beam. This
coefficient affects only the term added to the free end(s) of the beam.

2.4–1

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 * BEAM GENERAL SECTION

2.5 *BEAM GENERAL SECTION: Specify a beam section when numerical integration
over the section is not required.

This option is used to define linear or nonlinear beam section response when numerical integration over the
section is not required. In this case the beam section geometry and material descriptions are combined; no
*MATERIAL reference is associated with this option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Abaqus/CAE: General beam sections with linear response are supported in the Property module.

References:
• “Using a general beam section to define the section behavior,” Section 29.3.7 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Beam modeling: overview,” Section 29.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:
ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set for which the section is defined.

Required parameter in Abaqus/Explicit, optional parameter in Abaqus/Standard:

DENSITY
Set this parameter equal to the mass density (mass per unit volume) of the beam material. In
an Abaqus/Standard analysis this parameter is needed only when the mass of the elements is
required, such as in dynamic analysis or gravity loading. This parameter cannot be used when
SECTION=MESHED.

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
This parameter cannot be used when SECTION=NONLINEAR GENERAL or
SECTION=MESHED.
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of material moduli, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the
moduli are constant or depend only on temperature.

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* BEAM GENERAL SECTION

LUMPED
This parameter is relevant only for linear Timoshenko beam elements in Abaqus/Standard.
Set LUMPED=YES (default) to use a lumped mass matrix in frequency extraction and modal
analysis procedures.
Set LUMPED=NO to use a mass matrix based on a cubic interpolation of deflection and
quadratic interpolation of the rotation fields in frequency extraction and modal analysis procedures.
POISSON
Set this parameter equal to the effective Poisson’s ratio for the section to provide uniform strain in
the section due to strain of the beam axis (so that the cross-sectional area changes when the beam
is stretched). The value of the effective Poisson’s ratio must be between −1.0 and 0.5. The default
is POISSON=0. A value of 0.5 will enforce incompressible behavior of the element.
For PIPE elements with SECTION=PIPE, this parameter will also be used along with the
Young’s modulus given on the third data line to compute the axial strain due to hoop strain.
This parameter is used only in large-displacement analysis. It is not used with element types
B23, B33, or the equivalent “hybrid” elements (which are available only in Abaqus/Standard).
ROTARY INERTIA
This parameter is relevant only for three-dimensional Timoshenko beam elements.
Set ROTARY INERTIA=EXACT (default) to use the exact rotary inertia corresponding to the
beam cross-section geometry in dynamic and eigenfrequency extraction procedures.
Set ROTARY INERTIA=ISOTROPIC to use an approximate rotary inertia for the
cross-section. In Abaqus/Standard the rotary inertia associated with the torsional mode of
deformation is used for all rotational degrees of freedom. In Abaqus/Explicit the rotary inertia for
all rotational degrees of freedom is equal to a scaled flexural inertia with a scaling factor chosen to
maximize the stable time increment. ROTARY INERTIA=ISOTROPIC is not relevant and cannot
be used when SECTION=MESHED; the default value of EXACT always applies for meshed
sections.
SECTION
Set SECTION=GENERAL (default) to define a general beam section with linear response.
Set SECTION=NONLINEAR GENERAL to define general nonlinear behavior of the cross-
section.
Set SECTION=MESHED to define an arbitrarily shaped solid cross-section meshed with
warping elements.
Set this parameter equal to the name of a library section to choose a standard library section (see
“Beam cross-section library,” Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). The following
cross-sections are available:
• ARBITRARY, for an arbitrary section.
• BOX, for a rectangular, hollow box section.
• CIRC, for a solid circular section.
• HEX, for a hollow hexagonal section.

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• I, for an I-beam section.

• L, for an L-beam section.
• PIPE, for a hollow, circular section.
• RECT, for a solid, rectangular section.
• TRAPEZOID, for a trapezoidal section.
TAPER
This parameter is relevant only for Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Include this parameter to define a general beam section with a tapered cross-section.
ZERO
This parameter cannot be used when SECTION=MESHED.
Set this parameter equal to the reference temperature for thermal expansion ( ), if required.
The default is ZERO=0.

Data lines for SECTION=GENERAL:

First line:
1. Area, A.
2. Moment of inertia for bending about the 1-axis, .
3. Moment of inertia for cross bending, .
4. Moment of inertia for bending about the 2-axis, .
5. Torsional constant, J.
6. Sectorial moment, . (Only needed in Abaqus/Standard when the section is associated with
open-section beam elements.)
7. Warping constant, . (Only needed in Abaqus/Standard when the section is associated with
open-section beam elements.)

Second line (optional; enter a blank line if the default values are to be used):
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, ) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Third line:
1. Young’s modulus, E.
2. Torsional shear modulus, G. (Not used for beams in a plane.)

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* BEAM GENERAL SECTION

3. Coefficient of thermal expansion.

4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the properties as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for SECTION=GENERAL if the TAPER parameter is included:

First line (properties of node A):

1. Area, A.
2. Moment of inertia for bending about the 1-axis, .
3. Moment of inertia for cross bending, .
4. Moment of inertia for bending about the 2-axis, .
5. Torsional constant, J.
6. Sectorial moment, . (Only needed in Abaqus/Standard when the section is associated with
open-section beam elements.)
7. Warping constant, . (Only needed in Abaqus/Standard when the section is associated with
open-section beam elements.)

Second line (properties of node B):

1. Area, A.
2. Moment of inertia for bending about the 1-axis, .
3. Moment of inertia for cross bending, .
4. Moment of inertia for bending about the 2-axis, .
5. Torsional constant, J.
6. Sectorial moment, . (Only needed in Abaqus/Standard when the section is associated with
open-section beam elements.)
7. Warping constant, . (Only needed in Abaqus/Standard when the section is associated with
open-section beam elements.)

Third line (optional; enter a blank line if the default values are to be used):
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

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2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, ) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Fourth line:
1. Young’s modulus, E.
2. Torsional shear modulus, G. (Not used for beams in a plane.)
3. Coefficient of thermal expansion.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the properties as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for SECTION=NONLINEAR GENERAL:

First line:
1. Area, A.
2. Moment of inertia for bending about the 1-axis, .
3. Moment of inertia for cross bending, .
4. Moment of inertia for bending about the 2-axis, .
5. Torsional constant, J.

The axial and bending behaviors of the section are defined by using the *AXIAL, *M1, *M2,
*TORQUE, and *THERMAL EXPANSION options.
Second line (optional):
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

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* BEAM GENERAL SECTION

2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, ) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Data lines for SECTION=MESHED:

First line:
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, −1) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
−1) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Second line:

The entries on this line and the following line consist of the beam section properties that result
from the two-dimensional meshed cross-section generation procedure. The properties are written
to the file jobname.bsp during the cross-section generation and are typically read into a subsequent
beam analysis using the *INCLUDE option. See “Meshed beam cross-sections,” Section 10.6.1 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for details.
1. Axial stiffness of the section, .
2. Bending stiffness about the 1-axis of the section, .
3. Stiffness for cross-bending, .
4. Bending stiffness about the 2-axis of the section, .
5. Torsional constant, .

Third line:
1. Total mass of the section per unit length, .
2. Rotary inertia about the 1-axis of the section, .
3. Rotary product of inertia, .
4. Rotary inertia about the 2-axis of the section, .
5. Local 1-coordinate of the center of mass, .
6. Local 2-coordinate of the center of mass, .

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 * BEAM GENERAL SECTION

Data lines for BOX, CIRC, HEX, I, L, PIPE, RECT, and TRAPEZOID sections:

First line:
1. Beam section geometric data. Values should be given as specified in “Beam cross-section
library,” Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the chosen section type.
2. Etc.

Second line (optional; enter a blank line if the default values are to be used):
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, ) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Third line:
1. Young’s modulus, E.
2. Torsional shear modulus, G. (Not used for beams in a plane.)
3. Coefficient of thermal expansion.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the properties as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for BOX, CIRC, HEX, I, L, PIPE, RECT, and TRAPEZOID sections if the TAPER
parameter is included:

First line (properties of node A):

1. Beam section geometric data. Values should be given as specified in “Beam cross-section
library,” Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the chosen section type.
2. Etc.

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* BEAM GENERAL SECTION

Second line (properties of node B):

1. Beam section geometric data. Values should be given as specified in “Beam cross-section
library,” Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the chosen section type.
2. Etc.

Third line (optional; enter a blank line if the default values are to be used):
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, ) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Fourth line:
1. Young’s modulus, E.
2. Torsional shear modulus, G. (Not used for beams in a plane.)
3. Coefficient of thermal expansion.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the properties as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for SECTION=ARBITRARY:

First line:
1. Number of segments making up the section.
2. Local 1-coordinate of first point defining the section.
3. Local 2-coordinate of first point defining the section.
4. Local 1-coordinate of second point defining the section.
5. Local 2-coordinate of second point defining the section.
6. Thickness of first segment.

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 * BEAM GENERAL SECTION

Second line:
1. Local 1-coordinate of next section point.
2. Local 2-coordinate of next section point.
3. Thickness of segment ending at this point.
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary to define the ARBITRARY section.

Third line (optional; enter a blank line if the default values are to be used):
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, ) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Fourth line:
1. Young’s modulus, E.
2. Torsional shear modulus, G. (Not used for beams in a plane.)
3. Coefficient of thermal expansion.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the properties as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

2.5–9

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 * BEAM SECTION

2.6 *BEAM SECTION: Specify a beam section when numerical integration over the
section is required.

This option is used to define the cross-section for beam elements when numerical integration over the section
is required (usually because of nonlinear material response in the section).

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Using a beam section integrated during the analysis to define the section behavior,” Section 29.3.6 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Beam modeling: overview,” Section 29.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Pipes and pipebends with deforming cross-sections: elbow elements,” Section 29.5.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide
Required parameters:
ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set for which this section is defined.
MATERIAL
Set this parameter equal to the name of the material to be used with this beam section definition.
SECTION
Set this parameter equal to the name of the section type (see “Beam cross-section library,”
Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). The following cross-sections are available
for beam elements:
• ARBITRARY, for an arbitrary section.
• BOX, for a rectangular, hollow box section.
• CIRC, for a solid circular section.
• HEX, for a hollow hexagonal section.
• I, for an I-beam section.
• L, for an L-beam section.
• PIPE, for a thin-walled circular section.
• RECT, for a solid, rectangular section.

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• THICK PIPE, for a thick-walled circular section (Abaqus/Standard only).

• TRAPEZOID, for a trapezoidal section.
Set SECTION=ELBOW for elbow elements, which are available only in Abaqus/Standard.

Optional parameters:
LUMPED
This parameter is relevant only for linear Timoshenko beam elements in Abaqus/Standard.
Set LUMPED=YES (default) to use a lumped mass matrix in frequency extraction and modal
analysis procedures.
Set LUMPED=NO to use a mass matrix based on a cubic interpolation of deflection and
quadratic interpolation of the rotation fields in frequency extraction and modal analysis procedures.
POISSON
Set this parameter equal to the effective Poisson’s ratio for the section to provide uniform strain in
the section because of strain of the beam axis (so that the beam changes cross-sectional area when it
is stretched). The value of the effective Poisson’s ratio must be between −1.0 and 0.5. The default
is POISSON=0. A value of 0.5 will enforce incompressible behavior of the element.
This parameter is used only in large-displacement analyses. It is not used with elbow elements
or with element types B23, B33, PIPE21, PIPE22, and the equivalent “hybrid” elements (which are
available only in Abaqus/Standard).
ROTARY INERTIA
This parameter is relevant only for three-dimensional Timoshenko beam elements.
Set ROTARY INERTIA=EXACT (default) to use the exact rotary inertia corresponding to the
beam cross-section geometry in dynamic and eigenfrequency extraction procedures.
Set ROTARY INERTIA=ISOTROPIC to use an approximate rotary inertia for the
cross-section. In Abaqus/Standard the rotary inertia associated with the torsional mode of
deformation is used for all rotational degrees of freedom. In Abaqus/Explicit the rotary inertia for
all rotational degrees of freedom is equal to a scaled flexural inertia with a scaling factor chosen
to maximize the stable time increment.
TEMPERATURE
Use this parameter to select the mode of temperature and field variable input used on the *FIELD,
the *INITIAL CONDITIONS, or the *TEMPERATURE options.
For beam elements set TEMPERATURE=GRADIENTS (default) to specify temperatures and
field variables as values at the origin of the cross-section, together with gradients with respect to the
2-direction and, for beams in space, the 1-direction of the section. Set TEMPERATURE=VALUES
to give temperatures and field variables as values at the points shown in the beam section
descriptions (see “Beam cross-section library,” Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide).
For elbow elements set TEMPERATURE=GRADIENTS (default) to specify temperatures
and field variables at the middle of the pipe wall and the gradient through the pipe thickness. Set

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TEMPERATURE=VALUES to give temperatures and field variables as values at points through

the section, as shown in “Pipes and pipebends with deforming cross-sections: elbow elements,”
Section 29.5.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.

Data lines for BOX, CIRC, HEX, I, L, PIPE, RECT, THICK PIPE, and TRAPEZOID sections:

First line:
1. Beam section geometric data. Values should be given as specified in “Beam cross-section
library,” Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the chosen section type.
2. Etc.

Second line (optional; enter a blank line if the default values are to be used):
1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, −1) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
−1) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Third line (optional):

1. Number of integration points in the first direction or branch. This number must be an odd
number (for Simpson’s integration), unless noted otherwise in “Beam cross-section library,”
Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
2. Number of integration points in the second direction or branch. This number must be an odd
number (for Simpson’s integration), unless noted otherwise in “Beam cross-section library,”
Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide. This entry is needed for the THICK PIPE
section, as well as for beams in space.
3. Number of integration points in the third direction or branch. This number must be an odd
number (for Simpson’s integration), unless noted otherwise in “Beam cross-section library,”
Section 29.3.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide. This entry is needed only for I-beams.

Data lines for ARBITRARY sections:

First line:
1. Number of segments making up the section.
2. Local 1-coordinate of first point defining the section.
3. Local 2-coordinate of first point defining the section.
4. Local 1-coordinate of second point defining the section.

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* BEAM SECTION

5. Local 2-coordinate of second point defining the section.

6. Thickness of first segment.

Second line:
1. Local 1-coordinate of next section point.
2. Local 2-coordinate of next section point.
3. Thickness of segment ending at this point.
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary to define the ARBITRARY section.

Third line (optional):

1. First direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
2. Second direction cosine of the first beam section axis.
3. Third direction cosine of the first beam section axis.

The entries on this line must be (0, 0, −1) for planar beams. The default for beams in space is (0, 0,
−1) if the first beam section axis is not defined by an additional node in the element’s connectivity.
See “Beam element cross-section orientation,” Section 29.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for details.

Data lines for ELBOW sections:

First line:
1. Outside radius of the pipe, r.
2. Pipe wall thickness, t.
3. Elbow torus radius, R, measured to the pipe axis. For a straight pipe, set .

Second line:

Enter the coordinates of the point of intersection of the tangents to the straight pipe segments
adjoining the elbow, or, if this section is associated with straight pipes, the coordinates of a point
off the pipe axis. The second cross-sectional axis will lie in the plane thus defined, with its positive
direction pointing toward this off-axis point.
1. First coordinate of the point.
2. Second coordinate of the point.
3. Third coordinate of the point.

Third line:
1. Number of integration points through the pipe wall thickness. This number must be an odd
number. (The default is 5.)
2. Number of integration points around the pipe. (The default is 20.)

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 * BEAM SECTION

3. Number of ovalization modes around the pipe (maximum 6). The section can be used with 0
(zero) ovalization modes, in which case uniform radial expansion only is included.

2.6–5

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 * BEAM SECTION GENERATE

2.7 *BEAM SECTION GENERATE: Generate beam section properties for a meshed cross-
section.

This option is used to calculate the cross-section warping function, to define the centroid and shear center,
and to generate the stiffness and inertia properties for a meshed cross-section. These properties are written
to the file jobname.bsp for use in a subsequent beam analysis using the *BEAM GENERAL SECTION,
SECTION=MESHED option.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Meshed beam cross-sections,” Section 10.6.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Beam section behavior,” Section 29.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Using a general beam section to define the section behavior,” Section 29.3.7 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide

There are no parameters or data lines associated with this option.

2.7–1

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 * BIAXIAL TEST DATA

2.8 *BIAXIAL TEST DATA: Used to provide biaxial test data (compression and/or
tension).

This option is used to provide biaxial test data. It can be used only in conjunction with the *HYPERELASTIC
option, the *HYPERFOAM option, and the *MULLINS EFFECT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Hyperelastic behavior of rubberlike materials,” Section 22.5.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Hyperelastic behavior in elastomeric foams,” Section 22.5.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Mullins effect,” Section 22.6.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Energy dissipation in elastomeric foams,” Section 22.6.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *HYPERELASTIC
• *HYPERFOAM
• *MULLINS EFFECT

Using biaxial test data to define a hyperelastic material

Optional parameter:
SMOOTH
Include this parameter to apply a smoothing filter to the stress-strain data. If the parameter is omitted,
no smoothing is performed.
Set this parameter equal to the number n such that is equal to the total number of
data points in the moving window through which a cubic polynomial is fit using the least-squares
method. n should be larger than 1. The default is SMOOTH=3.

Optional parameter when the *BIAXIAL TEST DATA option is used in conjunction with the
*HYPERELASTIC, MARLOW option:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the test data. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the test data depend only on temperature.

2.8–1

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* BIAXIAL TEST DATA

Data lines to specify biaxial test data for hyperelasticity other than the Marlow model (the
nominal strains must be arranged in either ascending or descending order if the SMOOTH
parameter is used):

First line:
1. Nominal stress, .
2. Nominal strain, .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to give the stress-strain data.

Data lines to specify biaxial test data for the Marlow model (the nominal strains must be
arranged in ascending order if the SMOOTH parameter is used):

First line:
1. Nominal stress, .
2. Nominal strain, .
3. Nominal lateral strain, . Not needed if the POISSON parameter is specified on the
*HYPERELASTIC option or if the *VOLUMETRIC TEST DATA option is used.
4. Temperature, .
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the test data as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables. Nominal strains and nominal stresses must be given in ascending
order.

Using biaxial test data to define an elastomeric foam

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to specify biaxial test data for a hyperfoam:

First line:
1. Nominal stress, .
2. Nominal strain, .

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 * BIAXIAL TEST DATA

3. Nominal transverse strain, . Default is zero. Not needed if the POISSON parameter is
specified on the *HYPERFOAM option.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to give the stress-strain data.

Using biaxial test data to define the Mullins effect material model

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to specify biaxial test data for defining the unloading-reloading response of the
Mullins effect material model:

First line:
1. Nominal stress, .
2. Nominal strain, .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to give the stress-strain data.

2.8–3

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 * BLOCKAGE

2.9 *BLOCKAGE: Control contacting surfaces for blockage.

This option is used to control the combination of surfaces that can cause blockage of flow out of a surface-
based fluid cavity. It must be used in conjunction with the *SURFACE INTERACTION option.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

References:
• “Fluid exchange definition,” Section 11.5.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Mechanical contact properties: overview,” Section 37.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Contact blockage,” Section 37.1.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *SURFACE INTERACTION
• *FLUID EXCHANGE ACTIVATION

There are no parameters or data lines associated with this option.

2.9–1

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 * BOND

2.10 *BOND: Define bonds and bonding properties.

This option is used to define breakable bonds that initially tie two contact boundaries to each other. This
option must be used in conjunction with the *SURFACE INTERACTION option.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Breakable bonds,” Section 37.1.9 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *SURFACE INTERACTION

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define spot welds with the time to failure model:

First line:
1. Name of bonded node set.
2. Maximum uniaxial normal force, . This value must be nonzero and positive.
3. Maximum uniaxial shear force, . This value must be nonzero and positive.
4. Initial bead size, .
5. Time to failure, . If is nonzero, the breakage displacements and must be left blank.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define spot welds using the time to failure model.

Data lines to define spot welds with the damaged model:

First line:
1.
Name of bonded node set.
2.
Maximum uniaxial normal force, . This value must be nonzero and positive.
3.
Maximum uniaxial shear force, . This value must be nonzero and positive.
Initial bead size, .
4.
5.
Blank space.
6.
Normal breakage displacement, . If is nonzero, the time to failure must be left blank.
7.
Shear breakage displacement, (default value is ). If is nonzero, the time to failure
must be left blank.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define spot welds using the damaged model.

2.10–1

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 * BOUNDARY

2.11 *BOUNDARY: Specify boundary conditions.

This option is used to prescribe boundary conditions at nodes or to specify the driven nodes in a submodeling
analysis. In Abaqus/Standard it is also used to define primary and secondary bases for modal superposition
procedures and to prescribe boundary conditions at phantom nodes for enriched elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module; fluid cavity pressure and generalized plane strain boundary conditions are not
supported.

References:
• “Defining a model in Abaqus,” Section 1.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Boundary conditions in Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 34.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Boundary conditions in Abaqus/CFD,” Section 34.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “DISP,” Section 1.1.4 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “VDISP,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “Natural frequency extraction,” Section 6.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Node-based submodeling,” Section 10.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Modeling discontinuities as an enriched feature using the extended finite element method,”
Section 10.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide

Prescribing boundary conditions at nodes

No parameters are used when fixed boundary conditions are specified as model data.

Optional parameters (history data only):

AMPLITUDE
This parameter is relevant only when some of the variables being prescribed have nonzero
magnitudes. Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve defining the magnitude of
the prescribed boundary conditions (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide).

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* BOUNDARY

If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, either the reference magnitude is

applied linearly over the step (a RAMP function) or it is applied immediately at the beginning of
the step and subsequently held constant (a STEP function). The choice of RAMP or STEP function
depends on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining
an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). There are two exceptions.
The first is when displacement or rotation components are given with TYPE=DISPLACEMENT,
for which the default is always a RAMP function. The second is when displacement or rotation
components in a static step or in a dynamic step with APPLICATION=QUASI-STATIC are given
with TYPE=VELOCITY, for which the default is always a STEP function.
If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit or an Abaqus/CFD analysis, the reference
magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step and subsequently held constant (a
STEP function).
In an Abaqus/Standard dynamic or modal dynamic procedure, amplitude curves specified
for TYPE=DISPLACEMENT or TYPE=VELOCITY will be smoothed automatically. In an
Abaqus/Explicit analysis, the user must request that such amplitude curves are smoothed. For
more information, see “Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.

BLOCKING
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses when the USER parameter is specified.
Set BLOCKING=YES (default) to enable blocking for a given node set. The blocking size
will be set to a predefined value in Abaqus/Explicit.
Set BLOCKING=NO to disable blocking.

FIXED
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses and cannot be used with the TYPE and
USER parameters.
Include this parameter to indicate that the values of the variables being prescribed with this
* BOUNDARY option should remain fixed at their current values at the start of the step. If this
parameter is used, any magnitudes given on the data lines are ignored. This parameter is ignored if
it is used in the first step of an analysis.

LOAD CASE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses. It is ignored in all procedures except
*BUCKLE.
Set this parameter equal to 1 (default) or 2. LOAD CASE=1 can be used to define boundary
conditions for the applied loads, and LOAD CASE=2 can be used to define antisymmetry boundary
conditions for the buckling modes.

NAME
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses when the USER parameter is specified.
Set this parameter equal to the name that will be used to reference the boundary condition
in user subroutine VDISP. Boundary names that appear in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis must be
unique. They cannot begin with a number, and they must adhere to the naming convention for

2.11–2

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 * BOUNDARY

labels. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax
of such names.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) to modify existing boundary conditions or to add boundary conditions to
degrees of freedom that were previously unconstrained.
Set OP=NEW if all boundary conditions that are currently in effect should be removed. To
remove only selected boundary conditions, use OP=NEW and respecify all boundary conditions
that are to be retained.
If a boundary condition is removed in a stress/displacement analysis in Abaqus/Standard, it
will be replaced by a concentrated force equal to the reaction force calculated at the restrained degree
of freedom at the end of the previous step. If the step is a general nonlinear analysis step, this
concentrated force will then be removed according to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP
option. Therefore, if the default amplitudes are used, the concentrated force will be reduced linearly
to zero over the period of the step in a static analysis and immediately in a dynamic analysis.
The OP parameter must be the same for all uses of the *BOUNDARY option within a single
step except in a *BUCKLE step, where OP=NEW can be used with LOAD CASE=2 even when
OP=MOD is used with LOAD CASE=1.

PHANTOM
This parameter applies only to enriched elements in Abaqus/Standard.
Set PHANTOM=NODE to apply boundary conditions to a phantom node that is originally
located coincident with the specified real node in an enriched element.

REGION TYPE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
This parameter is relevant only for boundary conditions applied to nodes on the boundary of
an adaptive mesh domain. If boundary conditions are applied to nodes in the interior of an adaptive
mesh domain, these nodes will always follow the material. Abaqus/Explicit will create a Lagrangian
boundary region automatically for surface-type constraints (symmetry planes, moving boundary
planes, and fully clamped boundaries).
Set REGION TYPE=LAGRANGIAN (default) to apply the boundary conditions to a
Lagrangian boundary region. The edge of a Lagrangian boundary region will follow the material
while allowing adaptive meshing along the edge and in the interior of the region.
Set REGION TYPE=SLIDING to define a sliding boundary region. The edge of a sliding
boundary region will slide over the material. Adaptive meshing will occur on the edge and in the
interior of the region. Mesh constraints are typically applied on the edge of a sliding boundary
region to fix it spatially.
Set REGION TYPE=EULERIAN to apply the boundary conditions to an Eulerian boundary
region. This option is used to create a boundary region across which material can flow and is
typically used with velocity boundary conditions. Mesh constraints must be used normal to an
Eulerian boundary region to allow material to flow through the region. If no mesh constraints are
applied, an Eulerian boundary region will behave in the same way as a sliding boundary region.

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* BOUNDARY

TYPE
This parameter cannot be used with the FIXED parameter.
This parameter is used in a stress/displacement analysis to specify whether the magnitude
is in the form of a displacement history, a velocity history, or an acceleration history. In an
Abaqus/Standard analysis TYPE=VELOCITY should normally be used to specify finite rotations.
Set TYPE=DISPLACEMENT (default) to give a displacement history. Abaqus/Explicit does
not admit jumps in displacement. If no amplitude is specified, Abaqus/Explicit will ignore the user-
supplied displacement value and enforce a zero displacement boundary condition. See “Boundary
conditions in Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 34.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide, for details. In Abaqus/CFD this type is used to prescribe mesh displacements.
Set TYPE=VELOCITY to give a velocity history. Velocity histories can be specified in static
analyses in Abaqus/Standard, as discussed in “Prescribing large rotations” in “Boundary conditions
in Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 34.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide. In
this case the default variation is STEP. Velocity histories are not used in Abaqus/CFD.
Set TYPE=ACCELERATION to give an acceleration history. Acceleration histories should
not be used in Abaqus/CFD or in static analysis steps in Abaqus/Standard.
If amplitude functions are specified as piecewise linear functions in Abaqus/Explicit and a
displacement history is used, there will be a jump in the velocity and a spike in the acceleration
at points on the curve where the curve changes slope. This will result in a “noisy” solution. If
possible, use *AMPLITUDE, DEFINITION=SMOOTH STEP; *AMPLITUDE, SMOOTH; or
*BOUNDARY, TYPE=VELOCITY or TYPE=ACCELERATION. For TYPE=ACCELERATION
the value of the initial velocity (given in *INITIAL CONDITIONS, TYPE=VELOCITY) must be
specified to obtain the correct displacement history.

USER
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit analyses and cannot be used
with the FIXED parameter.
For Abaqus/Standard include this parameter to indicate that any nonzero magnitudes
associated with variables prescribed through this option can be redefined in user subroutine DISP.
Any magnitudes defined on the data lines of the option (and possibly modified by the AMPLITUDE
parameter) will be passed into user subroutine DISP and can be redefined in subroutine DISP.
The value of the TYPE parameter is ignored when this option is used.
For Abaqus/Explicit include this parameter to indicate that the boundary value associated with
variables prescribed through this option are to be defined in user subroutine VDISP. Any magnitudes
defined on the data lines of the option are ignored and the amplitude, if the AMPLITUDE parameter
is included, is passed into the VDISP routine for your usage. The type of user prescribed variable in
subroutine VDISP is determined by the TYPE parameter. The NAME parameter can be used in user
subroutine VDISP to distinguish multiple boundary conditions. Only translational and rotational
degrees of freedom are supported for user-prescribed boundary conditions.

2.11–4

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 * BOUNDARY

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and direct-solution, steady-state
dynamics analysis (history data only):
IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the boundary condition.
REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the part of the boundary
condition.

Data lines to define zero-valued boundary conditions using the “type” format (model data only):

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Label specifying the type of boundary condition to be applied (see “Boundary conditions in
Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 34.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
Only one type specification can be used per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify fixed boundary conditions at different nodes and
degrees of freedom.

Data lines to prescribe boundary conditions using the “direct” format when the PHANTOM
parameter is not used:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. First degree of freedom constrained. For a definition of the numbering of degrees of freedom
in Abaqus, see “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
3. Last degree of freedom constrained. This field can be left blank if only one degree of freedom
is being constrained.
The following data item is necessary only when nonzero boundary conditions are specified as history
data. Any magnitude given will be ignored when the boundary conditions are given as model data.
4. Actual magnitude of the variable (displacement, velocity, or acceleration, etc.). This
magnitude will be modified by an amplitude specification if the AMPLITUDE parameter is
used. If this magnitude is a rotation, it must be given in radians. If TYPE=DISPLACEMENT
in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis and no AMPLITUDE specification is provided, this value
will be ignored (see “Boundary conditions in Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit,”
Section 34.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). In Abaqus/Standard the magnitude can
be redefined in user subroutine DISP if the USER parameter is included. In Abaqus/Explicit
the magnitude will be redefined in user subroutine VDISP if the USER parameter is included.
In this case the input magnitude will be ignored.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify boundary conditions at different nodes and degrees
of freedom.

2.11–5

Abaqus ID:
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* BOUNDARY

Data lines to prescribe boundary conditions using the “direct” format when PHANTOM=NODE:

First line:
1. Node number of a real node that is originally located coincident with the phantom node.
2. First degree of freedom constrained. For a definition of the numbering of degrees of freedom
in Abaqus, see “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
3. Last degree of freedom constrained. This field can be left blank if only one degree of freedom
is being constrained.
The following data item is necessary only when nonzero boundary conditions are specified as history
data. Any magnitude given will be ignored when the boundary conditions are given as model data.
4. Actual magnitude of the variable (displacement, velocity, or acceleration, etc.). This
magnitude will be modified by an amplitude specification if the AMPLITUDE parameter is
used. If this magnitude is a rotation, it must be given in radians. In Abaqus/Standard the
magnitude can be redefined in user subroutine DISP if the USER parameter is included.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify boundary conditions at different nodes and degrees
of freedom.

Defining primary and secondary bases for modal superposition procedures

Optional parameter:
BASE NAME
This parameter is used to define a secondary base and can be used only in a frequency extraction
step (“Natural frequency extraction,” Section 6.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Set
this parameter equal to the name of a secondary base (“Dynamic analysis procedures: overview,”
Section 6.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). In subsequent modal superposition steps this
base will be excited as specified by the *BASE MOTION option that refers to the same base name.
If this parameter is not used in a frequency extraction step, the nodes will be assigned to the primary
base.

Data lines to define a primary or a secondary base within a *FREQUENCY procedure:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. First degree of freedom constrained. For a definition of the numbering of degrees of freedom
in Abaqus/Standard, see “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
3. Last degree of freedom constrained. This field can be left blank if only one degree of freedom
is being constrained.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify boundary conditions at different nodes and degrees
of freedom.

2.11–6

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 * BOUNDARY

Submodel boundary conditions

Required parameters:

STEP
Set this parameter equal to the step number in the global analysis for which the values of the driven
variables will be read during this step of the submodel analysis.

SUBMODEL
Include this parameter to specify that the boundary conditions are the “driven variables” in a
submodel analysis. Nodes used in this option must be listed in the *SUBMODEL model definition
option.

Optional parameters:

INC
This parameter can be used only in a static linear perturbation step (“General and linear perturbation
procedures,” Section 6.1.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Set this parameter equal to the
increment in the selected step of the global analysis at which the solution will be used to specify
the values of the driven variables. By default, Abaqus/Standard will use the solution at the last
increment of the selected step.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *BOUNDARY conditions to remain, with this option defining
boundary conditions to be added or modified.
Set OP=NEW if all boundary conditions that are currently in effect should be removed. To
remove only selected boundary conditions, use OP=NEW and respecify all boundary conditions
that are to be retained.
If a boundary condition is removed in a stress/displacement analysis, it will be replaced by a
concentrated force equal to the reaction force calculated at the restrained degree of freedom at the
end of the previous step. If the step is a general nonlinear analysis step, this concentrated force will
then be removed according to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option. Therefore, by
default the concentrated force will be reduced linearly to zero over the period of the step in a static
analysis and immediately in a dynamic analysis.
The OP parameter must be the same for all uses of the *BOUNDARY option in a step.

SCALE
Set this parameter equal to the value by which the driven variables read from the global analysis are
to be scaled. The default is SCALE=1.0.

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* BOUNDARY

TIMESCALE
If the submodel analysis step time is different from the global analysis step time, use the
TIMESCALE parameter to adjust the time variable for the driven nodes’ amplitude functions. The
time variable of each driven node’s amplitude function is scaled to match the submodel analysis
step time. If this parameter is omitted, the time variable is not scaled.

Data lines for shell-to-shell or solid-to-solid submodeling:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. First degree of freedom constrained. For a definition of the numbering of degrees of freedom
in Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit, see “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide.
3. Last degree of freedom constrained. This field can be left blank if only one degree of freedom
is being constrained.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify submodel boundary conditions at different nodes
and degrees of freedom.

Data lines for shell-to-solid submodeling:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Thickness of the center zone size around the shell midsurface (given in the units of the
model). If this value is omitted, a default value of 10% of the shell thickness specified on the
*SUBMODEL option is used. If more than one *SUBMODEL option is used, the default
value is 10% of the maximum thickness specified on any of the *SUBMODEL options.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify submodel boundary conditions at different nodes.

Data lines for acoustic-to-structure submodeling:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. The pressure degree of freedom constrained (8).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify submodel boundary conditions at different nodes.

2.11–8

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 * BRITTLE CRACKING

2.12 *BRITTLE CRACKING: Define brittle cracking properties.

This option is used to define cracking and postcracking properties for the brittle cracking material model. The
*BRITTLE CRACKING option must be used in conjunction with the *BRITTLE SHEAR option and must
immediately precede it. The *BRITTLE CRACKING option can be used in conjunction with the *BRITTLE
FAILURE option to specify a brittle failure criterion.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Cracking model for concrete,” Section 23.6.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *BRITTLE FAILURE
• *BRITTLE SHEAR

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the postcracking behavior, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the postcracking behavior depends only on temperature. See “Using the DEPENDENCIES
parameter to define field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
TYPE
Set TYPE=STRAIN (default) to specify the postcracking behavior by entering the postfailure stress-
strain relationship directly.
Set TYPE=DISPLACEMENT to define the postcracking behavior by entering the postfailure
stress/displacement relationship directly.
Set TYPE=GFI to define the postcracking behavior by entering the failure stress, , and the
Mode I fracture energy, .

Data lines if the TYPE=STRAIN parameter is included (default):

First line:
1. Remaining direct stress after cracking, . (Units of FL .)

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2. Direct cracking strain, .

3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a cracking strain of 0.0 and gives the failure
stress value.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines if the TYPE=DISPLACEMENT parameter is included:

First line:
1. Remaining direct stress after cracking, . (Units of FL .)
2. Direct cracking displacement, . (Units of L.)
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a cracking displacement of 0.0 and gives the
failure stress value.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines if the TYPE=GFI parameter is included:

First line:
1. Failure stress, . (Units of FL .)
2. Mode I fracture energy, . (Units of FL .)
3. Temperature.

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 * BRITTLE CRACKING

4. First field variable.

5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

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 * BRITTLE FAILURE

2.13 *BRITTLE FAILURE: Specify brittle failure criterion.

This option is used with the brittle cracking material model to specify brittle failure of the material. It must
be used in conjunction with the *BRITTLE CRACKING and the *BRITTLE SHEAR options.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

• “Cracking model for concrete,” Section 23.6.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *BRITTLE CRACKING
• *BRITTLE SHEAR

Optional parameters:

CRACKS
Set CRACKS=1 (default) to indicate that an element will be removed when any local direct cracking
strain (or displacement) component reaches the failure value.
Set CRACKS=2 to indicate that an element will be removed when any two direct cracking
strain (or displacement) components reach the failure value.
Set CRACKS=3 to indicate that an element will be removed when all three possible direct
cracking strain (or displacement) components reach the failure value.
The value for the CRACKS parameter can only be 1 for beam or truss elements. It cannot
be greater than 2 for plane stress and shell elements, and it cannot be greater than 3 for three-
dimensional, plane strain, and axisymmetric elements.

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
failure criterion, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the failure
criterion depends only on temperature. See “Using the DEPENDENCIES parameter to define field
variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide, for more information.

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* BRITTLE FAILURE

Data lines if TYPE=STRAIN (default) is used on the *BRITTLE CRACKING option:

First line:
1. Direct cracking failure strain, .
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines if TYPE=DISPLACEMENT or GFI is included on the *BRITTLE CRACKING option:

First line:
1. Direct cracking failure displacement, . (Units of L.)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

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 * BRITTLE SHEAR

2.14 *BRITTLE SHEAR: Define the postcracking shear behavior of a material used with
the brittle cracking model.

This option is used to define the postcracking shear behavior of a material used in a brittle cracking model.
The *BRITTLE SHEAR option must be used with the *BRITTLE CRACKING option and must immediately
follow it. The *BRITTLE SHEAR option can be used in conjunction with the *BRITTLE FAILURE option
to specify a brittle failure criterion.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Cracking model for concrete,” Section 23.6.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *BRITTLE CRACKING
• *BRITTLE FAILURE

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the cracked shear behavior, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the parameters defining cracked shear behavior are constant or depend only on temperature.
See “Using the DEPENDENCIES parameter to define field variable dependence” in “Material data
definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
TYPE
Set TYPE=RETENTION FACTOR (default) to specify the postcracking shear behavior by entering
the shear retention factor–crack opening strain relationship directly.
Set TYPE=POWER LAW to specify the postcracking shear behavior by entering the material
parameters p and for the power law shear retention model.

Data lines if the TYPE=RETENTION FACTOR parameter is included (default):

First line:
1. Shear retention factor, .
2. Crack opening strain, .

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* BRITTLE SHEAR

3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a retention factor of 1.0 and a cracking strain
of 0.0.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking shear
behavior on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines if the TYPE=POWER LAW parameter is included:

First line:
1. .
2. p.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking shear
behavior on temperature and other predefined field variables.

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 * BUCKLE

2.15 *BUCKLE: Obtain eigenvalue buckling estimates.

This option is used to control eigenvalue buckling estimation.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:
• “Eigenvalue buckling prediction,” Section 6.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameter:
EIGENSOLVER
Use this parameter to choose the eigensolver.
Set EIGENSOLVER=SUBSPACE (default) to invoke the subspace iteration eigensolver.
Set EIGENSOLVER=LANCZOS to invoke the Lanczos eigensolver.

Data line for an eigenvalue buckling analysis when EIGENSOLVER=SUBSPACE:

First (and only) line:

1. Number of eigenvalues to be estimated.
2. Maximum eigenvalue of interest.
3. Number of vectors used in the iteration. This number is usually determined by
Abaqus/Standard but can be changed using this entry. In general, the convergence in
solving the eigenproblem is more rapid if more vectors are carried in the iteration; therefore,
use this data field if past experience suggests that the convergence is slow for a particular
type of buckling problem. If the number of eigenvalues requested is n, the default number
of vectors used is the minimum of (2n, n+8).
4. Maximum number of iterations. The default is 30.

Data line for an eigenvalue buckling analysis when EIGENSOLVER=LANCZOS:

First (and only) line:

1. Number of eigenvalues to be estimated. If the evaluation of all the eigenvalues in the given
range is desired, enter the maximum number of expected eigenmodes.
2. Minimum eigenvalue of interest. If this field is left blank, no minimum is set.

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3. Maximum eigenvalue of interest. If this field is left blank, no maximum is set.

4. Block size. If this entry is omitted, a default value, which is usually appropriate, is created.
5. Maximum number of block Lanczos steps within each Lanczos run. If this entry is omitted, a
default value, which is usually appropriate, is created.

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 * BUCKLING ENVELOPE

2.16 *BUCKLING ENVELOPE: Define a nondefault buckling envelope for buckling strut
response of frame elements with PIPE sections.

This option is used to define the coefficients characterizing the buckling strut envelope for the buckling strut
response of frame elements. It can be used in conjunction with the *FRAME SECTION, SECTION=PIPE,
YIELD STRESS= option with or without the PINNED parameter.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

References:
• “Frame section behavior,” Section 29.4.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *FRAME SECTION

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data line to define the buckling strut envelope:

First (and only) data line:

1. , coefficient defining (default value 0.95).
2. , coefficient defining the isotropic hardening slope (default value 0.02).
3. , coefficient defining (default value 0.03).
4. , coefficient defining (default value 0.004).
5. , coefficient defining compressive force for discontinuity in buckling envelope (default value
0.28).
6. , buckling envelope slope coefficient (default value 0.02).
7. , coefficient defining the force axis intercept point (default value min ).

In the above data line A is the cross-section area, is a yield stress value, E is Young’s modulus,
L is the element length, D is the outer pipe diameter, and t is the pipe wall thickness.

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 * BUCKLING LENGTH

2.17 *BUCKLING LENGTH: Define buckling length data for buckling strut response of
frame elements with PIPE sections.

This option is used to define two sets of coefficients used in the ISO equation that predicts for frame
elements with buckling strut response. For a user-defined buckling envelope it can be used only in
conjunction with both the *FRAME SECTION, SECTION=PIPE, YIELD STRESS= option and the
* BUCKLING ENVELOPE option. For the default buckling envelope it can be used only in conjunction
with the *FRAME SECTION, BUCKLING, SECTION=PIPE, YIELD STRESS= option, with or without
the PINNED parameter.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

References:
• “Frame section behavior,” Section 29.4.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *BUCKLING ENVELOPE
• *FRAME SECTION

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data line to define the buckling length coefficients:

First (and only) data line:

1. Effective length factor in the first cross-section direction.
2. Effective length factor in the second cross-section direction.
3. Added length in the first cross-section direction.
4. Added length in the second cross-section direction.

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 * BUCKLING REDUCTION FACTORS

2.18 *BUCKLING REDUCTION FACTORS: Define buckling reduction factors for buckling
strut response of frame elements with PIPE sections.

This option is used to define two coefficients used in the ISO equation, which predicts , the axial load
at which the response switches to buckling only, for frame elements with buckling strut response. For
a nondefault buckling envelope the *BUCKLING REDUCTION FACTORS option can be used only in
conjunction with both the *FRAME SECTION, SECTION=PIPE, YIELD STRESS= option and the
* BUCKLING ENVELOPE option. For the default buckling envelope it can be used only in conjunction
with the *FRAME SECTION, BUCKLING, SECTION=PIPE, YIELD STRESS= option.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Model

References:
• “Frame elements,” Section 29.4.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Frame section behavior,” Section 29.4.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Buckling strut response for frame elements,” Section 3.9.3 of the Abaqus Theory Guide

Optional parameters:
AXIS1
Include this parameter to define the method for calculating the buckling reduction factor for
bending about the first cross-section direction.
Set AXIS1=TYPE1 (default) to set to the constant value of .
Set AXIS1=TYPE2 for members with no distributed transverse loading. Then =max
, where is the ratio of smaller to larger moments about the first cross-
section axis at the element ends.
Set AXIS1=TYPE3 for members with distributed transverse loading. Then =min
, where is the compressive axial stress and is the Euler buckling stress
corresponding to the first cross-section direction.
AXIS2
Include this parameter to define the method for calculating the buckling reduction factor for
bending about the second cross-section direction.
Set AXIS2=TYPE1 (default) to set to the constant value of .
Set AXIS2=TYPE2 for members with no distributed transverse loading. Then =max
, where is the ratio of smaller to larger moments about the second cross-
section axis at the element ends.

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* BUCKLING REDUCTION FACTORS

Set AXIS2=TYPE3 for members with distributed transverse loading. Then =min
, where is the compressive axial stress and is the Euler buckling stress
corresponding to the second cross-section direction.

Data line to define the buckling reduction coefficients:

First (and only) data line:

1. , buckling reduction factor in the first cross-section direction.
2. , buckling reduction factor in the second cross-section direction.

If a blank is given on the data line, it is interpreted as zero. If a blank or zero value is given on
the data line and either the AXIS1 or AXIS2 parameter is included for this reduction factor, the
parameter value will override the zero value given on the data line. If a nonzero value is given on
the data line and the AXIS1 or AXIS2 parameter is specified for the same reduction coefficient, an
error is issued.

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 * BULK VISCOSITY

2.19 *BULK VISCOSITY: Modify bulk viscosity parameters.

This option is used to redefine bulk viscosity parameters in a model.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:
• “Explicit dynamic analysis,” Section 6.3.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data line to define the bulk viscosity parameters:

First (and only) line:

1. Linear bulk viscosity parameter, . If the *BULK VISCOSITY option is omitted or is
specified without the data line, the default value is 0.06. If the data line is given and the value
of is omitted, the default value is 0.0.
2. Quadratic bulk viscosity parameter, . If the *BULK VISCOSITY option is omitted or is
specified without the data line, the default value is 1.2. If the data line is given and the value
of is omitted, the default value is 0.0.

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 C

3. C

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 * C ADDED MASS

3.1 *C ADDED MASS: Specify concentrated added mass in a *FREQUENCY step.

This option is used to include the “added mass” contributions due to concentrated fluid inertia loads in a
*FREQUENCY step.

Product: Abaqus/Aqua

Type: History data

Level: Step

Reference:
• “Abaqus/Aqua analysis,” Section 6.11.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define concentrated fluid added mass:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Load type label TSI.
3. Tangential added-mass coefficient, .
4. Structural acceleration shape factor for the tangential inertia term,

Second line:
1. X-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
2. Y-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
3. Z-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
Repeat this pair of data lines as often as necessary to define concentrated fluid added mass at various
nodes or node sets.

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 * CAP CREEP

3.2 *CAP CREEP: Specify a cap creep law and material properties.

This option is used to define a cap creep model and material properties. Creep behavior defined by this option
is active only during *SOILS, CONSOLIDATION; *COUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT;
and *VISCO procedures. It must be used in conjunction with the *CAP PLASTICITY and the *CAP
HARDENING options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Modified Drucker-Prager/Cap model,” Section 23.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CAP PLASTICITY
• *CAP HARDENING
• “CREEP,” Section 1.1.1 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
creep constants, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the creep
constants depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material
data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
LAW
Set LAW=STRAIN (default) to choose a strain hardening power law.
Set LAW=TIME to choose a time hardening power law.
Set LAW=SINGHM to choose a Singh-Mitchell type law.
Set LAW=USER to input the creep law using user subroutine CREEP.
MECHANISM
Set MECHANISM=COHESION (default) to choose the cohesion creep mechanism, which is
similar in behavior to Drucker-Prager creep.
Set MECHANISM=CONSOLIDATION to choose the consolidation creep mechanism, which
is similar in behavior to the cap zone of plasticity.

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* CAP CREEP

TIME
This parameter is relevant only when LAW=TIME or LAW=SINGHM is used.
Set TIME=CREEP (default) to use creep time.
Set TIME=TOTAL to use total time.

Data lines for LAW=TIME or LAW=STRAIN:

First line:
1. A. (Units of F−n L2n T−1−m .)
2. n.
3. m.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the creep constants on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for LAW=SINGHM:

First line:
1. A. (Units of T−1 .)
2. . (Units of F−1 L2 .)
3. m.
4. . (Units of T.)
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.
7. Etc., up to three field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the creep constants on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

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 * CAP HARDENING

3.3 *CAP HARDENING: Specify Drucker-Prager/Cap plasticity hardening.

This option is used to specify the hardening part of the material model for elastic-plastic materials that use the
Drucker-Prager/Cap yield surface. It must be used in conjunction with the *CAP PLASTICITY option and,
if creep material behavior is included in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, with the *CAP CREEP option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Modified Drucker-Prager/Cap model,” Section 23.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CAP PLASTICITY
• *CAP CREEP

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the hydrostatic yield stress, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the hydrostatic yield stress depends only on the volumetric plastic strain and, possibly,
on the temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,”
Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
SCALESTRESS
Set this parameter equal to the factor by which you want the yield stress to be scaled.

Data lines to define Drucker-Prager/Cap plasticity hardening:

First line:
1. Hydrostatic pressure yield stress. (The initial tabular value must be greater than zero, and
values must increase with increasing volumetric inelastic strain.)
2. Absolute value of the corresponding volumetric inelastic strain.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

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* CAP HARDENING

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of hydrostatic yield stress
on volumetric inelastic strain (in Abaqus/Standard) or volumetric plastic strain (in Abaqus/Explicit) and, if
needed, on temperature and other predefined field variables.

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 * CAP PLASTICITY

3.4 *CAP PLASTICITY: Specify the Modified Drucker-Prager/Cap plasticity model.

This option is used to define yield surface parameters for elastic-plastic materials that use the modified
Drucker-Prager/Cap plasticity model. It must be used in conjunction with the *CAP HARDENING option
and, if creep material behavior is included in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, with the *CAP CREEP option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Modified Drucker-Prager/Cap model,” Section 23.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CAP HARDENING
• *CAP CREEP

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies, in addition to temperature,
included in the definition of the Drucker-Prager/Cap parameters. If this parameter is omitted, it is
assumed that the Drucker-Prager/Cap parameters are constant or depend only on temperature. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

Data lines to define Drucker-Prager/Cap plasticity yield surface parameters:

First line:
1. Material cohesion, d, in the p–t plane (Abaqus/Standard) or in the p–q plane (Abaqus/Explicit).
(Units of FL−2 .)
2. Material angle of friction, , in the p–t plane (Abaqus/Standard) or in the p–q plane
(Abaqus/Explicit). Give the value in degrees.
3. Cap eccentricity parameter, R. Its value must be greater than zero (typically
).
4. Initial cap yield surface position on the volumetric inelastic strain axis, .

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* CAP PLASTICITY

5. Transition surface radius parameter, . Its value should be a small number compared to unity.
If this field is left blank, the default of 0.0 is used (i.e., no transition surface). If creep properties
are included in the material model, must be set to zero.
6. (Not used in Abaqus/Explicit) K, the ratio of the flow stress in triaxial tension to the flow stress
in triaxial compression. The value of K should be such that . If this field is
left blank or a value of 0.0 is entered, the default of 1.0 is used. If creep properties are included
in the material model, K should be set to 1.0.
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the Drucker-Prager/Cap
parameters on temperature and other predefined field variables.

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 * CAPACITY

3.5 *CAPACITY: Define the molar heat capacity at constant pressure for an ideal gas
species.

This option is used to define the molar heat capacity at constant pressure for an ideal gas species. It can be
used only in conjunction with the *FLUID BEHAVIOR option.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Fluid cavity definition,” Section 11.5.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Inflator definition,” Section 11.5.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *FLUID BEHAVIOR
• *FLUID CAVITY

Required parameter:
TYPE
Set TYPE=POLYNOMIAL to define the molar heat capacity in the form of a polynomial expression.
Set TYPE=TABULAR to define the molar heat capacity in tabular form.

Optional parameter:
DEPENDENCIES
This parameter is relevant only for TYPE=TABULAR. Set this parameter equal to the number of
field variables included in the specification of the molar heat capacity at constant pressure. If this
parameter is omitted, the molar heat capacity at constant pressure is assumed not to depend on any
field variables but may still depend on temperature.

Data line for TYPE=POLYNOMIAL:

First (and only) line:

1. , the first molar heat capacity coefficient. (Units of JMOLE−1 K−1 .)
2. , the second molar heat capacity coefficient. (Units of JMOLE−1 K−2 .)
3. , the third molar heat capacity coefficient. (Units of JMOLE−1 K−3 .)

3.5–1

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* CAPACITY

4. , the fourth molar heat capacity coefficient. (Units of JMOLE−1 K−4 .)

5. , the fifth molar heat capacity coefficient. (Units of JMOLE−1 K.)

Data lines for TYPE=TABULAR:

First line:
1. Molar heat capacity, , at constant pressure. (Units of JMOLE−1 K−1 .)
2. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the heat capacity at constant pressure as a
function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.5–2

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 * CAST IRON COMPRESSION HARDENING

3.6 *CAST IRON COMPRESSION HARDENING: Specify hardening in compression for

the gray cast iron plasticity model.

This option is used to specify the compression hardening data for gray cast iron. It must be used in conjunction
with the *CAST IRON PLASTICITY and *CAST IRON TENSION HARDENING options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Cast iron plasticity,” Section 23.2.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CAST IRON PLASTICITY
• *CAST IRON TENSION HARDENING

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the compressive yield stress, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the compressive yield stress depends only on plastic strain and, possibly, on temperature. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
Data lines to define compression hardening:

First line:
1. Yield stress in compression, .
2. Absolute value of the corresponding plastic strain. (The first tabular value entered must always
be zero.)
3. Not used.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.

3.6–1

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* CAST IRON COMPRESSION HARDENING

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the yield stress on plastic
strain and, if needed, on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.6–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CAST IRON PLASTICITY

3.7 *CAST IRON PLASTICITY: Specify plastic material properties for gray cast iron.

This option is used to define the plastic properties for gray cast iron. It must be used in conjunction with the
*CAST IRON COMPRESSION HARDENING and *CAST IRON TENSION HARDENING options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Cast iron plasticity,” Section 23.2.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CAST IRON COMPRESSION HARDENING
• *CAST IRON TENSION HARDENING

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the material properties, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
the material properties depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence”
in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more
information.

Data lines to define the plastic “Poisson’s ratio”:

First line:
1. Value of the plastic “Poisson’s ratio,” , where . (Dimensionless.) If no
value is provided, a default value of is assumed.
2. Temperature, .
3. First field variable.
4. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.

3.7–1

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* CAST IRON PLASTICITY

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameter
on temperature and field variables.

3.7–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CAST IRON TENSION HARDENING

3.8 *CAST IRON TENSION HARDENING: Specify hardening in tension for the gray cast
iron plasticity model.

This option is used to specify the tension hardening data for gray cast iron. It must be used in conjunction
with the *CAST IRON PLASTICITY and *CAST IRON COMPRESSION HARDENING options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Cast iron plasticity,” Section 23.2.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CAST IRON COMPRESSION HARDENING
• *CAST IRON PLASTICITY

Optional parameter:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the tensile yield stress, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the tensile yield stress depends only on the plastic strain and, possibly, on temperature. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

Data lines to define tension hardening:

First line:
1. Yield stress in uniaxial tension, .
2. Corresponding plastic strain. (The first tabular value entered must always be zero.)
3. Not used.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.

3.8–1

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* CAST IRON TENSION HARDENING

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the yield stress on plastic
strain and, if needed, on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.8–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CAVITY DEFINITION

3.9 *CAVITY DEFINITION: Define a cavity for thermal radiation.

This option is used to define cavities for thermal radiation heat transfer. It can be used only in conjunction
with the *SURFACE, TYPE=ELEMENT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Cavity radiation,” Section 41.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *SURFACE
• *SURFACE PROPERTY

Required parameter:
NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the cavity.

Optional parameters:
AMBIENT TEMP
Set this parameter equal to the reference temperature of the external medium to which radiation
takes place in the case of an open cavity. If this parameter is omitted, the cavity is assumed to be
closed.
PARALLEL DECOMPOSITION
Set PARALLEL DECOMPOSITION=ON to enable parallel decomposition of a cavity during a
cavity radiation analysis.
Set PARALLEL DECOMPOSITION=OFF (default) to disable parallel decomposition of a
cavity during a cavity radiation analysis.
SET PROPERTY
Include this parameter to set, or to redefine, surface properties for the surfaces making up the cavity.
If this parameter is omitted, the cavity is assumed to consist of surfaces for which surface properties
have already been defined as part of the surface definitions.

3.9–1

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* CAVITY DEFINITION

Data lines to define a cavity for thermal radiation using surfaces with defined surface properties
(default):

First line:
1. List of surfaces that compose this cavity.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the cavity.

Data lines to define a cavity when the SET PROPERTY parameter is included:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Surface property name.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the cavity.

3.9–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CECHARGE

3.10 *CECHARGE: Specify concentrated electric charges in piezoelectric analysis.

This option is used to apply electric charge to any node in a piezoelectric model.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

Reference:
• “Piezoelectric analysis,” Section 6.7.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the
electric charge during the step. If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied
immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned
to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CECHARGEs to remain, with this option modifying existing
electric charges or defining additional electric charges.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CECHARGEs applied to the model should be removed.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and direct-solution steady-state
dynamics analysis:
IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the concentrated electric
charges.
REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the concentrated electric charges.

Data lines to define concentrated electric charges:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.

3.10–1

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* CECHARGE

2. Leave blank.
3. Reference electric charge magnitude. (Units of C.)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated electric charges at various nodes or
node sets.

3.10–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CECURRENT

3.11 *CECURRENT: Specify concentrated current in an electric conduction analysis.

This option is used to apply concentrated current to any node of a model in coupled thermal-electrical and
coupled thermal-electrical-structural analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Coupled thermal-electrical analysis,” Section 6.7.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Fully coupled thermal-electrical-structural analysis,” Section 6.7.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the current
during the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this
parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step
or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the
*STEP option (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CECURRENTs to remain, with this option modifying existing
concentrated currents or defining additional concentrated currents.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CECURRENTs applied to the model should be removed.

Data lines to define concentrated current at nodes:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Leave blank.
3. Reference magnitude for current. (Units of CT−1 .)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define current at various nodes or node sets.

3.11–1

Abaqus ID:
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 * CENTROID

3.12 *CENTROID: Define the position of the centroid of the beam section.

This option can be used only in conjunction with the *BEAM GENERAL SECTION, SECTION=GENERAL
or the *BEAM GENERAL SECTION, SECTION=MESHED option. It is used to define the position of the
centroid of the section with respect to the local (1, 2) axis system.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• *BEAM GENERAL SECTION
• “Using a general beam section to define the section behavior,” Section 29.3.7 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Meshed beam cross-sections,” Section 10.6.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data line to define the position of the centroid:

First (and only) line:

1. Local -coordinate of centroid, . The default is 0.
2. Local -coordinate of centroid, . The default is 0.

3.12–1

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 * CFD

3.13 *CFD: Computational fluid dynamic analysis.

This option is used to control the transport of momentum, energy, temperature, species, and other scalar
variables in both transient and steady-state fluid flow problems.

Products: Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:

• “Incompressible fluid dynamic analysis,” Section 6.6.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

INCOMPRESSIBLE NAVIER STOKES

Include this parameter to specify an incompressible flow analysis.

Optional parameters:

ENERGY EQUATION
Set ENERGY EQUATION=NO ENERGY (default) to specify an isothermal flow problem.
Set ENERGY EQUATION=TEMPERATURE to specify a thermal (heat) transport problem
with temperature as the primary transport scalar variable.

INCREMENTATION
This parameter is valid only for a transient flow problem.
Set INCREMENTATION=FIXED CFL (default) to set a fixed Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy
(CFL) number for time marching. Abaqus/CFD automatically determines the stable time step
based on the specified value of the CFL number.
Set INCREMENTATION=FIXED STEP SIZE to set a fixed time step for time marching.

STEADY STATE
This parameter is valid only for a steady-state flow problem.

3.13–1

Abaqus ID:
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* CFD

Data lines for INCREMENTATION=FIXED CFL:

First line:
1. Suggested initial time increment (default=0.01). If the estimated value of the CFL number
is greater than the specified CFL or the maximum allowable time increment, the specified
value will be overridden by a time increment determined automatically by Abaqus/CFD for
numerical stability purposes.
2. Time period of the step (default=1).
3. Scale factor for increasing the stable time step (default=0.025).
4. Suggested CFL number (default=0.45).
5. Interval to check stable time step (default=1).
6. Maximum allowable time increment (default value is specified as the time period of the step).

Second line:
1. Specified tolerance for the pressure projection scheme used for the initial divergence-free
projection and for pressure equation subcycling near a steady-state solution (default=1 × 10−10 ).
2. The time weight for the viscous/diffusive terms in the momentum and scalar transport
equations ( ). Enter 0.5 (default) for the second-order accurate Crank-Nicolson
method, 0.6667 for the Galerkin method, or 1 for the first-order backward-Euler method.
3. Blank space.
4. The time weight for the advective terms in the momentum and scalar transport equations
( ). Enter 0.5 (default) for the second-order accurate Crank-Nicolson method, 0.6667
for the Galerkin method, or 1 for the first-order backward-Euler method.
5. The time weight for the treatment of boundary conditions ( ). Enter 0.5 (default)
for the second-order accurate Crank-Nicolson method, 0.6667 for the Galerkin method, or 1
for the first-order backward-Euler method.

Data lines for INCREMENTATION=FIXED STEP SIZE:

First line:
1. Time increment (default=0.01).
2. Time period of the step (default=1).

Second line:
1. Specified tolerance for the pressure projection scheme used for the initial divergence-free
projection and for pressure equation subcycling near a steady-state solution (default=1 × 10−10 ).
2. The time weight for the viscous/diffusive terms in the momentum and scalar transport
equations ( ). Enter 0.5 (default) for the second-order accurate Crank-Nicolson
method, 0.6667 for the Galerkin method, or 1 for the first-order backward-Euler method.
3. Blank space.

3.13–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CFD

4. The time weight for the advective terms in the momentum and scalar transport equations
( ). Enter 0.5 (default) for the second-order accurate Crank-Nicolson method, 0.6667
for the Galerkin method, or 1 for the first-order backward-Euler method.
5. The time weight for the treatment of boundary conditions ( ). Enter 0.5 (default)
for the second-order accurate Crank-Nicolson method, 0.6667 for the Galerkin method, or 1
for the first-order backward-Euler method.

Data line for steady-state flow:

First (and only) line:

1. Number of nonlinear iterations (increments). The default is 10000.

3.13–3

Abaqus ID:
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 * CFILM

3.14 *CFILM: Define film coefficients and associated sink temperatures at one or more
nodes or vertices.

This option is used to provide film coefficients and sink temperatures at any node in the model for fully coupled
thermal-stress analysis. In Abaqus/Standard it is also used to provide film coefficients and sink temperatures
at any node in the model for heat transfer, coupled thermal-electrical, and coupled thermal-electrical-structural
analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Thermal loads,” Section 34.4.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “FILM,” Section 1.1.6 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *AMPLITUDE option that gives the variation of the
sink temperature, , with time.
If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the reference sink temperature is
applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value
assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis,
the reference sink temperature given on the data lines is applied immediately at the beginning of
the step.
For nonuniform film coefficients (which are available only in Abaqus/Standard), the sink
temperature amplitude is defined in user subroutine FILM and AMPLITUDE references are
ignored.
FILM AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *AMPLITUDE option that gives the variation of the
film coefficient, h, with time.
If this parameter is omitted, the reference film coefficient is applied immediately at the
beginning of the step and kept constant over the step.

3.14–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CFILM

The FILM AMPLITUDE parameter is ignored if a nonuniform film coefficient is defined in

user subroutine FILM or if a film coefficient is defined to be a function of temperature and field
variables via the *FILM PROPERTY option.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CFILMs to remain, with this option modifying existing films
or defining additional films.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CFILMs applied to the model should be removed.

REGION TYPE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
This parameter is relevant only for concentrated films applied on the boundary of an adaptive
mesh domain. If concentrated films are applied to nodes in the interior of an adaptive mesh domain,
these nodes will always follow the material.
Set REGION TYPE=LAGRANGIAN (default) to apply a concentrated film to a node that
follows the material (nonadaptive).
Set REGION TYPE=SLIDING to apply a concentrated film to a node that can slide over the
material. Mesh constraints are typically applied to the node to fix it spatially.
Set REGION TYPE=EULERIAN to apply a concentrated film to a node that can move
independently of the material. This option is used only for boundary regions where the material
can flow into or out of the adaptive mesh domain. Mesh constraints must be used normal to an
Eulerian boundary region to allow material to flow through the region. If no mesh constraints are
applied, an Eulerian boundary region will behave in the same way as a sliding boundary region.

USER
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Include this parameter to indicate that any nonzero film coefficients prescribed through this
option will be defined in user subroutine FILM. If this parameter is used, any film coefficient
and sink temperature values defined by the data lines of the option (and possibly modified by
the AMPLITUDE and FILM AMPLITUDE parameters) are ignored and can be redefined in
subroutine FILM.

Data lines to define sink temperatures and film coefficients:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Appropriate area associated with the node where the concentrated film condition is applied.
The default is 1.0.
3. Reference sink temperature value, . (Units of .) For nonuniform film coefficients the sink
temperature must be defined in user subroutine FILM. If given, this value will be passed into
the user subroutine.

3.14–2

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 * CFILM

4. Reference film coefficient value, h (units of JT−1 L−2 −1 ), or name of the film property table
defined with the *FILM PROPERTY option. Nonuniform film coefficients must be defined in
user subroutine FILM. If given, this value will be passed into the user subroutine.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define film conditions.

3.14–3

Abaqus ID:
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 * CFLOW

3.15 *CFLOW: Specify concentrated fluid flow.

This option is used to apply concentrated fluid flow to any node in consolidation problems.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Coupled pore fluid diffusion and stress analysis,” Section 6.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Geostatic stress state,” Section 6.8.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Pore fluid flow,” Section 34.4.7 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the flow
during the step. If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at the
beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE
parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide).

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CFLOWs to remain, with this option modifying existing
concentrated flows or defining additional concentrated flows.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CFLOWs applied to the model should be removed.

Data lines to define concentrated flow:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. (Not used.)
3. Reference concentrated flow magnitude.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated flows.

3.15–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CFLUX

3.16 *CFLUX: Specify concentrated fluxes in heat transfer or mass diffusion analyses.

This option is used to apply a flux to any node of the model in fully coupled thermal-stress
analysis. In Abaqus/Standard it is also used for heat transfer, coupled thermal-electrical, coupled
thermal-electrical-structural, and mass diffusion analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

Reference:
• “Thermal loads,” Section 34.4.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter for reading concentrated nodal flux from an output database file:

FILE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the output database file from which the data are to be read.
The file extension is optional.

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the flux
during the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the reference magnitude is applied
immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned
to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginnning of the step.

INC
This parameter is relevant only when the FILE parameter is used.
Set this parameter equal to the increment in the selected step of the previous analysis from
which the concentrated nodal fluxes will be read. By default, the concentrated nodal fluxes will be
read from the last increment of the step specified on the STEP parameter or from the last step if the
STEP parameter is omitted.

3.16–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CFLUX

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CFLUXs to remain, with this option modifying existing fluxes
or defining additional fluxes.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CFLUXs applied to the model should be removed.

REGION TYPE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
This parameter is relevant only for concentrated fluxes applied on the boundary of an adaptive
mesh domain. If concentrated fluxes are applied to nodes in the interior of an adaptive mesh domain,
these nodes will always follow the material.
Set REGION TYPE=LAGRANGIAN (default) to apply a concentrated flux to a node that
follows the material (nonadaptive).
Set REGION TYPE=SLIDING to apply a concentrated flux to a node that can slide over the
material. Mesh constraints are typically applied to the node to fix it spatially.
Set REGION TYPE=EULERIAN to apply a concentrated flux to a node that can move
independently of the material. This option is used only for boundary regions where the material
can flow into or out of the adaptive mesh domain. Mesh constraints must be used normal to an
Eulerian boundary region to allow material to flow through the region. If no mesh constraints are
applied, an Eulerian boundary region will behave in the same way as a sliding boundary region.

STEP
This parameter is relevant only when the FILE parameter is used.
Set this parameter equal to the step number of the previous analysis from which the
concentrated nodal fluxes will be read. By default, the concentrated nodal fluxes will be read from
the last step of the previous analysis.

Data lines to define a concentrated flux:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Degree of freedom. If a blank or 0 is entered, degree of freedom 11 is assumed. For shell heat
transfer elements enter 11, 12, or 13, etc.
3. Reference magnitude for flux (units of JT−1 in heat transfer analysis and PL3 T−1 in mass
diffusion analysis).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated fluxes at different nodes and degrees
of freedom.

3.16–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CHANGE FRICTION

3.17 *CHANGE FRICTION: Change friction properties.

Use this option in conjunction with the *FRICTION option to change the values of friction properties from
step to step.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Mechanical contact properties: overview,” Section 37.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Frictional behavior,” Section 37.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *FRICTION

Required, mutually exclusive parameters:

ELSET
Use this parameter if the contact conditions have been modeled with contact elements or if friction
is defined in connector elements. Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set containing
the contact or connector elements for which the friction properties are being redefined.
INTERACTION
Use this parameter if the contact conditions have been modeled with surface-based contact pairs or
general contact. Set this parameter equal to the name of the *SURFACE INTERACTION property
definition for which the friction properties are being redefined.

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve (defined in the *AMPLITUDE option)
that gives the time variation of any changes in friction coefficients and allowable elastic slip
throughout the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
If this parameter is omitted, transitions in these friction properties occur according to the
value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,”
Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Changes in friction properties other than the

3.17–1

Abaqus ID:
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* CHANGE FRICTION

friction coefficient and the allowable elastic slip are always made immediately. Sudden changes in
friction properties when the frictional stress is nonzero can cause convergence difficulties.

RESET
Include this parameter to reset the friction properties to their original values. When this parameter
is used, no *FRICTION option is needed to redefine the friction properties.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

3.17–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CLAY HARDENING

3.18 *CLAY HARDENING: Specify hardening for the clay plasticity model.

This option is used to define piecewise linear hardening/softening of the Cam-clay plasticity yield surface. It
can be used only in conjunction with the *CLAY PLASTICITY option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Critical state (clay) plasticity model,” Section 23.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CLAY PLASTICITY

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies, in addition to temperature,
included in the definition of the hydrostatic pressure stress. If this parameter is omitted, the
hydrostatic pressure stress may depend only on the volumetric plastic strain and, possibly,
on the temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,”
Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

Data lines to define hardening for Cam-clay plasticity:

First line:
1. Value of the hydrostatic pressure stress at yield, .
2. Absolute value of the corresponding volumetric plastic strain.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.

3.18–1

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2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the yield surface size on
volumetric plastic strain and, if needed, on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.18–2

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3.19 *CLAY PLASTICITY: Specify the extended Cam-clay plasticity model.

This option is used to specify the plastic part of the material behavior for elastic-plastic materials that use the
extended Cam-clay plasticity model.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Critical state (clay) plasticity model,” Section 23.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CLAY HARDENING

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies, in addition to temperature,
included in the definition of the Cam-clay parameters. If this parameter is omitted, the Cam-clay
parameters may depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence”
in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more
information.
HARDENING
Set HARDENING=EXPONENTIAL (default for Abaqus/Standard) to specify an exponential
hardening/softening law. This hardening law is not supported in Abaqus/Explicit.
Set HARDENING=TABULAR (default and only option for Abaqus/Explicit) to specify a
piecewise linear hardening/softening relationship. The *CLAY HARDENING option must be used
in this case. HARDENING=TABULAR and the use of the INTERCEPT parameter are mutually
exclusive.
INTERCEPT
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
It is used as an alternative to the direct specification of the initial yield surface size, , when
the exponential hardening law is specified. Set this parameter equal to , the intercept of the virgin
consolidation line with the void ratio axis in a plot of void ratio versus the logarithm of pressure
stress. If this parameter is included, the value given for on the data line is ignored. This parameter
cannot be used when the HARDENING=TABULAR parameter is used.

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Data lines to define Cam-clay plasticity:

First line:
1. Logarithmic plastic bulk modulus, (dimensionless). This data item is ignored if
HARDENING=TABULAR.
2. Stress ratio at critical state, M.
3. Enter the initial yield surface size, (units of FL−2 ), if HARDENING=EXPONENTIAL.
Enter the initial volumetric plastic strain, , corresponding to according to the *CLAY
HARDENING definition if HARDENING=TABULAR. A positive value must be entered.
This data item is ignored if the INTERCEPT parameter is included.
4. , the parameter defining the size of the yield surface on the “wet” side of critical state. If this
value is omitted or set to zero, a value of 1.0 is assumed.
5. K, the ratio of the flow stress in triaxial tension to the flow stress in triaxial compression.
. If this value is left blank or set to zero, a value of 1.0 is assumed.
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the Cam-clay parameters
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.19–2

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 * CLEARANCE

3.20 *CLEARANCE: Specify a particular initial clearance value and a contact direction for
the slave nodes on a surface.

This option is used to define initial clearance values and/or contact directions precisely at contact slave nodes.
In an Abaqus/Standard analysis it can also be used to define overclosure values. The *CLEARANCE option
can be used with small-sliding contact only (*CONTACT PAIR, SMALL SLIDING). In Abaqus/Explicit it
can be used only in the first step of an analysis.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; History data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Model in Abaqus/Standard; Step in Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Common difficulties associated with contact modeling in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 39.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Common difficulties associated with contact modeling using contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,”
Section 39.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Adjusting initial surface positions and specifying initial clearances in Abaqus/Standard contact pairs,”
Section 36.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Adjusting initial surface positions and specifying initial clearances for contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,”
Section 36.5.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameters:

CPSET
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the name of the contact pair set name to associate these clearance
data with the appropriate contact pairs.
MASTER
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the name of the master surface of the contact pair.
SLAVE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the name of the slave surface of the contact pair.

3.20–1

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* CLEARANCE

Required, mutually exclusive parameters:

TABULAR
Include this parameter to specify the slave nodes or the node sets and their corresponding initial
clearance/overclosure values (and, if required, contact directions) on the data lines of this option.
In an Abaqus/Explicit analysis only initial clearances are allowed.
VALUE
Set this parameter equal to the initial clearance/overclosure for the entire set of slave nodes. In
Abaqus/Standard a positive value specifies an initial clearance, and a negative value specifies an
initial overclosure. In an Abaqus/Explicit analysis this value must be positive since only initial
clearances are allowed.

Optional parameters when the TABULAR parameter is included:

BOLT
Include this parameter to indicate that the appropriate contact normal directions for a threaded bolt
connection will be generated automatically based on thread geometry data and two points used to
define a direction vector on the axis of the bolt and bolt-hole assembly specified on the data lines.
This parameter is valid only for single threaded bolts.
INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the alternate input file containing the data lines for this
option. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax
of such file names. The data lines in the alternate input file should be in the same format as that for
the TABULAR parameter.
If this parameter is omitted and the TABULAR parameter is included, it is assumed that the
data follow the keyword line.

Data lines if the TABULAR parameter is included with neither the INPUT parameter nor the
BOLT parameter:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Clearance value. (In an Abaqus/Standard analysis a positive value indicates an opening
between the surfaces and a negative value indicates overclosure.) If this field is left blank, the
clearance value automatically calculated will not be modified.
3. First component of the normal.
4. Second component of the normal.
5. Third component of the normal.
Repeat the above data line as often as necessary to define the clearance value and the direction in which
Abaqus tests for contact between the slave node and the corresponding closest point on the master
surface. The specification of the normal is optional. If the normal is given, it should be in the direction of

3.20–2

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 * CLEARANCE

the master surface’s outward normal. If the normal is not given, Abaqus calculates it from the geometry
of the master surface (see “Common difficulties associated with contact modeling in Abaqus/Standard,”
Section 39.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, and “Common difficulties associated with contact
modeling using contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 39.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

Data lines if both the TABULAR parameter and the BOLT parameter are included without the
INPUT parameter (see Figure 3.20–1 and Figure 3.20–2):

First line:

1. Half-thread angle, α, (in degrees).

2. Pitch (thread-to-thread distance), p.
3. Bolt major thread diameter, d. If the mean diameter is given, the major diameter is ignored.
4. Bolt mean thread diameter, dm. The default value is d-0.649519p.

Second line:

1. Node number or node set label.

2. Clearance value. (In an Abaqus/Standard analysis a positive value indicates an opening
between the surfaces and a negative value indicates overclosure.) If this field is left blank, the
clearance value calculated automatically will not be modified.
3. X-coordinate of point a along the axis of the bolt/bolt hole.
4. Y-coordinate of point a along the axis of the bolt/bolt hole.
5. Z-coordinate of point a along the axis of the bolt/bolt hole.
6. X-coordinate of point b along the axis of the bolt/bolt hole.
7. Y-coordinate of point b along the axis of the bolt/bolt hole.
8. Z-coordinate of point b along the axis of the bolt/bolt hole.
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary to define the clearance value and the direction vector
on the axis of the bolt and bolt-hole assembly that Abaqus uses to calculate the contact normal directions
based on the thread geometry (see “Adjusting initial surface positions and specifying initial clearances
in Abaqus/Standard contact pairs,” Section 36.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, and “Specifying
initial clearance values precisely” in “Adjusting initial surface positions and specifying initial clearances
for contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.5.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

To define a clearance value by using the VALUE parameter:

No data lines are used with this option when the VALUE parameter is specified.

3.20–3

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* CLEARANCE

α
p a

dm
d

Figure 3.20–1 Thread geometry.

3.20–4

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 * CLEARANCE

Figure 3.20–2 Points a and b on the centerline of the bolt and bolt-hole assembly.

3.20–5

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 * CLOAD

3.21 *CLOAD: Specify concentrated forces and moments.

This option is used to apply concentrated forces and moments at any node in the model. The *CLOAD option
can also be used to specify a fluid reference pressure for incompressible flow in an Abaqus/CFD analysis and
to specify concentrated buoyancy, drag, and inertia loads in an Abaqus/Aqua analysis.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE Abaqus/Aqua

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Concentrated loads,” Section 34.4.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Abaqus/Aqua analysis,” Section 6.11.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Analysis of models that exhibit cyclic symmetry,” Section 10.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide

Applying concentrated loads

Required parameter for reading concentrated nodal force from an output database file:
FILE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the output database file from which the data are to be read.
The file extension is optional.

Required parameter for cyclic symmetry models in steady-state dynamics analyses:

CYCLIC MODE
Set this parameter equal to the cyclic symmetry mode number of loads that are applied in the current
steady-state dynamics procedure.

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the load
during the step.

3.21–1

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If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the reference magnitude is applied

immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned
to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step.
FOLLOWER
Include this parameter if the direction of the load is assumed to rotate with the rotation at this node.
This parameter should be used only for large-displacement analysis and can be used only at
nodes with active rotational degrees of freedom (such as the nodes of beam or shell elements).
Concentrated buoyancy, drag, and fluid inertia loads in Abaqus/Aqua analyses are
automatically considered to be follower forces, so this parameter is not necessary in those cases.
In general, UNSYMM=YES should be used on the *STEP option in conjunction with
the FOLLOWER parameter in *DYNAMIC and *STATIC analyses in Abaqus/Standard. The
UNSYMM parameter is ignored in eigenvalue analyses (such as *BUCKLE or *FREQUENCY)
since Abaqus/Standard can perform an eigenvalue extraction only on symmetric matrices.
INC
This parameter is relevant only when the FILE parameter is used.
Set this parameter equal to the increment in the selected step of the previous analysis from
which the concentrated nodal forces will be read. By default, the concentrated nodal forces will be
read from the last increment of the step specified on the STEP parameter or from the last step if the
STEP parameter is omitted.
LOAD CASE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the load case number. This parameter is used in *RANDOM
RESPONSE analysis (“Random response analysis,” Section 6.3.11 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide), when it is the cross-reference for the load case on the *CORRELATION option. The
parameter’s value is ignored in all other procedures.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CLOADs to remain, with this option modifying existing
concentrated loads or defining additional concentrated loads.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CLOADs applied to the model should be removed. New
concentrated loads can be defined.
REGION TYPE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
This parameter is relevant only for concentrated loads applied on the boundary of an adaptive
mesh domain. If concentrated loads are applied to nodes in the interior of an adaptive mesh domain,
these nodes will always follow the material.
Set REGION TYPE=LAGRANGIAN (default) to apply a concentrated load to a node that
follows the material (nonadaptive).

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Set REGION TYPE=SLIDING to apply a concentrated load to a node that can slide over the
material. Mesh constraints are typically applied to the node to fix it spatially.
Set REGION TYPE=EULERIAN to apply a concentrated load to a node that can move
independently of the material. This option is used only for boundary regions where the material
can flow into or out of the adaptive mesh domain. Mesh constraints must be used normal to an
Eulerian boundary region to allow material to flow through the region. If no mesh constraints are
applied, an Eulerian boundary region will behave in the same way as a sliding boundary region.
STEP
This parameter is relevant only when the FILE parameter is used.
Set this parameter equal to the step number of the previous analysis from which the
concentrated nodal forces will be read. By default, the concentrated nodal forces will be read from
the last step of the previous analysis.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and steady-state dynamics
analysis:

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the loading.
REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the loading.

Data lines to define concentrated loads for specific degrees of freedom:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Degree of freedom.
3. Reference magnitude for load.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated loads.

Applying a fluid reference pressure in Abaqus/CFD

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the fluid
reference pressure during the step. If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied
immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned
to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

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OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CLOADs to remain, with this option modifying existing fluid
reference pressures.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CLOADs applied to the model should be removed.

Data lines to define a fluid reference pressure for incompressible flow in Abaqus/CFD:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Hydrostatic pressure type label, HP.
3. Reference magnitude for load.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define reference pressures; however, only the last specified
hydrostatic pressure load in a given fluid domain is applied.

Applying Abaqus/Aqua loads

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the load
during the step. If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at the
beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE
parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide).
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CLOADs to remain, with this option modifying existing
concentrated loads or defining additional concentrated loads.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CLOADs applied to the model should be removed.

Data lines to define concentrated buoyancy forces:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Concentrated load type label, TSB.
3. Magnitude factor, M. The default value is 1.0. This factor will be scaled by any *AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *CLOAD option.
4. Exposed area.
Give the following direction cosines in the local coordinate system if the *TRANSFORM option
was used at this node:

3.21–4

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5. X-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed area, pointing into the fluid, in the
initial configuration.
6. Y-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed area, pointing into the fluid, in the
initial configuration.
7. Z-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed area, pointing into the fluid, in the
initial configuration.
The following data should be provided only if it is necessary to change the fluid properties
specified under the *AQUA option, as described in “Buoyancy loads” in “Abaqus/Aqua analysis,”
Section 6.11.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide. Gravity waves do not affect the buoyancy
loading when any external fluid property is overridden.
8. Density of the fluid outside the element.
9. Free surface elevation of the fluid outside the element.
10. Constant pressure, added to the hydrostatic pressure outside the element.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated buoyancy at various nodes or node
sets.

Data lines to define concentrated fluid drag loading:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Concentrated load type label, TFD (fluid) or TWD (wind).
3. Magnitude factor, M. The default value is 1.0. This factor will be scaled by any *AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *CLOAD option.
4. Exposed area, .
5. Drag coefficient, .
6. Structural velocity factor, . The default value is 1.0 if this entry is left blank or set equal to
0.0.
7. For load type TFD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling steady current velocities
( ). For load type TWD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling the local x-
direction wind velocity ( ). If this data item is blank, the velocities are not scaled (
or ).
8. For load type TFD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling wave velocities ( ).
For load type TWD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling the local y-direction
wind velocity ( ). If this data item is blank, the velocities are not scaled ( or ).

Second line:

Give the following direction cosines in the local coordinate system if the *TRANSFORM option
was used at this node:

3.21–5

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* CLOAD

1. X-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
2. Y-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
3. Z-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
Repeat this pair of data lines as often as necessary to define concentrated fluid or wind drag loading at
various nodes or node sets.

Data lines to define concentrated fluid inertia loading:

First line:
1. Node number or node set label.
2. Load type label, TSI.
3. Magnitude factor, M. The default value is 1.0. This factor will be scaled by any *AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *CLOAD option.
4. Tangential inertia coefficient, .
5. Fluid acceleration shape factor for the tangential inertia term, .
6. Tangential added-mass coefficient, .
7. Structural acceleration shape factor for the tangential inertia term,
8. Name of the *AMPLITUDE curve to be used for scaling fluid particle accelerations ( ). If
this data item is blank, the fluid particle accelerations are not scaled ( ).

Second line:

Give the following direction cosines in the local coordinate system if the *TRANSFORM option
was used at this node:
1. X-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
2. Y-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
3. Z-direction cosine of the outward normal to the exposed transition section area, pointing into
the fluid, in the initial configuration.
Repeat this pair of data lines as often as necessary to define concentrated fluid inertia loading for various
nodes or node sets.

3.21–6

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 * COHESIVE BEHAVIOR

3.22 *COHESIVE BEHAVIOR: Specify surface-based cohesive behavior properties.

This option is used to define surface-based cohesive behavior in a mechanical contact analysis. It must be
used in conjunction with the *SURFACE INTERACTION option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Surface-based cohesive behavior,” Section 37.1.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *SURFACE INTERACTION

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the moduli. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the moduli are constant or depend
only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,”
Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
ELIGIBILITY
Set ELIGIBILITY=CURRENT CONTACTS (default) to define cohesive behavior not only for all
nodes of the slave surface that are in contact with the master surface at the start of a step, but also
for slave nodes that are not initially in contact but may come in contact during the course of a step.
Set ELIGIBILITY=ORIGINAL CONTACTS to restrict cohesive behavior to only those nodes
of the slave surface that are in contact with the master surface at the start of a step.
Set ELIGIBILITY=SPECIFIED CONTACTS to restrict cohesive behavior to a subset of
slave nodes defined using *INITIAL CONDITIONS, TYPE=CONTACT. This parameter value is
available only for Abaqus/Standard analyses.
REPEATED CONTACTS
Include this parameter to modify the default post-failure behavior when progressive damage has
been defined. By default, cohesive behavior is not enforced for nodes on the slave surface once
ultimate failure has occurred at those nodes. Use the REPEATED CONTACTS parameter to enforce
cohesive behavior for recurrent contacts at nodes on the slave surface subsequent to ultimate failure.

3.22–1

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* COHESIVE BEHAVIOR

TYPE
Set TYPE=UNCOUPLED (default) to define uncoupled traction behavior.
Set TYPE=COUPLED to define coupled traction behavior.

Data lines to define uncoupled traction separation behavior (TYPE=UNCOUPLED):

First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables per line.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four;
relevant only for defining uncoupled traction behavior):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define coupled traction separation behavior (TYPE=COUPLED):

First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.22–2

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 * COHESIVE SECTION

3.23 *COHESIVE SECTION: Specify element properties for cohesive elements.

This option is used to define the properties of cohesive elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

• “Cohesive elements: overview,” Section 32.5.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Defining the constitutive response of cohesive elements using a continuum approach,” Section 32.5.5
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameters:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set containing the elements for which the
cohesive properties are being defined.

MATERIAL
Set this parameter equal to the name of the material to be used with these elements.

RESPONSE
This parameter specifies the geometric assumption that defines the constitutive behavior of the
cohesive elements.
Set RESPONSE=TRACTION SEPARATION if the response is defined directly in terms of
traction and separation.
Set RESPONSE=CONTINUUM to specify that the cohesive elements model a strain state
involving one direct (opening strain) and two transverse shear components.
Set RESPONSE=GASKET to specify that the stress state in the cohesive elements is uniaxial.
When RESPONSE=CONTINUUM or GASKET, the constitutive behavior of the element must
be defined in terms of continuum material properties using any available material model in Abaqus
(subject to the limitation that certain models are not available for a one-dimensional stress state).

3.23–1

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* COHESIVE SECTION

Optional parameters:

CONTROLS
Set this parameter equal to the name of a *SECTION CONTROLS definition (see “Section
controls,” Section 27.1.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). The *SECTION CONTROLS
option can be used to specify whether the cohesive elements should be deleted once they completely
fail. This option may also be used to specify a maximum value of the scalar degradation (damage)
parameter, D, and/or the viscosity coefficient, , for viscous regularization.
ORIENTATION
Set this parameter equal to the name given for the *ORIENTATION option (“Orientations,”
Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) to be used to define a local coordinate system
for integration point calculations in the cohesive elements in the specified element set.
STACK DIRECTION
Set this parameter equal to 1, 2, 3, or ORIENTATION to define the cohesive element stack or
thickness direction. Specify one of the numerical values to select the corresponding isoparametric
direction of the element as the stack or thickness direction. The default is STACK DIRECTION=3
for three-dimensional cohesive elements and STACK DIRECTION=2 for two-dimensional and
axisymmetric elements.
If STACK DIRECTION=ORIENTATION, the ORIENTATION parameter is also required.
To obtain a desired thickness direction, the appropriate numerical value for the STACK
DIRECTION parameter depends on the element connectivity. For a mesh-independent
specification, use STACK DIRECTION=ORIENTATION.
This parameter cannot be used with pore pressure cohesive elements.
THICKNESS
Set THICKNESS=GEOMETRY if the initial constitutive thickness of the cohesive layer is
determined from the nodal coordinates of the elements.
Set THICKNESS=SPECIFIED to specify the initial constitutive thickness of the layer on the
data line below. If the data field representing the initial constitutive thickness is left blank or set
equal to zero, a unit thickness is assumed.
The default value of this parameter depends on the choice of the RESPONSE parameter.
If RESPONSE=TRACTION SEPARATION, the default is THICKNESS=SPECIFIED.
If RESPONSE=CONTINUUM, the default is THICKNESS=GEOMETRY. If
RESPONSE=GASKET, there is no default; the THICKNESS parameter must be stated explicitly.

Data line to define the attributes of cohesive elements:

First (and only) line:

1. Initial constitutive thickness of the cohesive element.
2. Out-of-plane thickness for two-dimensional cohesive elements. The default is 1.0. The value
is ignored for cohesive elements that do not require this input.

3.23–2

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 * COMBINED TEST DATA

3.24 *COMBINED TEST DATA: Specify simultaneously the normalized shear and bulk
compliances or relaxation moduli as functions of time.

This option can be used only in conjunction with the *VISCOELASTIC option and cannot be used if the
*SHEAR TEST DATA and *VOLUMETRIC TEST DATA options are used.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Time domain viscoelasticity,” Section 22.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *VISCOELASTIC

Optional parameters:
SHRINF
To specify creep test data, set this parameter equal to the value of the long-term, normalized shear
compliance .
To specify relaxation test data, set this parameter equal to the value of the long-term,
normalized shear modulus .
The shear compliance and shear modulus are related by . The fitting
procedure will use the specified value in the constraint .
VOLINF
To specify creep test data, set this parameter equal to the value of the long-term, normalized
volumetric compliance .
To specify relaxation test data, set this parameter equal to the value of the long-term normalized
volumetric modulus . The volumetric compliance and volumetric modulus are related by
. The fitting procedure will use this value in the constraint
.

Data lines to specify creep test data:

First line:
1. Normalized shear compliance .
2. Normalized volumetric (bulk) compliance .

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* COMBINED TEST DATA

3. Time .
Repeat the above data line as often as necessary to give the compliance-time data.

Data lines to specify relaxation test data:

First line:
1. Normalized shear modulus .
2. Normalized volumetric (bulk) modulus .
3. Time .
Repeat the above data line as often as necessary to give the modulus-time data.

3.24–2

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 * COMPLEX FREQUENCY

3.25 *COMPLEX FREQUENCY: Extract complex eigenvalues and modal vectors.

This option is used to perform eigenvalue extraction to calculate the complex eigenvalues and corresponding
complex mode shapes of a system.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:
• “Complex eigenvalue extraction,” Section 6.3.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

FRICTION DAMPING
Set FRICTION DAMPING=NO (default) to ignore friction-induced damping effects.
Set FRICTION DAMPING=YES to include friction-induced damping effects.
NORMALIZATION
Set NORMALIZATION=DISPLACEMENT (the only option for analyses that are not based on the
SIM architecture) to normalize the complex eigenvectors so that the real part of the largest value in
each vector is unity and the imaginary part is zero.
Set NORMALIZATION=MODAL (default for SIM-based analyses) to normalize only the
complex eigenvectors of the projected system.
PROPERTY EVALUATION
Set this parameter equal to the frequency at which to evaluate frequency-dependent properties
for viscoelasticity, springs, and dashpots during complex eigenvalue extraction. If this
parameter is omitted, Abaqus/Standard will evaluate the material properties associated
with frequency-dependent springs and dashpots at zero frequency and will not consider the
contributions from frequency-domain viscoelasticity in the *COMPLEX FREQUENCY step.
UNSTABLE MODES ONLY
Set this parameter equal to the cutoff value for complex modes. Only complex modes with the
real part of the eigenvalue higher than the cutoff value are written to the output database (.odb)
file. The default value of this parameter is 0.0. If this parameter is omitted, all complex modes are
output.

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* COMPLEX FREQUENCY

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

LEFT EIGENVECTORS
Include this parameter to request left complex eigenvectors. This parameter is relevant only in
analyses that are based on the SIM architecture.

RIGHT EIGENVECTORS
Include this parameter (default) to request right complex eigenvectors.

Data line for complex eigenvalue extraction:

First (and only) line:

1. Number of complex eigenmodes to be extracted. If this entry is omitted, all the eigenmodes
available in the projected subspace, formulated on the basis of all eigenmodes computed in the
preceding *FREQUENCY step and possibly reduced by using the *SELECT EIGENMODES
option, will be extracted.
2. Minimum frequency of interest, in cycles per time. If this field is left blank, no minimum is
set.
3. Maximum frequency of interest, in cycles per time. If this field is left blank, no maximum is
set.
4. Shift point, S, in cycles per time (S ≥ 0). The eigenvalues with the imaginary part closest to
this point are extracted. The default value is zero.

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 * COMPOSITE MODAL DAMPING

3.26 *COMPOSITE MODAL DAMPING: Specify composite modal damping for modal
analyses based on the SIM architecture.

This option can be used only with the SIM architecture and can be used only with the *FREQUENCY
option. It specifies the composite modal damping data that enable calculation of the weighted mass and
stiffness composite damping per each of the extracted eigenmodes during an eigenvalue extraction analysis.
The damping data are requested for the mass proportional fraction of critical damping and for the stiffness
proportional fraction of critical damping for specified element sets. This option can also be used to assign
critical damping fractions to both mass and stiffness matrix input.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Material damping,” Section 26.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Dynamic analysis procedures: overview,” Section 6.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
MASS MATRIX INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the value of fraction of critical damping for all mass matrices included
in the model by using the *MATRIX INPUT, MATRIX=MASS option. If this parameter is omitted,
the default is zero.
STIFFNESS MATRIX INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the value of fraction of critical damping for all stiffness matrices included
in the model by using the *MATRIX INPUT, MATRIX=STIFFNESS option. If this parameter is
omitted, the default is zero.

Data lines to define a fraction of critical damping:

First line:
1. Element number or element set name.
2. Fraction of critical damping, , for mass matrices included in this element or element set.
3. Fraction of critical damping, , for stiffness matrices included in this element or element set.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define modal damping for different elements and/or element
sets.

3.26–1

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 * CONCRETE

3.27 *CONCRETE: Define concrete properties beyond the elastic range.

WARNING: Success in analyzing plain and reinforced concrete problems depends

significantly on making sensible choices regarding the concrete material parameters
described in this section as well as, in the case of reinforced concrete, the definition
of rebar in the problem. It is important to be familiar with the issues relating to
concrete modeling and rebar definition by referring to “Concrete smeared cracking,”
Section 23.6.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide; “Defining rebar as an element
property,” Section 2.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide; and the appropriate
sections in the Abaqus Theory Guide and the Abaqus Example Problems Guide.
The *CONCRETE option is used to define the properties of plain concrete outside the elastic range in an
Abaqus/Standard analysis. It must be used in conjunction with the *TENSION STIFFENING option and
may also appear with the *SHEAR RETENTION and *FAILURE RATIOS options. The properties and
locations of reinforcement bars are given separately (“Defining rebar as an element property,” Section 2.2.4
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
The *BRITTLE CRACKING option is used to analyze concrete in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis (see
“Cracking model for concrete,” Section 23.6.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Concrete smeared cracking,” Section 23.6.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *TENSION STIFFENING
• *SHEAR RETENTION
• *FAILURE RATIOS

Optional parameter:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
compressive yield stress, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
the compressive yield stress depends only on the plastic strain and, possibly, on temperature. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

3.27–1

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* CONCRETE

Data lines to define the concrete properties:

First line:
1. Absolute value of compressive stress. (Units of FL−2 .)
2. Absolute value of plastic strain. The first stress-strain point given at each value of temperature
and field variable must be at zero plastic strain and will define the initial yield point for that
temperature and field variable.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of compressive yield stress
on plastic strain and, if needed, on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.27–2

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 * CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE

3.28 *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE: Define compression damage properties for

the concrete damaged plasticity model.

This option is used to define compression damage (or stiffness degradation) properties for the concrete
damaged plasticity material model. The *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE option must be used in
conjunction with the *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY, *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING,
and *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING options. In addition, the *CONCRETE TENSION
DAMAGE option can be used to specify tensile stiffness degradation damage.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

• “Concrete damaged plasticity,” Section 23.6.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY
• *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING
• *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the compression damage, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the compression damage behavior depends only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for
more information.

TENSION RECOVERY
This parameter is used to define the stiffness recovery factor , which determines the amount of
tension stiffness that is recovered as the loading changes from compression to tension. If ,
the material fully recovers the tensile stiffness; if , there is no stiffness recovery. Intermediate
values of result in partial recovery of the tensile stiffness. The default value is 0.0.

3.28–1

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* CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE

Data lines to define compression damage:

First line:
1. Compressive damage variable, .
2. Inelastic (crushing) strain, .
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a crushing strain of 0.0 and a compressive
damage value of 0.0.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the compressive damage
behavior on crushing strain, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

3.28–2

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 * CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING

3.29 *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING: Define hardening in compression for the

concrete damaged plasticity model.

This option is used to define the compression hardening data for the concrete damaged plasticity
material model. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY and
*CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING options. In addition, the *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE
and/or *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE options can be used to specify tensile and/or compressive
stiffness degradation damage.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Concrete damaged plasticity,” Section 23.6.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY
• *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING
• *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE

Optional parameter:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
compressive yield stress, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, the compressive
yield stress depends only on the inelastic strain, the strain rate, and, possibly, on temperature. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

Data lines to define compressive hardening:

First line:
1. Yield stress in compression, . (Units of FL .)
2. Inelastic (crushing) strain, .
3. Inelastic (crushing) strain rate, . (Units of T .)
4. Temperature.

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* CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING

5. First field variable.

6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a crushing strain of 0.0 and gives the initial
yield stress value, .

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the compressive yield
stress on crushing strain, crushing strain rate, and other predefined field variables.

3.29–2

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 * CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY

3.30 *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY: Define flow potential, yield surface, and
viscosity parameters for the concrete damaged plasticity model.

This option is used to define flow potential, yield surface, and viscosity parameters for the concrete damaged
plasticity material model. The *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY option must be used in conjunction
with the *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING and the *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING
options. In addition, the *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE and/or the *CONCRETE COMPRESSION
DAMAGE options can be used to specify tensile and/or compressive stiffness degradation damage.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Concrete damaged plasticity,” Section 23.6.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING
• *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the material parameters other than temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
the material parameters depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence”
in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more
information.

Data lines to define concrete damaged plasticity flow potential, yield surface, and viscosity
parameters:

First line:
1. Dilation angle, , in the p–q plane. Give the value in degrees.

3.30–1

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* CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY

2. Flow potential eccentricity, . The eccentricity is a small positive number that defines the rate
at which the hyperbolic flow potential approaches its asymptote. If this field is left blank or a
value of 0.0 is entered, the default of is used.
3. , the ratio of initial equibiaxial compressive yield stress to initial uniaxial compressive
yield stress. If this field is left blank or a value of 0.0 is entered, the default of is used.
4. , the ratio of the second stress invariant on the tensile meridian, , to that on the
compressive meridian, , at initial yield for any given value of the pressure invariant p
such that the maximum principal stress is negative, . It must satisfy the condition
. If this field is left blank or a value of 0.0 is entered, the default of is used.
5. Viscosity parameter, , used for the visco-plastic regularization of the concrete constitutive
equations in Abaqus/Standard analyses. This parameter is ignored in Abaqus/Explicit. The
default value is . (Units of T.)
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameters
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.30–2

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 * CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE

3.31 *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE: Define postcracking damage properties for the
concrete damaged plasticity model.

This option is used to define postcracking damage (or stiffness degradation) properties for the
concrete damaged plasticity material model. The *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE option must
be used in conjunction with the *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY, *CONCRETE TENSION
STIFFENING, and *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING options. In addition, the *CONCRETE
COMPRESSION DAMAGE option can be used to specify compressive stiffness degradation damage.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Concrete damaged plasticity,” Section 23.6.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY
• *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE

Optional parameters:
COMPRESSION RECOVERY
This parameter is used to define the stiffness recovery factor, , which determines the amount
of compression stiffness that is recovered as the loading changes from tension to compression. If
, the material fully recovers the compressive stiffness; if , there is no stiffness
recovery. Intermediate values of result in partial recovery of the compressive
stiffness. The default value is , which corresponds to the assumption that as cracks close the
compressive stiffness is unaffected by tensile damage.
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the tension damage, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the tension damage behavior depends only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for more information.

3.31–1

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* CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE

TYPE
Set TYPE=STRAIN (default) to specify the tensile damage variable as a function of cracking strain.
Set TYPE=DISPLACEMENT to specify the tensile damage variable as a function of cracking
displacement.

Data lines if the tensile damage is specified as a function of cracking strain (TYPE=STRAIN):

First line:
1. Tensile damage variable, .
2. Direct cracking strain, .
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a cracking strain of 0.0 and a tensile damage
value of 0.0.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the tensile damage
behavior on cracking strain, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines if the tensile damage is specified as a function of cracking displacement

(TYPE=DISPLACEMENT):

First line:
1. Tensile damage variable, .
2. Direct cracking displacement, . (Units of L.)
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a cracking displacement of 0.0 and a tensile
damage value of 0.0.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.

3.31–2

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 * CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the tensile damage
behavior on cracking displacement, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

3.31–3

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 * CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING

3.32 *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING: Define postcracking properties for the concrete
damaged plasticity model.

This option is used to define cracking and postcracking properties for the concrete damaged plasticity
material model. The *CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING option must be used in conjunction with the
*CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY and *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING options.
In addition, the *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE and/or *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE
options can be used to specify tensile and/or compressive stiffness degradation damage.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Concrete damaged plasticity,” Section 23.6.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONCRETE DAMAGED PLASTICITY
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION HARDENING
• *CONCRETE TENSION DAMAGE
• *CONCRETE COMPRESSION DAMAGE

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the postcracking behavior, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, the postcracking
stress depends only on the cracking strain, the strain rate, and, possibly, on temperature. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
TYPE
Set TYPE=STRAIN (default) to specify the postcracking behavior by entering the postfailure
stress/cracking-strain relationship.
Set TYPE=DISPLACEMENT to define the postcracking behavior by entering the postfailure
stress/cracking-displacement relationship.
Set TYPE=GFI to define the postcracking behavior by entering the failure stress, , and the
fracture energy, .

3.32–1

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* CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING

Data lines if the TYPE=STRAIN parameter is included (default):

First line:
1. Remaining direct stress after cracking, . (Units of FL .)
2. Direct cracking strain, .
3. Direct cracking strain rate, . (Units of T .)
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a cracking strain of 0.0 and gives the failure
stress value, .
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines if the TYPE=DISPLACEMENT parameter is included:

First line:
1. Remaining direct stress after cracking, . (Units of FL .)
2. Direct cracking displacement, . (Units of L.)
3. Direct cracking displacement rate, . (Units of LT .)
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

The first point at each value of temperature must have a cracking displacement of 0.0 and gives the
failure stress value.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.32–2

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 * CONCRETE TENSION STIFFENING

Data lines if the TYPE=GFI parameter is included:

First line:
1. Failure stress, . (Units of FL .)
2. Fracture energy, . (Units of FL .)
3. Direct cracking displacement rate, . (Units of LT .)
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the postcracking behavior
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.32–3

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 * CONDUCTIVITY

3.33 *CONDUCTIVITY: Specify thermal conductivity.

This option is used to specify a material’s thermal conductivity.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

Reference:
• “Conductivity,” Section 26.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of
conductivity. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the conductivity is constant or depends
only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,”
Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
PORE FLUID
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Include this parameter if the conductivity of the pore fluid in a porous medium is being defined.
The conductivity of a fluid must be isotropic; therefore, TYPE=ORTHO and TYPE=ANISO cannot
be used if this parameter is included.
TYPE
Set TYPE=ISO (default) to define isotropic conductivity. Set TYPE=ORTHO to define orthotropic
conductivity. Set TYPE=ANISO to define fully anisotropic conductivity. Abaqus/CFD supports
only isotropic conductivity without field-dependent variants.

Data lines to define isotropic thermal conductivity (TYPE=ISO):

First line:
1. Conductivity, k. (Units of JT−1 L−1 −1 .)
2. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
3. First field variable.

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* CONDUCTIVITY

4. Second field variable.

5. Etc., up to six field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the thermal conductivity as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define orthotropic thermal conductivity (TYPE=ORTHO):

First line:
1. . (Units of JT−1 L−1 −1 .)
2. .
3. .
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the thermal conductivity as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define anisotropic thermal conductivity (TYPE=ANISO):

First line:
1. . (Units of JT−1 L−1 −1 .)
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.

3.33–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONDUCTIVITY

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the thermal conductivity as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.33–3

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

3.34 *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR: Begin the specification of a connector behavior.

This option is used to indicate the start of a connector behavior definition.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR SECTION

Required parameter:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to the behavior name referred to on the *CONNECTOR SECTION option.
Connector behavior names in the same input file must be unique.

Optional parameters:

EXTRAPOLATION
The choice of extrapolation defined here applies to all suboptions of the connector behavior unless
it is redefined on the suboption.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent
variables outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.

INTEGRATION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set INTEGRATION=IMPLICIT (default) to integrate the connector behavior with implicit
time integration.
Set INTEGRATION=EXPLICIT to integrate the connector behavior with explicit time
integration.

3.34–1

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* CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses. The choice of regularization defined here
applies to all suboptions of the connector behavior unless it is redefined on the suboption.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector behavior
data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector behavior data directly
without regularization.

RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses. The regularization tolerance defined here
applies to all suboptions of the connector behavior unless it is redefined on the suboption.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector behavior data.
The default is RTOL=0.03.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

3.34–2

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 * CONNECTOR CONSTITUTIVE REFERENCE

3.35 *CONNECTOR CONSTITUTIVE REFERENCE: Define reference lengths and angles to

be used in specifying connector constitutive behavior.

This option is used to define reference lengths and angles for constitutive response in connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data line to define reference lengths and angles:

First (and only) line:

Enter a blank to use the (default) reference length or angle calculated from the initial geometry.
1. Reference length associated with the connector’s first component of relative motion.
2. Reference length associated with the connector’s second component of relative motion.
3. Reference length associated with the connector’s third component of relative motion. Only
relevant for three-dimensional analyses.
4. Reference angle (in degrees) associated with the connector’s fourth component of relative
motion. Only relevant for three-dimensional analyses.
5. Reference angle (in degrees) associated with the connector’s fifth component of relative
motion. Only relevant for three-dimensional analyses.
6. Reference angle (in degrees) associated with the connector’s sixth component of relative
motion.

3.35–1

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 * CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION

3.36 *CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION: Specify connector damage evolution for

connector elements.

This option is used to define connector damage evolution for connector elements that have available
components of relative motion. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONNECTOR DAMAGE
INITIATION option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector damage behavior,” Section 31.2.7 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION
• *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL

Required parameter:
TYPE
Set TYPE=MOTION to use either connector constitutive relative motions (displacements/rotations)
or plastic relative motions (displacement/rotations) to specify damage evolution.
Set TYPE=ENERGY to use post-damage initiation dissipation energies to specify damage
evolution.

Optional parameters:
AFFECTED COMPONENTS
Include this parameter to identify on the data line the components of relative motion that will be
damaged.
If this parameter is omitted and the COMPONENT parameter is included on the associated
*CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option, only the specified component will undergo
damage.

3.36–1

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* CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION

If both this parameter and the COMPONENT parameter on the associated *CONNECTOR
DAMAGE INITIATION option are omitted, only the components of relative motion involved in
the associated *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL definition will undergo damage.

DEGRADATION
Set DEGRADATION=MAXIMUM (default) to indicate that the damage value associated with this
option will be first compared to damage values from other damage mechanisms (if defined) and that
only the maximum value will be considered for the overall damage.
Set DEGRADATION=MULTIPLICATIVE to indicate that the damage value associated with
this option will contribute multiplicatively to the overall damage.

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
connector damage evolution, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the connector damage evolution is independent of field variables. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for
more information.

EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.

REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector damage data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector damage data directly
without regularization.

RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector damage data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
*CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.
SOFTENING
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with TYPE=MOTION.
Set SOFTENING=LINEAR (default) to specify a linear damage evolution law.
Set SOFTENING=EXPONENTIAL to specify an exponential damage evolution law.
Set SOFTENING=TABULAR to specify a damage evolution law in tabular form.

3.36–2

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 * CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION

Data lines to define the damage evolution for TYPE=MOTION, SOFTENING=LINEAR:

First line (needed only if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included):

1. First component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
2. Second component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
3. Etc., up to six entries.

Second line if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included; otherwise, first line:
1. Post-initiation equivalent relative plastic motion at ultimate failure if CRITERION=PLASTIC
MOTION is specified on the associated *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option.
Otherwise, post-initiation constitutive relative motion (displacement/rotation) at ultimate
failure. See “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for a
description of the connector relative motions.
2. Mode-mix ratio if CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION and the COMPONENT parameter is
omitted from the associated *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option. Leave blank
otherwise.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Do not repeat the data line that specifies the affected components. Repeat the subsequent set of data
lines as often as necessary to define connector damage evolution by specifying the connector relative
plastic or constitutive motion at ultimate failure as a function of mode-mix ratio, temperature, and other
predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the damage evolution for TYPE=MOTION, SOFTENING=EXPONENTIAL:

First line (needed only if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included):

1. First component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
2. Second component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
3. Etc., up to six entries.

Second line if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included; otherwise, first line:
1. Post-initiation equivalent relative plastic motion at ultimate failure if CRITERION=PLASTIC
MOTION is specified on the associated *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option.
Otherwise, post-initiation constitutive relative motion (displacement/rotation) at ultimate

3.36–3

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* CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION

failure. See “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for a
description of the connector relative motions.
2. Exponential law parameter, (see “Connector damage behavior,” Section 31.2.7 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide).
3. Mode-mix ratio if CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION and the COMPONENT parameter is
omitted from the associated *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option. Leave blank
otherwise.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Do not repeat the data line that specifies the affected components. Repeat the subsequent set of data
lines as often as necessary to define connector damage evolution by specifying the connector relative
plastic or constitutive motion at ultimate failure and the exponential law parameter as functions of mode-
mix ratio, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the damage evolution for TYPE=MOTION, SOFTENING=TABULAR:

First line (needed only if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included):

1. First component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
2. Second component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
3. Etc., up to six entries.

Second line if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included; otherwise, first line:
1. Damage variable.
2. Post-initiation equivalent relative plastic motion if CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION on
the associated *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option. Otherwise, post-initiation
constitutive relative motion (displacement/rotation). See “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for a description of the connector relative motions.
3. Mode-mix ratio if CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION and the COMPONENT parameter is
omitted from the associated *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option. Leave blank
otherwise.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

3.36–4

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 * CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Do not repeat the data line that specifies the affected components. Repeat the subsequent set of data
lines as often as necessary to define connector damage evolution as a function of connector relative
plastic or constitutive motion, mode-mix ratio, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the damage evolution for TYPE=ENERGY:

First line (needed only if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included):

1. First component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
2. Second component of relative motion number that will be damaged.
3. Etc., up to six entries.

Second line if the AFFECTED COMPONENTS parameter is included; otherwise, first line:
1. Total energy dissipated by damage at ultimate failure.
2. Mode-mix ratio if CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION and the COMPONENT parameter is
omitted from the associated *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option. Leave blank
otherwise.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Do not repeat the data line that specifies the affected components. Repeat the subsequent set of
data lines as often as necessary to define connector damage evolution by specifying the post-initiation
dissipation energy as a function of mode-mix ratio, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

3.36–5

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 * CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION

3.37 *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION: Specify connector damage initiation criteria for
connector elements.

This option is used to define connector damage initiation criteria for connector elements that have available
components of relative motion. It is almost always used in conjunction with the *CONNECTOR DAMAGE
EVOLUTION option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector damage behavior,” Section 31.2.7 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION
• *CONNECTOR PLASTICITY
• *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL

Optional parameters:

COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s component of relative motion for which a connector
damage initiation criterion is specified. See “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for components of relative motion definitions. If this parameter is used,
the *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL option cannot be used in conjunction with the *CONNECTOR
DAMAGE INITIATION option.
Omit this parameter and use the *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL option in conjunction with the
* CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option to specify a connector damage initiation criterion
involving several components of relative motion.
CRITERION
Set CRITERION=FORCE (default) to specify a damage initiation criterion based on total
forces/moments in the connector.

3.37–1

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* CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION

Set CRITERION=MOTION to specify a damage initiation criterion based on relative

displacements/rotations in the connector.
Set CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION to specify a damage initiation criterion based
on the equivalent plastic relative motion as defined by the associated plasticity definition. If
CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION, the *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL option cannot be used in
conjunction with the *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION option.
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the connector damage initiation criterion, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted,
it is assumed that the connector damage initiation criterion is independent of field variables. See
“Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
RATE FILTER FACTOR
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the factor to be used for filtering the equivalent relative plastic
motion rate for the evaluation of rate-dependent connector damage initiation data. The default value
is 0.9.
RATE INTERPOLATION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses and is used only to interpolate
rate-dependent connector damage initiation data.
Set RATE INTERPOLATION=LINEAR (default) to use linear intervals for the equivalent
relative plastic motion rate while interpolating rate-dependent damage initiation data.
Set RATE INTERPOLATION=LOGARITHMIC to use logarithmic intervals for the
equivalent relative plastic motion rate while interpolating rate-dependent damage initiation data.
REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector damage initiation data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector damage initiation data
directly without regularization.
RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.

3.37–2

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 * CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION

Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector damage initiation
data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
*CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.

Data lines for CRITERION=FORCE:

First line:
1. Lower (compression) limiting force or moment. If not specified, no lower limit is used.
2. Upper (tension) limiting force or moment. If not specified, no upper limit is used.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector damage initiation limiting
values as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for CRITERION=MOTION:

First line:
1. Lower (compression) limiting connector constitutive relative displacement or rotation. If not
specified, no lower limit is used.
2. Upper (tension) limiting connector constitutive relative displacement or rotation. If not
specified, no upper limit is used.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector damage initiation limiting
values as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.37–3

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* CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION

Data lines for CRITERION=PLASTIC MOTION:

First line:
1. Relative equivalent plastic displacement/rotation at which damage will be initiated.
2. Leave blank if the COMPONENT parameter is specified.
Otherwise, mode-mix ratio. See “Mode-mix ratio” in “Connector plastic behavior,”
Section 31.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for information on how this quantity is
defined.
3. Relative equivalent plastic displacement/rotation rate.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector damage initiation criterion
as a function of mode-mix ratio, equivalent plastic motion rate, temperature, and other predefined field
variables.

3.37–4

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 * CONNECTOR DAMPING

3.38 *CONNECTOR DAMPING: Define connector damping behavior.

This option is used to define the damping behavior for connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector damping behavior,” Section 31.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

Optional parameters:

COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s component of relative motion for which damping
behavior is specified. For this component of relative motion the connector will act as a dashpot for
TYPE=VISCOUS. Omit this parameter to define coupled behavior.

TYPE
Set this parameter equal to VISCOUS (default) to specify velocity proportional damping.
Set this parameter equal to STRUCTURAL to specify displacement proportional damping.
This setting applies to steady-state dynamic direct and subspace projection analyses and to steady-
state and transient mode-based analyses that support nondiagonal damping in Abaqus/Standard. If
TYPE=STRUCTURAL, only linear damping behavior is permitted.

Optional parameters for TYPE=VISCOUS:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the connector damping data, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the connector damping is independent of field variables. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for more information.

3.38–1

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* CONNECTOR DAMPING

EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.

FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
This parameter is relevant only for coupled linear viscous damping definitions in an
Abaqus/Standard analysis. Use this parameter to define viscous damping terms with frequency
dependence.
Set FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE=OFF (default) if frequency dependence of the damping
terms is not defined.
Set FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE=ON if frequency dependence of the damping terms is
defined.

INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS
This parameter can be used only if the COMPONENT and NONLINEAR parameters are included.
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=POSITION (default) to specify dependencies on
components of relative position included in the damping definition.
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=CONSTITUTIVE MOTION to specify dependencies
on components of constitutive relative motion included in the damping definition.
If damping is dependent on only the relative velocity in the component specified with the
COMPONENT parameter, the INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS parameter should not be used.

NONLINEAR
This parameter can be used only if the COMPONENT parameter is included.
Include this parameter to define nonlinear damping behavior. Omit this parameter to define
linear damping behavior.

REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector damping data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector damping data directly
without regularization.

RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector damping data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
*CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.

3.38–2

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 * CONNECTOR DAMPING

UNSYMM
This parameter is relevant only for linear coupled viscous damping definitions in an
Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Include this parameter if the linear coupled viscous damping matrices are not symmetric.

Data lines to define linear uncoupled viscous damping behavior (TYPE=VISCOUS, COMPONENT
with the NONLINEAR parameter omitted):

First line:
1. Damping coefficient (force or moment per relative velocity).
2. Leave blank in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis this field
corresponds to frequency (in cycles per time). Applicable for *STEADY STATE
DYNAMICS, DIRECT; *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION;
and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS and *MODAL DYNAMIC analyses that support
nondiagonal damping.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the damping coefficient as a function of
frequency, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear coupled viscous damping behavior (TYPE=VISCOUS with the
COMPONENT, NONLINEAR, and UNSYMM parameters omitted; all 21 damping constants must
be specified, regardless of whether temperature or field variable dependencies are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
2. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
3. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
4. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
5. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
6. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
7. . (Units of FT.)
8. . (Units of FT.)

3.38–3

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* CONNECTOR DAMPING

Second line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FTL.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FT.)
6. . (Units of FTL.)
7. . (Units of FTL.)
8. . (Units of FT.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FTL.)
4. . (Units of FTL.)
5. . (Units of FTL.)
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector damping behavior as a function
of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear coupled viscous damping behavior with frequency dependence
(TYPE=VISCOUS with the COMPONENT, NONLINEAR, and UNSYMM parameters omitted, and
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE=ON; all 21 damping constants must be specified, regardless of
whether frequency, temperature, or field variable dependencies are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
2. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
3. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
4. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
5. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
6. . (Units of FTL−1 .)

3.38–4

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONNECTOR DAMPING

7. . (Units of FT.)
8. . (Units of FT.)

Second line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FTL.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FT.)
6. . (Units of FTL.)
7. . (Units of FTL.)
8. . (Units of FT.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FTL.)
4. . (Units of FTL.)
5. . (Units of FTL.)
6. Leave blank in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis this field
corresponds to frequency (in cycles per time). Applicable for *STEADY STATE
DYNAMICS, DIRECT; *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION;
and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS and *MODAL DYNAMIC analyses that support
nondiagonal damping.
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector damping behavior as a function
of frequency, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear coupled viscous damping behavior using unsymmetric storage
(the COMPONENT and NONLINEAR parameters are omitted and UNSYMM is included; all 36
damping constants must be specified, regardless of whether temperature or field variable
dependencies are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FTL−1 .)

3.38–5

Abaqus ID:
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* CONNECTOR DAMPING

2. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
3. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FT.)
6. . (Units of FT.)
7. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
8. . (Units of FTL−1 .)

Second line:
1. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
6. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
7. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
8. . (Units of FT.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FT.)
6. . (Units of FTL.)
7. . (Units of FTL.)
8. . (Units of FTL.)

Fourth line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FTL.)
5. . (Units of FTL.)
6. . (Units of FTL.)
7. . (Units of FT.)
8. . (Units of FT.)

3.38–6

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR DAMPING

Fifth line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FTL.)
3. . (Units of FTL.)
4. . (Units of FTL.)
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the unsymmetric connector damping behavior
as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear coupled viscous damping behavior using unsymmetric storage
and frequency dependence (the COMPONENT and NONLINEAR parameters are omitted, the
UNSYMM parameter is included, and FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE=ON; all 36 damping constants
must be specified, regardless of whether frequency, temperature, or field variable dependencies
are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
2. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
3. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FT.)
6. . (Units of FT.)
7. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
8. . (Units of FTL−1 .)

Second line:
1. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FTL−1 .)

3.38–7

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR DAMPING

6. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
7. . (Units of FTL−1 .)
8. . (Units of FT.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FT.)
5. . (Units of FT.)
6. . (Units of FTL.)
7. . (Units of FTL.)
8. . (Units of FTL.)

Fourth line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FT.)
3. . (Units of FT.)
4. . (Units of FTL.)
5. . (Units of FTL.)
6. . (Units of FTL.)
7. . (Units of FT.)
8. . (Units of FT.)

Fifth line:
1. . (Units of FT.)
2. . (Units of FTL.)
3. . (Units of FTL.)
4. . (Units of FTL.)
5. Leave blank in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis this field
corresponds to frequency (in cycles per time). Applicable for *STEADY STATE
DYNAMICS, DIRECT; *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION;
and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS and *MODAL DYNAMIC analyses that support
nondiagonal damping.
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

3.38–8

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR DAMPING

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the unsymmetric connector damping behavior
as a function of frequency, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define nonlinear viscous damping behavior that depends on the velocity in
the direction of the specified component of relative motion (TYPE=VISCOUS, COMPONENT,
NONLINEAR with the INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS parameter omitted):

First line:
1. Force or moment.
2. Relative velocity.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector damping behavior as a function
of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear viscous damping behavior that depends on the relative displacement,
positions, or motions in several component directions (TYPE=VISCOUS, COMPONENT,
NONLINEAR, INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS):

First line:
1. First independent component number (1–6).
2. Second independent component number (1–6).
3. Etc., up to entries (maximum six).

Subsequent lines:
1. Force or moment in the direction specified by the COMPONENT parameter.
2. Relative velocity in the direction specified by the COMPONENT parameter.
3. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the first independent component
identified on the first data line.

3.38–9

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR DAMPING

4. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the second independent

component identified on the first data line.
5. Etc., up to entries as identified on the first data line. If six independent components are
used and no temperature or field variable dependencies are specified, a blank data line must be
placed after this line.
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.
If the number of data entries exceeds the limit of eight entries per line, continue the input on the
next data line.

Continuation line (if needed):

1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight entries per line.
Do not repeat the first data line. Repeat the subsequent data lines as often as necessary to define the
damping behavior as a function of connector relative (angular) velocity, position, or motion; temperature;
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear, uncoupled structural damping behavior (TYPE=STRUCTURAL,

COMPONENT):

First line:
1. Damping coefficient.
2. Frequency (in cycles per time). Applicable for *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT;
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION; and *STEADY STATE
DYNAMICS and *MODAL DYNAMIC analyses that support nondiagonal damping.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the damping coefficient as a function of frequency.

Data lines to define linear, coupled structural damping behavior (TYPE=STRUCTURAL with the
COMPONENT parameter omitted):

First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

3.38–10

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR DAMPING

Second line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Third line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .

3.38–11

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT

3.39 *CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT: Specify user-defined components in

connector elements.

This option is used as many times as necessary in conjunction with the *CONNECTOR FRICTION and
*CONNECTOR POTENTIAL options to define user-customized components from numbered components.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector functions for coupled behavior,” Section 31.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *CONNECTOR FRICTION
• *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL

Required parameter:
NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the derived component.

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
connector derived component, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the connector derived components are independent of field variables. See “Specifying field
variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide, for more information.
EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.

3.39–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT

Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables

outside the specified range of the independent variables.

INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=POSITION (default) to specify dependencies on
components of relative position included in the derived component definition.
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=CONSTITUTIVE MOTION to specify dependencies
on components of constitutive relative motion included in the derived component definition.

OPERATOR
Set OPERATOR=NORM (default) to use a square root of a sum of the squares function of the
contributing components.
Set OPERATOR=MACAULEY SUM to sum the contributing components with a Macauley
bracket function applied to each contribution.
Set OPERATOR=SUM to sum the contributing components directly.

REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector derived component data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector derived component data
directly without regularization.

RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector derived
component data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
* CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.

SIGN
Set SIGN=POSITIVE (default) to provide an overall positive sign to the derived component
definition.
Set SIGN=NEGATIVE to provide an overall negative sign to the derived component definition.

Data lines to define the derived component if the INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS parameter
is omitted:

First line:
1. First component number (1–6) to be used in the definition of the derived component.
2. Second component number (1–6) to be used in the definition of the derived component.
3. Etc., up to entries (maximum six).

3.39–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT

Subsequent lines:
1. Scaling constant ( ) that multiplies the first component identified on the first data line.
2. Scaling constant ( ) that multiplies the second component identified on the first data line.
3. Etc., up to entries as identified on the first data line.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to eight entries per line.
If the number of data entries exceeds the limit of eight entries per line, continue the input on the
next data line.
Do not repeat the first data line. Repeat the subsequent data lines as often as necessary to define the
contributions to the derived component as a function of temperature and field variables.

Data lines to define the derived component if the INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS parameter is
included:

First line:
1. First independent component number (1–6).
2. Second independent component number (1–6).
3. Etc., up to entries (maximum six).

Second line:
1. First component number (1–6) to be used in the definition of the derived component.
2. Second component number (1–6) to be used in the definition of the derived component.
3. Etc., up to entries (maximum six).

Third line:
1. Scaling constant ( ) that multiplies the first component identified on the second data line.
2. Scaling constant ( ) that multiplies the second component identified on the second data line.
3. Etc., up to entries as identified on the second data line.
4. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the first independent component
identified on the first data line.
5. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the second independent
component identified on the first data line.
6. Etc., up to entries as identified on the first data line.
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

3.39–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT

If the number of data entries exceeds the limit of eight entries per line, continue the input on the
next data line.

Continuation line (if needed):

1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight entries per line.
Do not repeat the first two data lines. Repeat the subsequent data lines as often as necessary to define
the contributions to the derived component as a function of connector relative position or constitutive
relative motion, temperature, and field variables.

3.39–4

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

3.40 *CONNECTOR ELASTICITY: Define connector elastic behavior.

This option is used to define the elastic behavior for connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector elastic behavior,” Section 31.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

Optional parameters:
COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s component of relative motion for which elastic behavior
is specified. For this component of relative motion the connector will act as a spring. Omit this
parameter if linear coupled behavior is to be defined.
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the connector elasticity data, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the connector elasticity is independent of field variables. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for more information.
EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
This parameter is relevant only for coupled linear spring stiffness definitions in an Abaqus/Standard
analysis. Use this parameter to define spring stiffness terms with frequency dependence.

3.40–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

Set FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE=OFF (default) if frequency dependence of the spring

stiffness terms is not defined.
Set FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE=ON if frequency dependence of the spring stiffness terms
is defined.

INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS
This parameter can be used only if the COMPONENT and NONLINEAR parameters are included.
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=POSITION (default) to specify dependencies on
components of relative position included in the elasticity definition.
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=CONSTITUTIVE MOTION to specify dependencies
on components of constitutive relative motion included in the elasticity definition.
If elasticity is dependent on only the component of constitutive relative motion specified
with the COMPONENT parameter (uncoupled behavior), the INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS
parameter should not be used.

NONLINEAR
This parameter can be used only if the COMPONENT parameter is included.
Include this parameter to define nonlinear elastic behavior. Omit this parameter to define linear
elastic behavior.

REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector elastic data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector elastic data directly without
regularization.

RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector elastic data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
* CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.

RIGID
Include this parameter to indicate that rigid elastic behavior is defined.

UNSYMM
This parameter is relevant only for coupled linear spring stiffness definitions in an Abaqus/Standard
analysis.
Include this parameter if the coupled linear spring stiffness matrices are not symmetric.

3.40–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

Data lines to define linear uncoupled elastic behavior (the COMPONENT parameter is included
and the NONLINEAR parameter is omitted):

First line:
1. Elastic stiffness (force or moment per relative displacement or rotation; force for SLIPRING).
2. Leave blank in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis this field
corresponds to frequency (in cycles per time, for *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT
and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION analyses only).
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic stiffness as a function of frequency,
temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear coupled elastic behavior (the COMPONENT, NONLINEAR, and
UNSYMM parameters are omitted; all 21 elasticity constants must be specified, regardless of
whether temperature or field variable dependencies are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
2. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
3. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
4. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
5. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
6. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
7. . (Units of F.)
8. . (Units of F.)

Second line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of FL.)
3. . (Units of F.)
4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of F.)

3.40–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

6. . (Units of FL.)
7. . (Units of FL.)
8. . (Units of F.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of FL.)
4. . (Units of FL.)
5. . (Units of FL.)
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector elastic behavior as a function
of temperature and other predefined field variables

Data lines to define linear coupled elastic behavior with frequency dependence (the
COMPONENT, NONLINEAR, and UNSYMM parameters are omitted, and FREQUENCY
DEPENDENCE=ON; all 21 stiffness constants must be specified, regardless of whether
frequency, temperature, or field variable dependencies are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
2. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
3. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
4. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
5. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
6. . (Units of FL−1 ; F for SLIPRING.)
7. . (Units of F.)
8. . (Units of F.)

Second line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of FL.)
3. . (Units of F.)

3.40–4

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of F.)
6. . (Units of FL.)
7. . (Units of FL.)
8. . (Units of F.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of FL.)
4. . (Units of FL.)
5. . (Units of FL.)
6. Leave blank in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis this field
corresponds to frequency (in cycles per time, for *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT
and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION analyses only).
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector elastic behavior as a function
of frequency, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the linear coupled stiffness matrix using unsymmetric storage (the
COMPONENT and NONLINEAR parameters are omitted and the UNSYMM parameter is included;
all 36 stiffness constants must be specified, regardless of whether temperature or field variable
dependencies are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FL−1 .)
2. . (Units of FL−1 .)
3. . (Units of FL−1 .)
4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of F.)
6. . (Units of F.)
7. . (Units of FL−1 .)
8. . (Units of FL−1 .)

3.40–5

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

Second line:
1. . (Units of FL−1 .)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of F.)
4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of FL−1 .)
6. . (Units of FL−1 .)
7. . (Units of FL−1 .)
8. . (Units of F.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of F.)
4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of F.)
6. . (Units of FL.)
7. . (Units of FL.)
8. . (Units of FL.)

Fourth line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of F.)
4. . (Units of FL.)
5. . (Units of FL.)
6. . (Units of FL.)
7. . (Units of F.)
8. . (Units of F.)

Fifth line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of FL.)
3. . (Units of FL.)
4. . (Units of FL.)
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.

3.40–6

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

7. Second field variable.

8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the unsymmetric connector stiffness behavior
as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the linear coupled stiffness matrix using unsymmetric storage and
frequency dependence (the COMPONENT and NONLINEAR parameters are omitted, the
UNSYMM parameter is included, and FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE=ON; all 36 stiffness constants
must be specified, regardless of whether frequency, temperature, or field variable dependencies
are included):

First line:
1. . (Units of FL−1 .)
2. . (Units of FL−1 .)
3. . (Units of FL−1 .)
4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of F.)
6. . (Units of F.)
7. . (Units of FL−1 .)
8. . (Units of FL−1 .)

Second line:
1. . (Units of FL−1 .)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of F.)
4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of FL−1 .)
6. . (Units of FL−1 .)
7. . (Units of FL−1 .)
8. . (Units of F.)

Third line:
1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of F.)

3.40–7

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

4. . (Units of F.)
5. . (Units of F.)
6. . (Units of FL.)
7. . (Units of FL.)
8. . (Units of FL.)

Fourth line:

1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of F.)
3. . (Units of F.)
4. . (Units of FL.)
5. . (Units of FL.)
6. . (Units of FL.)
7. . (Units of F.)
8. . (Units of F.)

Fifth line:

1. . (Units of F.)
2. . (Units of FL.)
3. . (Units of FL.)
4. . (Units of FL.)
5. Leave blank in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis this field
corresponds to frequency (in cycles per time, for *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT
and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION analyses only).
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):

1. Third field variable.

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the unsymmetric connector stiffness behavior
as a function of frequency, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

3.40–8

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

Data lines to define nonlinear elastic behavior that depends on the displacement/rotation in the
direction of the specified component of relative motion (the COMPONENT and NONLINEAR
parameters are included and the INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS parameter is omitted):

First line:
1. Force or moment.
2. Constitutive relative displacement or rotation.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the connector elastic behavior as a function
of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define nonlinear elastic behavior that depends on the relative positions or
motions in several component directions (the COMPONENT, NONLINEAR, and INDEPENDENT
COMPONENTS parameters are included):

First line:
1. First independent component number (1–6).
2. Second independent component number (1–6).
3. Etc., up to entries (maximum six).

Subsequent lines:
1. Force or moment in the direction specified by the COMPONENT parameter.
2. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the first independent component
identified on the first data line.
3. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the second independent
component identified on the first data line.
4. Etc., up to entries as identified on the first data line.
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Etc., up to eight entries per line.

3.40–9

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONNECTOR ELASTICITY

If the number of data entries exceeds the limit of eight entries per line, continue the input on the
next data line.
Do not repeat the first data line. Repeat the subsequent data lines as often as necessary to define the
elastic stiffness as a function of connector relative position or constitutive relative motion, temperature,
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define rigid-like elastic behavior if the COMPONENT parameter is omitted:

First line:
1. First available component of relative motion for which rigid-like elastic behavior is defined.
2. Second available component of relative motion for which rigid-like elastic behavior is defined.
3. Etc., up to as many available components of relative motion as exist for the connection type.
Omit this data line if rigid-like elastic behavior is defined for all available components of relative motion.

3.40–10

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3.41 *CONNECTOR FAILURE: Define a failure criterion for connector elements.

This option is used to define a failure criterion for connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

Required parameter:

COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s component number for which a failure criterion is
defined in Abaqus/Standard; only an available component of relative motion can be chosen.
In Abaqus/Explicit any connector component number can be specified. See “Connection-type
library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for connector components of relative
motion definitions.

Optional parameter:

RELEASE
In Abaqus/Standard set this parameter equal to ALL (default) to release all available components
of relative motion when the failure criterion is satisfied. In Abaqus/Explicit set this parameter equal
to ALL (default) to release all components (available or constrained) when the failure criterion is
satisfied.
In Abaqus/Standard set this parameter equal to an available component of relative motion
number to release only that component when the failure criterion is satisfied. In Abaqus/Explicit
set this parameter equal to a component number to release only that component when the failure
criterion is satisfied.

3.41–1

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Data line to define the failure criterion:

First (and only) line:

1. Lower bound on the connector’s component of relative position specified by the
COMPONENT parameter. If not specified, no lower bound is used for the selected
component.
2. Upper bound on the connector’s component of relative position specified by the
COMPONENT parameter. If not specified, no upper bound is used for the selected
component.
3. Lower bound on the force or moment in the direction of the component of relative motion
indicated by the COMPONENT parameter. If not specified, no lower bound is used for the
selected force or moment.
4. Upper bound on the force or moment in the direction of the component of relative motion
indicated by the COMPONENT parameter. If not specified, no upper bound is used for the
selected force or moment.

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3.42 *CONNECTOR FRICTION: Define friction forces and moments in connector

elements.

This option is used to define friction forces and moments in connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector friction behavior,” Section 31.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT
• *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL
• *FRICTION

Optional parameters:
PREDEFINED
Include this parameter to specify predefined friction behavior (if available for the connection type).
Abaqus defines the contact forces and the magnitude of the tangential tractions automatically, as
illustrated in “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
STICK STIFFNESS
Set this parameter equal to the stick stiffness associated with frictional behavior. If this parameter
is omitted, a default value (which usually is appropriate) is chosen.

Optional parameters used to specify user-defined friction (mutually exclusive with the
PREDEFINED parameter):
COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s component of relative motion for which user-defined
frictional behavior is specified.
Omit this parameter and use the *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL option in conjunction with the
*CONNECTOR FRICTION option to specify coupled user-defined frictional behavior.

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CONTACT FORCE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the associated *CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT
option or the number of the connector component of relative motion that defines the
friction-generating contact force.
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the connector friction data, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
the friction forces and moments or the contact normal force contributions are independent of field
variables. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=POSITION (default) to specify dependencies on
components of relative position included in the frictional behavior definition.
Set INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS=CONSTITUTIVE MOTION to specify dependencies
on components of constitutive relative motion included in the frictional behavior definition.
REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector friction data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector friction data directly
without regularization.
RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector friction data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
*CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.

Data line to define the parameters (geometric constants and internal contact forces) for
predefined frictional behavior (the PREDEFINED parameter is included):

First (and only) line:

1. First parameter used to specify predefined friction, as illustrated in “Connection-type library,”
Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.

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2. Second friction parameter.

3. Etc., up to as many friction parameters discussed in “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.

No data line is required for connection type SLIPRING.

Data lines to define the internal contact forces for user-defined friction that does not depend on
the relative positions or motions in one or more component directions (both the PREDEFINED
and INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS parameters are omitted):

First line:
1. Internal contact force/moment generating friction.
2. Accumulated slip.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the internal contact force as a function of
accumulated slip, temperature, and field variables. Omit these data lines if internal contact forces do not
need to be specified.

Data lines to define the internal contact forces for user-defined friction that depends on the
relative positions or motions in one or more component directions (the PREDEFINED parameter
is omitted and the INDEPENDENT COMPONENTS parameter is included):

First line:
1. First independent component number (1–6).
2. Second independent component number (1–6).
3. Etc., up to entries (maximum six).

Subsequent lines:
1. Internal contact force/moment generating friction.
2. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the first independent component
identified on the first data line.
3. Connector relative position or constitutive relative motion in the second independent
component identified on the first data line.
4. Etc., up to entries as identified on the first data line.

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5. Accumulated slip.
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.
If the number of data entries exceeds the limit of eight entries per line, continue the input on the
next data line.

Continuation line (if needed):

1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight entries per line.
Do not repeat the first data line. Repeat the subsequent data lines as often as necessary to define
the internal contact force as a function of connector relative position or constitutive relative motion,
accumulated slip, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

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 * CONNECTOR HARDENING

3.43 *CONNECTOR HARDENING: Define the plasticity initial yield value and hardening
behavior in connector elements.

This option is used to specify the initial yield surface size and, optionally, the post-yield hardening behavior in
connector available components of relative motion. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONNECTOR
PLASTICITY option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector plastic behavior,” Section 31.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Models for metals subjected to cyclic loading,” Section 23.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *CONNECTOR ELASTICITY
• *CONNECTOR HARDENING
• *CONNECTOR PLASTICITY
• *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL

Optional parameters:
DEFINITION
Set DEFINITION=EXPONENTIAL LAW to specify the isotropic hardening parameters and
b directly. This parameter is valid only for TYPE=ISOTROPIC.
Set DEFINITION=HALF CYCLE (default for TYPE=KINEMATIC) to provide
force/moment versus plastic motion data of a first half-cycle. This parameter is valid only
for TYPE=KINEMATIC.
Set DEFINITION=PARAMETERS to specify the kinematic hardening parameters C and
directly. This parameter is valid only for TYPE=KINEMATIC.
Set DEFINITION=STABILIZED to provide force/moment versus plastic motion data of a
stabilized cycle. This parameter is valid only for TYPE=KINEMATIC.
Set DEFINITION=TABULAR (default for TYPE=ISOTROPIC) to provide force/moment
versus plastic motion values. Either uniaxial test data or processed data (as explained in “Connector

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behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) from cyclic experiments can be
used. This parameter is valid only for TYPE=ISOTROPIC.

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the connector hardening data, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the connector hardening is independent of field variables. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for more information.

EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.

RATE FILTER FACTOR

This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the factor to be used for filtering the equivalent relative plastic
motion rate for the evaluation of rate-dependent connector hardening data. The default value is 0.9.

RATE INTERPOLATION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses and is used only to interpolate
rate-dependent connector hardening data.
Set RATE INTERPOLATION=LINEAR (default) to use linear intervals for the equivalent
relative plastic motion rate while interpolating rate-dependent hardening data.
Set RATE INTERPOLATION=LOGARITHMIC to use logarithmic intervals for the
equivalent relative plastic motion rate while interpolating rate-dependent hardening data.

REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector hardening data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector hardening data directly
without regularization.

RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector hardening data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
*CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.

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TYPE
Set TYPE=ISOTROPIC (default) to specify the initial yield surface size and, optionally, isotropic
hardening data.
Set TYPE=KINEMATIC to specify kinematic hardening data.

Data lines for TYPE=ISOTROPIC, DEFINITION=TABULAR:

First line:
1. Equivalent yield force or moment defining the size of the elastic range.
2. Equivalent relative plastic motion.
3. Equivalent relative plastic motion rate.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the size of the elastic range as a function
of connector equivalent relative plastic motion, equivalent relative plastic motion rate, temperature, and
field variables.

Data lines for TYPE=ISOTROPIC, DEFINITION=EXPONENTIAL LAW:

First line:
1. Equivalent force or moment defining the size of the elastic range at zero plastic motion.
2. Isotropic hardening parameter .
3. Isotropic hardening parameter b.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the size of the elastic range and the isotropic
hardening parameters as functions of temperature and field variables.

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* CONNECTOR HARDENING

Data lines for TYPE=KINEMATIC, DEFINITION=HALF CYCLE:

First line:
1. Yield force or moment.
2. Connector relative plastic motion.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define yield forces/moments as a function of
connector relative plastic motion, temperature, and field variables.

Data lines for TYPE=KINEMATIC, DEFINITION=STABILIZED:

First line:
1. Yield force or moment.
2. Connector relative plastic motion.
3. Connector relative constitutive motion range.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define yield forces/moments as a function of
connector relative plastic motion, constitutive motion range, temperature, and field variables.

Data lines for TYPE=KINEMATIC, DEFINITION=PARAMETERS:

First line:
1. Yield force or moment at zero relative plastic motion.
2. Kinematic hardening parameter C.
3. Kinematic hardening parameter . Set =0 to specify linear Ziegler kinematic hardening.
4. Temperature.

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5. First field variable.

6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the yield force/moment at zero relative plastic
motion and the kinematic hardening parameters as functions of temperature and field variables.

3.43–5

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 * CONNECTOR LOAD

3.44 *CONNECTOR LOAD: Specify loads for available components of relative motion in
connector elements.

This option is used to apply concentrated forces and moments to the available components of relative motion
in connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

Reference:
• “Connector actuation,” Section 31.1.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the load
during the step.
If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the reference magnitude is applied
immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned
to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step.

LOAD CASE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the load case number. This parameter is used in *RANDOM
RESPONSE analysis (“Random response analysis,” Section 6.3.11 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide), when it is the cross-reference for the load case on the *CORRELATION option. The
parameter’s value is ignored in all other procedures.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CONNECTOR LOADs to remain, with this option modifying
existing connector loads or defining additional connector loads.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CONNECTOR LOADs applied to the model should be removed.
New connector loads can be defined.

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Optional, mutally exclusive parameters for matrix generation and steady-state dynamics
analysis (direct, modal, or subspace):

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the loading.

REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the loading.

Data lines to define connector loads for specific components of relative motion:

First line:
1. Connector element number or element set label.
2. Available component of relative motion number.
3. Reference magnitude for the load.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define connector loads.

3.44–2

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 * CONNECTOR LOCK

3.45 *CONNECTOR LOCK: Define a locking criterion for connector elements.

This option is used to define a locking criterion for connector elements that have available components of
relative motion.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

Required parameter:
COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the component number on which a locking criterion is based. See
“Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for components
of relative motion definitions.

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the
definition of the connector lock data, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is
assumed that the connector lock is independent of field variables. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for more information.
EXTRAPOLATION
Set EXTRAPOLATION=CONSTANT (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR,
EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR is used) to use constant extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.
Set EXTRAPOLATION=LINEAR to use linear extrapolation of the dependent variables
outside the specified range of the independent variables.

3.45–1

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LOCK
Set this parameter equal to ALL (default) to lock all components of relative motion when the locking
criterion is satisfied.
Set this parameter equal to an available component number to lock only that component of
relative motion when the locking criterion is satisfied.
REGULARIZE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set REGULARIZE=ON (default unless *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR, REGULARIZE=OFF
is used) to regularize the user-defined tabular connector lock data.
Set REGULARIZE=OFF to use the user-defined tabular connector lock data directly without
regularization.
RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used to regularize the connector lock data.
If this parameter is omitted, the default is RTOL=0.03 unless the tolerance is specified on the
* CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR option.

Data line to define the locking criterion:

First (and only) line for Abaqus/Standard:

1. Lower bound on the connector’s relative position specified by the COMPONENT parameter.
By default, no lower bound is used for the selected component.
2. Upper bound on the connector’s relative position specified by the COMPONENT parameter.
By default, no upper bound is used for the selected component.
3. Lower bound on the force or moment in the direction indicated by the COMPONENT
parameter. By default, no lower bound is used for the selected force or moment.
4. Upper bound on the force or moment in the direction indicated by the COMPONENT
parameter. By default, no upper bound is used for the selected force or moment.

Data lines for Abaqus/Explicit:

1. Lower bound on the connector’s relative position specified by the COMPONENT parameter.
By default, no lower bound is used for the selected component.
2. Upper bound on the connector’s relative position specified by the COMPONENT parameter.
By default, no upper bound is used for the selected component.
3. Lower bound on the force or moment in the direction indicated by the COMPONENT
parameter. By default, no lower bound is used for the selected force or moment.
4. Upper bound on the force or moment in the direction indicated by the COMPONENT
parameter. By default, no upper bound is used for the selected force or moment.
5. Lower bound on velocity in the direction specified by the COMPONENT parameter. By
default, no lower bound is used for the selected velocity.

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6. Upper bound on velocity in the direction specified by the COMPONENT parameter. By

default, no upper bound is used for the selected velocity.
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the lock criterion as a function of temperature,
and other predefined field variables.

3.45–3

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 * CONNECTOR MOTION

3.46 *CONNECTOR MOTION: Specify the motion of available components of relative

motion in connector elements.

This option is used to prescribe the motion of available components of relative motion in connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “DISP,” Section 1.1.4 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters (history data only):

AMPLITUDE
This parameter is relevant only when some of the variables being prescribed have nonzero
magnitudes. Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve defining the magnitude
of the prescribed connector motions (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide).
If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, either the reference magnitude is
applied linearly over the step (a RAMP function) or it is applied immediately at the beginning of
the step and subsequently held constant (a STEP function). The choice of RAMP or STEP function
depends on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining an
analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Two exceptions are displacement or
rotation components given with TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, for which the default is always a RAMP
function, and displacement or rotation components in a static step given with TYPE=VELOCITY,
for which the default is always a STEP function.
If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, the reference magnitude is applied
immediately at the beginning of the step and subsequently held constant (a STEP function).
In an Abaqus/Standard dynamic procedure, amplitude curves specified for
TYPE=DISPLACEMENT or TYPE=VELOCITY will be smoothed automatically. In an explicit
dynamic analysis using Abaqus/Explicit, the user must request that such amplitude curves are
smoothed. For more information, see “Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide.
LOAD CASE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.

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This parameter is ignored in all procedures except *BUCKLE. The parameter can be set equal
to 1 (default) or 2.
LOAD CASE=1 can be used to define the connector motion for the applied loads and LOAD
CASE=2 can be used to define antisymmetry connector motion for the buckling modes.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) to modify existing connector motions or to add connector motions to
available components of relative motion that were previously unconstrained.
Set OP=NEW if all connector motions that are currently in effect should be removed. To
remove only selected connector motions, use OP=NEW and respecify all connector motions that
are to be retained.
If a connector motion is removed in a stress/displacement analysis, it will be replaced by a
concentrated force equal to the reaction force calculated at the restrained degree of freedom at the
end of the previous step. If the step is a general nonlinear analysis step, this concentrated force will
then be removed according to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option. Therefore, by
default the concentrated force will be reduced linearly to zero over the period of the step in a static
analysis and immediately in a dynamic analysis.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters (history data only):

FIXED
Include this parameter to indicate that the values of the variables being prescribed with this
*CONNECTOR MOTION option should remain fixed at their current values at the start of the
step. If this parameter is used, any magnitudes given on the data lines are ignored.

TYPE
This parameter is used in a stress/displacement analysis to specify whether the magnitude is in the
form of a displacement history, a velocity history, or an acceleration history.
Set TYPE=DISPLACEMENT (default) to give a displacement history.
Set TYPE=VELOCITY to give a velocity history. Velocity histories can be specified in static
analyses. In this case the default variation is STEP.
Set TYPE=ACCELERATION to give an acceleration history. Acceleration histories should
not be used in static analysis steps.

USER
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Include this parameter to indicate that any nonzero magnitudes associated with variables
prescribed through this option will be defined in user subroutine DISP. If this parameter is used,
any magnitudes defined by the data lines of the option (and possibly modified by the AMPLITUDE
parameter) can be redefined in subroutine DISP. The value of the TYPE parameter is ignored
when this option is used.

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Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and direct-solution steady-state
dynamics analysis (history data only):

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the connector motion.

REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the connector motion.

Data lines to prescribe connector motion:

First line:
1. Connector element number or element set label.
2. Available component of relative motion number for which the motion is specified. See
“Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for definitions
of the available components of relative motion.
The following data item is necessary only when nonzero connector motion is specified as history
data. Any magnitude given will be ignored when the connector motion is given as model data.
3. Actual magnitude of the variable (displacement, velocity, or acceleration). This magnitude
will be modified by an amplitude specification if the AMPLITUDE parameter is used. If this
magnitude is a rotation, it must be given in radians. The magnitude can be redefined in user
subroutine DISP if the USER parameter is included.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify connector motion for different connector elements
and available components of relative motion.

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 * CONNECTOR PLASTICITY

3.47 *CONNECTOR PLASTICITY: Define plasticity behavior in connector elements.

This option is used to define plasticity behavior in connector elements. It must be used in conjunction with
the *CONNECTOR HARDENING option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector plastic behavior,” Section 31.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *CONNECTOR HARDENING
• *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL

Optional parameter:

COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s component of relative motion for which plasticity
behavior is specified.
If this parameter is omitted, the *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL option must be used in
conjunction with the *CONNECTOR PLASTICITY option to specify coupled plasticity behavior.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * CONNECTOR POTENTIAL

3.48 *CONNECTOR POTENTIAL: Specify user-defined potentials in connector elements.

This option is used to define a restricted set of mathematical functions to represent yield or limiting surfaces
in the space spanned by connector available components. It can be used only in conjunction with the
following options: *CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION, *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION,
*CONNECTOR FRICTION, or *CONNECTOR PLASTICITY.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector functions for coupled behavior,” Section 31.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *CONNECTOR DAMAGE EVOLUTION
• *CONNECTOR DAMAGE INITIATION
• *CONNECTOR DERIVED COMPONENT
• *CONNECTOR FRICTION
• *CONNECTOR PLASTICITY

Optional parameters:

EXPONENT
This parameter can be used only if OPERATOR=SUM.
Set this parameter equal to the inverse of the overall exponent in the potential definition, .
must be a positive number. The default value is .

OPERATOR
Set OPERATOR=SUM (default) to define the potential as the sum of the contributions defined on
each data line.
Set OPERATOR=MAX to define the potential as the contribution coming from the data line
that yields the maximum value. The EXPONENT parameter is ignored in this case.

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* CONNECTOR POTENTIAL

Data lines to define the potential:

First line:
1. Connector component number (1–6) or connector derived component name that is used in the
contribution.
2. Nonzero scaling factor R. The default value is .
3. Positive exponent . The default value is that of the EXPONENT parameter, . The
exponent is ignored if OPERATOR=MAX.
4. The function H to be used to generate the contribution. H can be ABS (absolute value),
MACAULEY (Macauley bracket), or NONE (the identity function). NONE can be used only
if . The default value is ABS.
5. Shift factor a. The default value is .
6. Sign of this contribution s. The only admissible values are (default) and .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the potential.

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 * CONNECTOR SECTION

3.49 *CONNECTOR SECTION: Specify connector attributes for connector elements.

This option is used to define the attributes of connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector elements,” Section 31.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

Required parameter:
ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set containing the connector elements for which
the connection attributes are being defined.

Optional parameters:
BEHAVIOR
Set this parameter equal to the name of the connector behavior that defines these connector elements.
If this parameter is omitted, the connector element’s behavior is determined by kinematic constraints
only.
CONTROLS
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the name of a section controls definition (see “Section controls,”
Section 27.1.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) to be used for the connector elements.
Section controls can be used to specify whether the connector elements should be deleted once
they fail completely. If this parameter is omitted, the failed elements will not be deleted. Section
controls can also be used to specify a maximum value of the scalar degradation (damage) parameter,
, and to specify the viscosity coefficient, , for viscous damping or regularization.
ELIMINATION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.

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* CONNECTOR SECTION

Set ELIMINATION=NO (default) if the constraint or kinetic forces/moments of the associated

connector elements are to be solved for directly in the implicit constraint solver in Abaqus/Explicit.
Set ELIMINATION=YES if the constraint or kinetic forces/moments of the associated
connector elements are to be solved for using a condensation technique.

Data lines to define the connection attributes:

First line:
1. Basic translational connection type, basic rotational connection type, assembled connection
type, or complex connection type from “Connection-type library,” Section 31.1.5 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide. If an assembled or a complex connection is selected, no additional data
can be entered on this data line.
2. Basic rotational or basic translational connection component. If the first entry of this data
line is a basic translational connection component, the second entry (if provided) must be a
basic rotational connection component. Similarly, if the first entry of this data line is a basic
rotational connection component, the second entry (if provided) must be a basic translational
connection component.

Second line (optional):

1. Orientation name specifying the local directions at the first node (or ground node) of the
connector element.
2. Orientation name specifying the local directions at the second node (or ground node) of the
connector element. If an orientation name is not specified, the local directions at the first node
are used.

Omit the second line if neither of the two orientations is specified and the third line is omitted.
Leave blank if neither of the two orientations is specified and the third line is included.

Third line (optional) for SLIPRING connection type:

1. Mass per unit reference length of belt material.
2. Contact angle (in radians) made by belt wrapping around node b (optional). In
Abaqus/Standard the default value is 0.0. In Abaqus/Explicit the contact angle is
computed automatically if it is not specified.

Omit the third line if no data are specified.

Third line (optional) for RETRACTOR or FLOW-CONVERTER connection types:

1. Scaling factor for material flow at node b, (default value is 1.0).

Omit the third line if no data are specified.

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 * CONNECTOR STOP

3.50 *CONNECTOR STOP: Specify connector stops for connector elements.

This option is used to define connector stops for connector elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR

Required parameter:

COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s available component of relative motion number for which
connector stops are defined.

Data line to define connector stops:

First (and only) line:

1. Lower limit for the connector’s relative position specified by the COMPONENT parameter. If
not specified, no lower limit is used.
2. Upper limit for the connector’s relative position specified by the COMPONENT parameter. If
not specified, no upper limit is used.

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 * CONNECTOR UNIAXIAL BEHAVIOR

3.51 *CONNECTOR UNIAXIAL BEHAVIOR: Define uniaxial behavior in connector

elements.

This option is used to define uniaxial behavior in connector elements by specifying the loading and unloading
response for the component of relative motion.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Connector behavior,” Section 31.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connector uniaxial behavior,” Section 31.2.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
• *LOADING DATA
• *UNLOADING DATA

Required parameter:

COMPONENT
Set this parameter equal to the connector’s component of relative motion for which the uniaxial
behavior is specified.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * CONSTRAINT CONTROLS

3.52 *CONSTRAINT CONTROLS: Reset overconstraint checking controls.

WARNING: Use this option to specify the technique to be used to enforce constraints
associated with connector elements. Otherwise, this option should not be used unless
the user is certain that the model is free of overconstraints. An overconstraint means
applying multiple consistent or inconsistent kinematic constraints. Many models have
nodal degrees of freedom that are overconstrained, and such overconstraints may lead
to inaccurate solutions or nonconvergence. By default, the model will be checked for
overconstraints. The consistent overconstraints will be removed whenever possible, while
an error message is issued if an inconsistent overconstraint is detected.
Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

References:
• “Overconstraint checks,” Section 35.6.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Connectors: overview,” Section 31.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Mesh tie constraints,” Section 35.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Common difficulties associated with contact modeling in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 39.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional and mutually exclusive parameters (model data only):

DELETE SLAVE
Include this parameter to delete contact elements associated with tied slave nodes.

NO CHANGES
Include this parameter to perform overconstraint checks but to prevent Abaqus from changing the
model to remove redundant constraints. Detailed messages regarding overconstraints are generated.
If this parameter is omitted, Abaqus will attempt to change the model automatically.

NO CHECKS
Include this parameter to suppress overconstraint checks for this model. If this parameter is omitted,
overconstraint checks are performed.
PRINT
Set PRINT=YES to print the constraint chains to the message file. If you set PRINT=NO (default),
the constraint chains will not be printed.

3.52–1

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* CONSTRAINT CONTROLS

Optional parameters (history data only):

CHECK FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the desired overconstraint check frequency, in increments.
Overconstraint checks are always performed at the beginning of the first increment of the step
unless overconstraint checks are suppressed. The default value is CHECK FREQUENCY=1
such that overconstraint checks are performed every increment. Set CHECK FREQUENCY=0 to
suppress overconstraint checks in this step.

TERMINATE ANALYSIS
Set TERMINATE ANALYSIS=NO (default) to allow an analysis to continue when an
overconstraint is encountered. Detailed messages regarding the overconstraints are issued.
Set TERMINATE ANALYSIS=FIRST OCCURRENCE if the analysis is to be terminated the
first time an overconstraint is encountered in a nonlinear general step.
Set TERMINATE ANALYSIS=CONVERGED if the analysis is to be terminated when
convergence is achieved in an increment in a nonlinear general step and an overconstraint exists.
If either FIRST OCCURRENCE or CONVERGED is used in a linear perturbation step
(where iterations are not necessary), the analysis will be stopped in the first increment when an
overconstraint is encountered.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * CONTACT

3.53 *CONTACT: Begin the definition of general contact.

This option is used to indicate the start of a general contact definition. The various aspects of a general contact
definition are specified by using other options in conjunction with the *CONTACT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Defining general contact interactions in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining general contact interactions in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.4.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide

Optional parameter:

OP
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit.
Set OP=MOD (default) to modify an existing general contact definition relative to the previous
step.
Set OP=NEW to delete any previously specified general contact definition and specify a new
one. OP=NEW is ignored when the general contact definition is specified as model data.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * CONTACT CLEARANCE

3.54 *CONTACT CLEARANCE: Define contact clearance properties.

This option is used to create a contact clearance property definition. The contact clearance properties
will govern any contact interactions that are assigned these properties via the *CONTACT CLEARANCE
ASSIGNMENT option.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model data

Level: Model

References:
• “Controlling initial contact status for general contact in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.4.4 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONTACT
• *CONTACT CLEARANCE ASSIGNMENT
• *DISTRIBUTION

Required parameter:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to this contact clearance property.

Optional parameters:

ADJUST
Set ADJUST=YES (default) to resolve clearances by adjusting the nodal coordinates without
creating strain in the model. ADJUST=YES can be used only for clearances defined in the first
step of an analysis.
Set ADJUST=NO to store contact offsets so that the clearances can be satisfied without
adjusting the nodal coordinates.

CLEARANCE
Set this parameter equal to the value of the initial clearance for the entire set of slave nodes or to the
name of a nodal distribution (see “Distribution definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide). The clearance values must be non-negative for slave nodes on solid element surfaces.
The default value is 0.0.

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* CONTACT CLEARANCE

SEARCH ABOVE
Set this parameter equal to the distance above the surfaces that will be searched for slave nodes to be
included in the clearance specification. The default for solid elements is approximately one-tenth of
the element size of the elements attached to a slave node. The default for structural elements (e.g.,
shell elements) is the thickness associated with the slave node.
This parameter cannot be used if the SEARCH NSET parameter has been used.

SEARCH BELOW
Set this parameter equal to the distance below the surfaces that will be searched for slave nodes to be
included in the clearance specification. The default for solid elements is approximately one-tenth of
the element size of the elements attached to a slave node. The default for structural elements (e.g.,
shell elements) is the thickness associated with the slave node.
This parameter cannot be used if the SEARCH NSET parameter has been used.

SEARCH NSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the node set containing the slave nodes to be included in the
clearance specification. The specified clearance will be enforced at all slave nodes in this node set
irrespective of whether they are above or below their respective master surfaces. This parameter
can also be used to identify initially bonded nodes in a VCCT analysis.
This parameter cannot be used if either the SEARCH ABOVE or SEARCH BELOW parameter
has been used.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * CONTACT CLEARANCE ASSIGNMENT

3.55 *CONTACT CLEARANCE ASSIGNMENT: Assign contact clearances between

surfaces in the general contact domain.

This option is used to define initial contact clearances between contact surfaces and to control how initial
contact overclosures are resolved in the general contact algorithm.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

References:
• “Controlling initial contact status for general contact in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.4.4 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONTACT
• *CONTACT CLEARANCE

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define nondefault contact clearances:

First line:
1. The name of the first (single-sided) surface.
2. The name of the second (single-sided) surface.
3. The name of the model data *CONTACT CLEARANCE definition to be used.
Optional data item when a *CONTACT CLEARANCE definition specified with ADJUST=YES is
referenced:
4. Blank, the “word” MASTER, or the “word” SLAVE to indicate how the surfaces will be
treated while adjusting the surface nodes to resolve contact clearance violations. A blank entry
indicates that the interaction will be treated as balanced master-slave. A setting of MASTER
or SLAVE specifies the behavior of the first surface in a pure master-slave interaction.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. If the contact clearance assignments overlap, the last
assignment applies in the overlap region.

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 * CONTACT CONTROLS

3.56 *CONTACT CONTROLS: Specify additional controls for contact.

This option is used to provide additional optional solution controls for models involving contact between
bodies. The standard solution controls are usually sufficient, but additional controls are helpful to obtain
cost-effective solutions for models involving complicated geometries and numerous contact interfaces, as
well as for models in which rigid body motions are initially not constrained.
The *CONTACT CONTROLS option can be repeated to set different control values for different contact
pairs. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONTACT PAIR option in Abaqus/Explicit analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Adjusting contact controls in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.3.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Defining contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.5.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Contact controls for contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.5.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• *CONTACT PAIR

Specifying additional controls for contact in an Abaqus/Standard analysis

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters applicable to augmented Lagrangian constraint

enforcement:

ABSOLUTE PENETRATION TOLERANCE

Set this parameter equal to the allowable penetration. Only contact constraints defined with
augmented Lagrangian surface behavior will be affected by this parameter.

RELATIVE PENETRATION TOLERANCE

Set this parameter equal to the ratio of the allowable penetration to the characteristic contact surface
face dimension. Only contact constraints defined with augmented Lagrangian surface behavior
will be affected by this parameter. By default, the RELATIVE PENETRATION TOLERANCE
parameter is set to 0.1% except for finite-sliding, surface-to-surface contact, in which case the
default setting is 5%.

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* CONTACT CONTROLS

Optional parameters:

MASTER
Set this parameter equal to the master surface name to apply the controls to a specific contact pair.
This parameter must be used in conjunction with the SLAVE parameter to specify a contact pair.

PERTURBATION TANGENT SCALE FACTOR

Set this parameter equal to the factor by which Abaqus/Standard will scale the default tangential
stiffness used for the contact pairs in a particular linear perturbation step. Only contact constraints
enforced with penalty methods will be affected by this parameter. This tangential scale factor is
activated when a nonzero friction is specified on the data line of the *FRICTION option.

PRESSURE DEPENDENT PERTURBATION

Set this parameter equal to the value of the coefficient controlling the base state contact
pressure–dependent enforcement of contact constraints in a particular linear perturbation step.
This parameter allows you to relax or remove both normal and tangential contact constraints with
low pressure.

RESET
Include this parameter to reset all contact controls to their default values. This parameter cannot
be used with any other parameters, except for the SLAVE and MASTER parameters. When this
parameter is used in conjunction with the SLAVE and MASTER parameters, the controls applied
to the specific contact pair are removed.

SLAVE
Set this parameter equal to the slave surface name to apply the controls to a specific contact pair.
This parameter must be used in conjunction with the MASTER parameter to specify a contact pair.

STABILIZE
Include this parameter to address situations where rigid body modes exist as long as contact is not
fully established. This parameter activates damping in the normal and tangential directions based on
the stiffness of the underlying mesh and the time step size. If no value is assigned to this parameter,
Abaqus calculates the damping coefficient automatically. If a numerical value is assigned to this
parameter, Abaqus multiplies the automatically calculated damping coefficient by this value. If
the damping coefficient is defined directly on the data line, any numerical value assigned to this
parameter is ignored.
Set STABILIZE =USER ADAPTIVE to scale the automatically calculated damping coefficient
or the damping coefficient specified on the data line by a factor that decreases over iterations within
one increment, according to the pattern specified on the second data line.
The STABILIZE parameter can be used to specify damping for the whole model or for an
individual contact pair by using the SLAVE and MASTER parameters. Values specified for a
specific contact pair override the values for the whole model, if given.

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 * CONTACT CONTROLS

STIFFNESS SCALE FACTOR

Set this parameter equal to the factor by which Abaqus/Standard will scale the default penalty
stiffness to obtain the stiffnesses used for the contact pairs.
Set STIFFNESS SCALE FACTOR=USER ADAPTIVE to scale the default penalty stiffness
by a factor that increases over iterations of the first increment and remains constant (equal to the
last specified value) for subsequent increments.
This scale factor acts as an additional multiplier on any scale factor specified on the data line
of the *SURFACE BEHAVIOR option.

TANGENT FRACTION
Set this parameter equal to a fraction of the damping in the normal direction as specified with the
STABILIZE parameter. By default, the tangential and normal stabilization are the same.

Optional data line if the PRESSURE DEPENDENT PERTURBATION parameter is included:

First (and only) line:

1. The coefficient. Default is equal to .

Optional data lines if the STABILIZE parameter is included:

First line:

1. Damping coefficient to be used in the contact interface. The value entered overrides the
damping coefficient calculated by Abaqus.
2. Fraction of the damping that remains at the end of the step. The default is zero. Set to one to
keep the damping constant over the step. If a nonzero value is specified, convergence problems
may occur in a subsequent step if stabilization is not used in that step.
3. Clearance at which the damping becomes zero. By default, the clearance is calculated by
Abaqus based on the facet size associated with the contact pair. Set to a large value to obtain
damping independent of the opening distance.

Second line (required if STABILIZE=USER ADAPTIVE):

1. Up to eight values in descending order. For example, 1.0, 0.0.

Optional data line if STIFFNESS SCALE FACTOR=USER ADAPTIVE:

Third line if STABILIZE=USER ADAPTIVE; otherwise, first line:

1. Up to eight scale values in ascending order. By default, the stiffness scale factors are
.

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* CONTACT CONTROLS

Specifying additional controls for contact in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis

WARNING: These controls are intended for experienced analysts and should be used with
care. Using nondefault values of these controls may greatly increase the computational
time of the analysis or produce inaccurate results.

Required parameter:
CPSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the contact pair set associated with this contact controls
definition. The contact controls defined with this option will be applied to all contact pairs having
this contact pair set name.

Optional parameters:
FASTLOCALTRK
Set FASTLOCALTRK=NO if contact is not being enforced appropriately. A more
conservative local tracking method will be used that may resolve the error. The default is
FASTLOCALTRK=YES, which uses a more computationally efficient local tracking method.
GLOBTRKINC
Set this parameter equal to the maximum number of increments between global contact searches.
The default is 100 increments for two-surface contact and 4 increments for self-contact.
RESET
Include this parameter to reset all of the optional controls to their default values. Those controls
that are explicitly specified with other parameters on the same *CONTACT CONTROLS option
are not reset. If this parameter is omitted, only the explicitly specified controls will be changed in
the current step; the others will remain at their previous settings.
SCALE PENALTY
Set this parameter equal to the factor by which Abaqus/Explicit will scale the default penalty
stiffnesses to obtain the stiffnesses used for the penalty contact pairs within the contact pair set
specified with the CPSET parameter. Penalty contact constraints defined with softened surface
behavior and kinematic contact constraints will not be affected by this parameter. By default, the
SCALE PENALTY parameter is set to unity.
WARP CHECK PERIOD
Set this parameter equal to the number of increments between checks for highly warped facets on
master surfaces. By default, this check is performed every 20 increments. More frequent checks
will cause a slight increase in computational time.

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 * CONTACT CONTROLS

WARP CUT OFF

Set this parameter equal to the out-of-plane warping angle, measured in degrees, at which a facet
will be considered to be highly warped. The out-of-plane warping angle is defined as the amount
of variation of the surface normal over a facet. The default is WARP CUT OFF=20.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

3.56–5

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 * CONTACT CONTROLS ASSIGNMENT

3.57 *CONTACT CONTROLS ASSIGNMENT: Assign contact controls for the general
contact algorithm.

This option is used to modify contact controls for specific contact interactions within the domain considered
by the general contact algorithm in Abaqus/Explicit. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONTACT
option.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

References:
• “Contact controls for general contact in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.4.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• *CONTACT

Required, mutually exclusive parameters:

AUTOMATIC OVERCLOSURE RESOLUTION
Include this parameter to store offsets instead of adjusting nodes during initial overclosure resolution
between surface pairs in the general contact domain.
CONTACT THICKNESS REDUCTION
Set CONTACT THICKNESS REDUCTION=SELF to limit automatic contact thickness reductions
to only regions of potential self-contact and the perimeters of shell surfaces.
Set CONTACT THICKNESS REDUCTION=NOPERIMSELF to limit automatic contact
thickness reductions to only regions of potential self-contact.
NODAL EROSION
Set NODAL EROSION=NO (default) to keep a node of an element-based surface in the general
contact domain as a point mass after all contact faces and edges to which it is attached have eroded.
Set NODAL EROSION=YES to delete a node of an element-based surface from the general
contact domain once all contact faces and edges to which it is attached have eroded.
ROTATIONAL TERMS
Set ROTATIONAL TERMS=NONE (default) to ignore the effects of shell and beam thickness
offsets for frictional contact.
Set ROTATIONAL TERMS=STRUCTURAL for frictional contact to account for the
incremental rotation of shell and beam thickness offsets in slip increment calculations and to apply
a moment to nodes offset from the contact interface due to shell and beam thicknesses.

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* CONTACT CONTROLS ASSIGNMENT

TYPE
Set TYPE=ENHANCED EDGE TRACKING (default) to activate the default tracking algorithm
for edge-to-edge contact.
Set TYPE=EDGE TRACKING to activate an alternative tracking algorithm for edge-to-edge
contact.
Set TYPE=FOLD TRACKING to activate the nondefault tracking algorithm for node-to-face
contact.
Set TYPE=FOLD INVERSION CHECK to activate the fold inversion check.
Set TYPE=SCALE PENALTY to assign a scale factor to the default penalty stiffnesses.

Optional parameter:

SEEDING
This parameter controls how the contact seeds are created on Lagrangian surfaces during a coupled
Eulerian-Lagrangian analysis.
Set SEEDING=GLOBAL (default) to create seeds on Lagrangian surfaces based on the
smallest Eulerian element size in the entire Eulerian mesh; the seeding is performed once at the
beginning of the analysis.
Set SEEDING=LOCAL to create seeds on Lagrangian surfaces based on the smallest Eulerian
element size in the vicinity of the Lagrangian faces; the seeding is performed once for each face, as
soon as a nearby Eulerian element is detected.
Set SEEDING=DYNAMIC to create seeds on Lagrangian surfaces based on the smallest
Eulerian element size in the vicinity of the Lagrangian faces; the seed density is updated during
the analysis.

Data lines for AUTOMATIC OVERCLOSURE RESOLUTION:

First line:

1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire general contact domain (including all nodes and facets) is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as the
first surface name, the specified contact controls are assigned to contact interactions between
the first surface and itself.
3. The overclosure resolution method. The “words” ADJUST NODES (default) or STORE
OFFSETS.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. If the contact controls assignments overlap, the last
assignment applies in the overlap region.

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 * CONTACT CONTROLS ASSIGNMENT

No data lines are used with this option when the NODAL EROSION parameter is specified.

Data lines for TYPE=FOLD TRACKING:

First line:
1. The name of the surface whose nodes will be tracked using the nondefault node-to-face tracking
algorithm. If the surface name is omitted, a default surface that encompasses the entire general
contact domain (including all nodes and facets) is assumed.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data lines for TYPE=FOLD INVERSION CHECK:

First line:
1. The name of the surface for which the fold inversion check should be activated. If the
surface name is omitted, a default surface that encompasses the entire general contact domain
(including all nodes and facets) is assumed.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data lines for TYPE=SCALE PENALTY:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire general contact domain (including all nodes and facets) is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as the
first surface name, the specified contact controls are assigned to contact interactions between
the first surface and itself.
3. The factor by which Abaqus/Explicit will scale the default penalty stiffnesses for the specified
contact pairings.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. If the contact controls assignments overlap, the last
assignment applies in the overlap region.

3.57–3

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT DAMPING

3.58 *CONTACT DAMPING: Define viscous damping between contacting surfaces.

This option is used to define viscous damping between two interacting surfaces. It must be used in conjunction
with the *SURFACE INTERACTION, the *GAP, or the *INTERFACE option. In Abaqus/Standard this
option is primarily used to damp relative motions of the surfaces during approach or separation. In
Abaqus/Explicit this option is used to damp oscillations when using penalty or softened contact. This option
is not applicable if user subroutine VUINTER or VUINTERACTION is specified for the surface interaction.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; Model or history data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly, Model in Abaqus/Standard; Model or Step in Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:

• “Mechanical contact properties: overview,” Section 37.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Contact damping,” Section 37.1.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

DEFINITION
Use this parameter to choose the dimensionality of the damping coefficient that is specified
on the data line. The only option that is available in an Abaqus/Standard analysis is
DEFINITION=DAMPING COEFFICIENT.
Set DEFINITION=CRITICAL DAMPING FRACTION to use a unitless damping coefficient,
B. The damping forces are calculated with , where m is the nodal mass, is
the nodal contact stiffness (in units of ), and is the rate of relative elastic slip between
the surfaces. A default value of B=0.03 is used for kinematic contact with softened behavior and
penalty contact.
Set DEFINITION=DAMPING COEFFICIENT to specify damping in terms of a damping
coefficient, C, with units of pressure per relative velocity such that the damping forces will be
calculated with , where A is the nodal area and is the rate of relative elastic slip
between the surfaces. If a contact area is not defined, such as may occur for node-based surfaces or
for GAP- or ITT-type contact elements, coefficient units are force per relative velocity. For contact
with three-dimensional beams or trusses, coefficient units are force per unit length per unit velocity.

3.58–1

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* CONTACT DAMPING

Optional parameter:

TANGENT FRACTION
Set this parameter equal to the tangential damping coefficient divided by the normal damping
coefficient. This parameter affects only the tangential damping; the normal direction damping
coefficient is defined on the data line below. Set this parameter equal to zero if no tangential
damping is desired. The default is 0.0 in Abaqus/Standard and 1.0 in Abaqus/Explicit.

Data line to define viscous damping in the normal direction between the contacting surfaces:

First (and only) line:

1. Damping coefficient.
The remaining data items are used only in Abaqus/Standard analyses. For Abaqus/Explicit damping
is applied only when the surfaces are in contact, whereas for Abaqus/Standard damping is applied
independent of the open/close state.
2. Clearance at which the damping coefficient is zero, .
3. Fraction of the clearance interval between zero clearance and over which the damping
coefficient is constant, . The default is .

3.58–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT EXCLUSIONS

3.59 *CONTACT EXCLUSIONS: Specify self-contact surfaces or surface pairings to

exclude from the general contact domain.

This option is used to exclude self-contact surfaces and surface pairings from consideration by the general
contact algorithm. It should be used in conjunction with the *CONTACT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; Model or history data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Model in Abaqus/Standard; Model or Step in Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Defining general contact interactions in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining general contact interactions in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.4.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• *CONTACT

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to specify contact exclusions:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, the default all-inclusive,
element-based surface defined by Abaqus is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as
the first surface name, Abaqus assumes that self-contact is being excluded. Self-contact
means contact of a surface with itself, without consideration of whether a surface contains
disconnected regions. If different names are specified for the first and second surfaces,
self-contact is not excluded except in any overlap between the two surfaces.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

3.59–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONTACT FILE

3.60 *CONTACT FILE: Define results file requests for contact variables.

This option is used to control writing contact variables (for contact surface pairs) to the Abaqus/Standard
results (.fil) file.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Unsupported; Abaqus/CAE reads output from the output database file only.

Reference:
• “Output to the data and results files,” Section 4.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the output frequency, in increments. The output will always be written
at the last increment of each step unless FREQUENCY=0. The default is FREQUENCY=1. Set
FREQUENCY=0 to suppress the output.
MASTER
Set this parameter equal to the name of the master surface for which this output request is being
made.
NSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the node set for which this output request is being made.
SLAVE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the slave surface for which this output request is being made.

Data lines to request contact variable output in the results file:

First line:
1. Give the identifying keys for the variables to be written to the results file for this contact pair.
The keys are defined in “Abaqus/Standard output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.1 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the list of variables to be written. If this line is
omitted, the default variables will be output.

3.60–1

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT FORMULATION

3.61 *CONTACT FORMULATION: Specify a nondefault contact formulation for the general
contact algorithm.

This option is used to modify the contact formulation for specific contact interactions within the domain
considered by general contact. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONTACT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; Model or history data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Model in Abaqus/Standard; Model or Step in Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:

• “Numerical controls for general contact in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Contact formulation for general contact in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 38.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• *CONTACT

Required parameter:

TYPE
Set TYPE=EDGE TO EDGE to control the edge-to-edge (beam-to-beam) contact formulations used
in Abaqus/Standard. This setting does not apply for Abaqus/Explicit.
Set TYPE=MASTER SLAVE ROLES to control master-slave roles for specific interactions in
Abaqus/Standard. This setting does not apply for Abaqus/Explicit.
Set TYPE=PURE MASTER-SLAVE to specify that a contact interaction should use pure
master-slave weighting for specific node-to-face contact surface pairs in Abaqus/Explicit. This
setting does not apply for Abaqus/Standard.
Set TYPE=POLARITY to choose which sides of double-sided elements will be considered for
node-to-face or Eulerian-Lagrangian contact with another surface in Abaqus/Explicit. This setting
does not apply for Abaqus/Standard.
Set TYPE=SLIDING TRANSITION to control the smoothness of the surface-to-surface
formulation upon sliding for specific interactions in Abaqus/Standard. This setting does not apply
for Abaqus/Explicit.

3.61–1

Abaqus ID:
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* CONTACT FORMULATION

Optional parameter:

FORMULATION
This parameter applies only if TYPE=EDGE TO EDGE. It is used to activate the contact
formulations to be used globally for edge-to-edge (beam-to-beam) contact.
Set FORMULATION=CROSS to activate an edge-to-edge contact formulation applicable to
nonparallel beams that bases the contact normal direction on the cross product of the respective
beam axial directions.
Set FORMULATION=RADIAL to activate an edge-to-edge contact formulation applicable to
nearly parallel beams that bases the contact normal direction on a beam radial direction.
Set FORMULATION=BOTH to activate both edge-to-edge contact formulations.
Set FORMULATION=NO (default) to deactivate edge-to-edge contact formulations.

Data lines to control master-slave roles for contact interactions in Abaqus/Standard:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire contact domain is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface.
3. The “word” BALANCED, the “word” SLAVE, or the “word” MASTER. A balanced
master-slave formulation is used if BALANCED is specified; otherwise, a pure master-slave
formulation is used with SLAVE or MASTER indicating the desired behavior of the first
surface.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data lines to assign pure master-slave roles to contact interactions in Abaqus/Explicit:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire contact domain is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface.
3. The “word” SLAVE (default) or the “word” MASTER. This entry refers to the desired behavior
of the first surface.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data lines to assign polarity to contact interactions in Abaqus/Explicit:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire contact domain is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface.

3.61–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT FORMULATION

3. The label SPOS , the label SNEG, the label TWO SIDED, or blank (the polarity of each face in
the second surface will be defined according to the side label given in the surface definition).
This entry refers to the sides of the (double-sided) elements in the second surface that will be
considered for node-to-face or Eulerian-Lagrangian contact with the first surface.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data lines to control the smoothness of the surface-to-surface formulation upon sliding for
contact interactions in Abaqus/Standard:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire contact domain is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface.
3. The “words” ELEMENT ORDER SMOOTHING (default), the “words” LINEAR
SMOOTHING, or the “words” QUADRATIC SMOOTHING.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

There are no data lines to control the edge-to-edge (beam-to-beam) contact formulations
in Abaqus/Standard.

3.61–3

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT INCLUSIONS

3.62 *CONTACT INCLUSIONS: Specify self-contact surfaces or surface pairings to

include in the general contact domain.

This option is used to specify the self-contact surfaces and surface pairings that should be considered by the
general contact algorithm. It should be used in conjunction with the *CONTACT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; Model or history data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Model in Abaqus/Standard; Model or Step in Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Defining general contact interactions in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining general contact interactions in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.4.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• *CONTACT

Optional parameter:
ALL EXTERIOR
Include this parameter to specify self-contact for a default unnamed, all-inclusive surface that
includes all element-based surface facets and, in Abaqus/Explicit only, all analytical rigid surfaces.
This is the simplest way to define the contact domain. The option should have no data lines when
this parameter is used.
If this parameter is omitted, the contact surfaces must be specified on the data lines.

Data lines to specify contact inclusions if the ALL EXTERIOR parameter is omitted:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, the default all-inclusive,
surface defined by Abaqus is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as the
first surface name, Abaqus assumes that self-contact is defined. Self-contact means contact of
a surface with itself, without consideration of whether a surface contains disconnected regions.
If different names are specified for the first and second surfaces, self-contact is not considered
except in any overlap between the two surfaces.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

3.62–1

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT INITIALIZATION ASSIGNMENT

3.63 *CONTACT INITIALIZATION ASSIGNMENT: Assign contact initialization methods for

general contact.

This option is used to modify contact initialization methods for specific contact interactions within the domain
considered by general contact in Abaqus/Standard. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONTACT and
*CONTACT INITIALIZATION DATA options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Controlling initial contact status in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• *CONTACT
• *CONTACT INITIALIZATION DATA

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to assign nondefault contact initialization methods:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire general contact domain is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as the
first surface name, the specified contact initialization method definition is assigned to contact
interactions between the first surface and itself.
3. The name of the *CONTACT INITIALIZATION DATA definition to be assigned.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. If the contact initialization method assignments overlap, the
last assignment applies in the overlap region.

3.63–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONTACT INITIALIZATION DATA

3.64 *CONTACT INITIALIZATION DATA: Define contact initialization methods for general
contact.

This option is used to define contact initialization methods for Abaqus/Standard. The contact initialization
method is applied to a contact interaction using the *CONTACT INITIALIZATION ASSIGNMENT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:

• “Controlling initial contact status in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• “Common difficulties associated with contact modeling in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 39.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONTACT
• *CONTACT INITIALIZATION ASSIGNMENT

Required parameter:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to this contact initialization method.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

INITIAL CLEARANCE
Set this parameter equal to a positive value to specify an initial clearance distance.

INTERFERENCE FIT
Include this parameter without setting it to a value to treat initial overclosures as interference fits.
Set this parameter equal to a positive value to specify an interference distance.
If this parameter is omitted, initial overclosures are resolved with strain-free adjustments.

3.64–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* CONTACT INITIALIZATION DATA

Optional parameters:

MINIMUM DISTANCE
Set MINIMUM DISTANCE=YES (default) to automatically activate localized contact damping
when nearby surfaces are touching at only a single point.
Set MINIMUM DISTANCE=NO to forgo this automatic localized damping.

SEARCH ABOVE
Set this parameter equal to a positive value to ensure that the search zone for contact initialization
includes gaps at least as large as the specified value.

SEARCH BELOW
Set this parameter equal to a positive value to ensure that the search zone for contact initialization
includes overclosures at least as large as the specified value.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

3.64–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONTACT INTERFERENCE

3.65 *CONTACT INTERFERENCE: Prescribe time-dependent allowable interferences of

contact pairs and contact elements.

This option is used to prescribe time-dependent allowable interferences for contact pairs and contact elements.
It is useful for solving problems where there are large initial overclosures of the contacting bodies.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Modeling contact interference fits in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.3.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• “Adjusting initial surface positions and specifying initial clearances in Abaqus/Standard contact pairs,”
Section 36.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the
prescribed interference during the step. If this parameter is omitted, the prescribed interference
is applied immediately at the beginning of the step and ramped down to zero linearly over the step.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CONTACT INTERFERENCE definitions to remain, with this
option defining a contact interference to be added or modified. Set OP=NEW if all *CONTACT
INTERFERENCE definitions defined in previous steps should be removed.
SHRINK
Include this parameter to invoke the automatic shrink fit capability. This capability can be used only
in the first step of an analysis. When this parameter is included, no data are required other than the
contact pairs or elements to which the option is applied. In addition, any AMPLITUDE reference
specified will be ignored.
TYPE
Use this parameter to specify whether the prescribed interference will be applied to contact pairs
or contact elements. Set TYPE=CONTACT PAIR (default) to specify a contact interference for
contact pairs. Set TYPE=ELEMENT to specify a contact interference for contact elements.

3.65–1

Abaqus ID:
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* CONTACT INTERFERENCE

Data lines to define an allowable contact interference for a contact pair (TYPE=CONTACT PAIR):

First line:
1. Slave surface name.
2. Master surface name. It must be distinct from the slave surface name; self-contact is not
allowed with this option.
If the SHRINK parameter is included, no additional data are required. Otherwise:
3. Reference allowable interference, v.
4. X-direction cosine of the shift direction vector (optional).
5. Y-direction cosine of the shift direction vector (optional).
6. Z-direction cosine of the shift direction vector (optional).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify additional contact pairs. Each line defines a distinct
contact interference between one contact pair.

Data lines to define an allowable contact interference for contact elements (TYPE=ELEMENT):

First line:
1. Name of the element set containing the contact elements.
If the SHRINK parameter is included, no additional data are required. Otherwise:
2. Reference allowable interference, v.
3. X-direction cosine of the shift direction vector (optional).
4. Y-direction cosine of the shift direction vector (optional).
5. Z-direction cosine of the shift direction vector (optional).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify additional element sets containing contact
elements.

3.65–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT OUTPUT

3.66 *CONTACT OUTPUT: Specify contact variables to be written to the output database.

This option is used to write contact variables to the output database. It must be used in conjunction with the
*OUTPUT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

References:

• “Output to the output database,” Section 4.1.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *OUTPUT

One of the following mutually exclusive parameters is required when the *CONTACT OUTPUT
option is used in conjunction with the *OUTPUT, HISTORY option in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis:

CPSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the contact pair set for which this output request is being
made.

NSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the node set for which this output request is being made.
This parameter is valid only for nodes defined under *BOND, and only the BONDSTAT and
BONDLOAD output variables may be requested.

SURFACE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the surface in the general contact domain for which this
output request is being made.

Optional parameter when the SURFACE parameter is included:

SECOND SURFACE
This parameter is used to write contact output limited to a pair of contact surfaces. Set this parameter
equal to the name of the second surface in the general contact domain that along with the first surface
specified by the SURFACE parameter identifies the pair of contact surfaces.

3.66–1

Abaqus ID:
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* CONTACT OUTPUT

Optional parameters when the *CONTACT OUTPUT option is used in conjunction with the
*OUTPUT, FIELD option in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis:
CPSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the contact pair set for which this output request is being
made. If this parameter and the GENERAL CONTACT parameter are omitted, the output will
be written for all of the contact pairs in the model and the general contact domain (if it has been
defined).
GENERAL CONTACT
Include this parameter to request output for the general contact domain. If this parameter and the
CPSET parameter are omitted, the output will be written for all of the contact pairs in the model
and the general contact domain (if it has been defined).
SURFACE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the surface in the general contact domain for which this
output request is being made.

Optional parameter when the SURFACE parameter is included:

SECOND SURFACE
This parameter is used to write contact output limited to a pair of contact surfaces. Set this parameter
equal to the name of the second surface in the general contact domain that along with the first surface
specified by the SURFACE parameter identifies the pair of contact surfaces.

Optional parameter in Abaqus/Explicit analyses:

VARIABLE
Set VARIABLE=ALL to indicate that all contact variables applicable to this procedure should be
written to the output database.
Set VARIABLE=PRESELECT to indicate that the default contact output variables for the
current procedure type should be written to the output database. Additional output variables can
be requested on the data lines.
If this parameter is omitted, the contact variables requested for output must be specified on the
data lines.

Optional parameters in Abaqus/Standard analyses:

MASTER
Set this parameter equal to the name of a master surface of one or more contact pairs for which this
request is being made. Specifying this parameter eliminates output for general contact associated
with this request, regardless of whether or not this surface participates in general contact.
NSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the node set for which this output request is being made.

3.66–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT OUTPUT

SLAVE
Set this parameter equal to the name of a slave surface of one or more contact pairs for which this
request is being made. Specifying this parameter eliminates output for general contact associated
with this request, regardless of whether or not this surface participates in general contact.

VARIABLE
Set VARIABLE=ALL to indicate that all contact variables applicable to this procedure should be
written to the output database.
Set VARIABLE=PRESELECT to indicate that the default contact output variables for the
current procedure type should be written to the output database. Additional output variables can
be requested on the data lines.
If this parameter is omitted, the contact variables requested for output must be specified on the
data lines.

Data lines to request contact output:

First line:
1. Specify the identifying keys for the output variables to be written to the output database. The
keys are defined in “Abaqus/Standard output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, and “Abaqus/Explicit output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the list of variables to be written to the output
database.

3.66–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * CONTACT PAIR

3.67 *CONTACT PAIR: Define surfaces that contact each other.

This option is used to define pairs of surfaces or pairs of node sets and surfaces that may contact or interact
with each other during the analysis.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; History data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Model in Abaqus/Standard; Step in Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Defining contact pairs in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Adjusting initial surface positions and specifying initial clearances in Abaqus/Standard contact pairs,”
Section 36.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Defining tied contact in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.3.7 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Adjusting contact controls in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.3.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Contact formulations in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 38.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Smoothing contact surfaces in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 38.1.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Common difficulties associated with contact modeling in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 39.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Defining contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.5.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Contact formulations for contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 38.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Adjusting initial surface positions and specifying initial clearances for contact pairs in Abaqus/Explicit,”
Section 36.5.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Defining contacting surfaces in an Abaqus/Standard analysis

Required parameter:

INTERACTION
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *SURFACE INTERACTION property definition
associated with the contact pair being defined.

3.67–1

Abaqus ID:
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* CONTACT PAIR

Optional parameters:

ADJUST
Set this parameter equal to a node set label or a value to adjust the initial positions of the surfaces
specified in this option. These adjustments are made at the start of the analysis and do not create
any strain. This parameter is required for TIED contact.
EXTENSION ZONE
Set this parameter equal to a fraction of the end segment or facet edge length by which the master
surface is to be extended to avoid numerical roundoff errors associated with contact modeling. The
value given must lie between 0.0 and 0.2. The default is 0.1. This parameter affects only node-to-
surface contact.
GEOMETRIC CORRECTION
Set this parameter equal to the name of the surface smoothing property defined by *SURFACE
SMOOTHING. This parameter affects only surface-to-surface contact.
HCRIT
Set this parameter equal to the distance by which a point on the slave surface must penetrate the
master surface before Abaqus/Standard abandons the current increment and tries again with a
smaller increment. The default value of HCRIT is half of the length of a characteristic element
face on the slave surface. This parameter does not apply to contact pairs that use the finite-sliding,
surface-to-surface contact formulation.
MIDFACE NODES
Set MIDFACE NODES=YES to automatically convert most three-dimensional second-order
element types with no midface node (serendipity elements) that form a slave surface of a
surface-to-surface contact pair into elements with a midface node.
Set MIDFACE NODES=NO (default) to avoid adding midface nodes to elements underlying
the slave surface of a surface-to-surface contact pair.
This parameter can be used only with surface-to-surface contact pairs. Abaqus/Standard
automatically converts most serendipity elements that form a slave surface of a node-to-surface
contact pair into elements with a midface node.
MINIMUM DISTANCE
Set MINIMUM DISTANCE=YES (default) to automatically activate localized contact damping
when nearby surfaces are initially touching at only a single point.
Set MINIMUM DISTANCE=NO to forgo this automatic localized damping.
This parameter can be used only with the finite-sliding, surface-to-surface contact formulation.
NO THICKNESS
Include this parameter to ignore surface thickness effects in the contact calculations. This parameter
affects only contact formulations that account for surface thickness by default (it does not affect
finite-sliding, node-to-surface contact).

3.67–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * CONTACT PAIR

SMALL SLIDING
Include this parameter to indicate that the small-sliding contact formulation, rather than the finite-
sliding contact formulation, should be used. This parameter is not allowed with self-contact.
SMOOTH
Set this parameter equal to the degree of smoothing used for element-based master surfaces in the
finite-sliding, node-to-surface contact formulation. The value given must lie between 0.0 and 0.5.
The default is 0.2. This parameter does not affect contact pairs with analytical rigid surfaces or
contact formulations other than the finite-sliding, node-to-surface contact formulation.
SLIDING TRANSITION
Set SLIDING TRANSITION=ELEMENT ORDER SMOOTHING to have smoothing of the nodal
force redistribution upon sliding be of the same order as the elements underlying the slave surface.
Set SLIDING TRANSITION=LINEAR SMOOTHING to have linear smoothing of the nodal
force redistribution upon sliding.
Set SLIDING TRANSITION=QUADRATIC SMOOTHING to have quadratic smoothing of
the nodal force redistribution upon sliding.
This parameter can be used only with the surface-to-surface contact formulation.
SUPPLEMENTARY CONSTRAINTS
Set SUPPLEMENTARY CONSTRAINTS=SELECTIVE (default) to use a selective scheme of
supplementary constraints.
Set SUPPLEMENTARY CONSTRAINTS=YES to add the supplementary contact constraints
when applicable.
Set SUPPLEMENTARY CONSTRAINTS=NO to forgo the supplementary contact
constraints.
TIED
Include this parameter to indicate that the surfaces of this *CONTACT PAIR are to be “tied” together
for the duration of the simulation. The ADJUST parameter is required when the TIED parameter is
used. This parameter is not allowed with self-contact.
TRACKING
This parameter controls which contact tracking algorithm is used for finite-sliding, surface-to-
surface contact; it has no effect on contact pairs that use other formulations.
Set TRACKING=PATH (default) to invoke a path-based contact tracking algorithm for finite-
sliding, surface-to-surface contact.
Set TRACKING=STATE to invoke a state-based contact tracking algorithm for finite-sliding,
surface-to-surface contact.
TYPE
Set TYPE=NODE TO SURFACE (default) to have the contact constraint coefficients generated
according to the interpolation functions at the point where the slave node projects onto the master
surface.

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* CONTACT PAIR

Set TYPE=SURFACE TO SURFACE to have the contact constraint coefficients generated

such that stress accuracy is optimized for the specified surface type pairings. This parameter setting
will be ignored for contact pairs that include a node-based surface.

Data lines to define the surfaces and node sets forming the contact pairs:

First line:
1. The slave surface name.
2. The master surface name. If the master surface name is omitted or is the same as the slave
surface name, Abaqus/Standard assumes that self-contact is defined.
3. Optional orientation name to specify the local tangent directions on the slave surface.
4. Optional orientation name to specify the local tangent directions on the master surface.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define all of the surfaces or node sets forming the contact
pairs. Each data line defines a pair of surfaces or a node set and a surface that may interact with one
another.

Defining contacting surfaces in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis

Optional parameters:

CPSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the contact pair set to which the contact pairs being defined
should be added. The CPSET name can be used to associate contact pairs with a *CLEARANCE
option or with a *CONTACT CONTROLS option, which can be used to adjust algorithmic control
parameters. It can also be used with the *CONTACT OUTPUT option to specify the contact pairs
for which output database results are desired.

INTERACTION
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *SURFACE INTERACTION property definition
associated with the contact pair being defined.

MECHANICAL CONSTRAINT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the method used to enforce the contact constraints.
Set MECHANICAL CONSTRAINT=KINEMATIC (default) to choose the kinematic contact
method.
Set MECHANICAL CONSTRAINT=PENALTY to choose the penalty contact method.

OP
Set OP=ADD (default) to add new contact pairs to the existing set of contact pairs. Set OP=DELETE
to remove the contact pairs given in this use of the option from the active set of contact pairs.

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 * CONTACT PAIR

SMALL SLIDING
Include this parameter to indicate that the small-sliding contact formulation, rather than the finite-
sliding contact formulation, should be used. This parameter can be used only for contact pairs that
are defined in the first step of the simulation and use the kinematic constraint method.

WEIGHT
Set this parameter equal to the weighting factor for the contact surfaces.

Data lines to define the surfaces and node sets forming contact pairs:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as the
first surface name, Abaqus/Explicit assumes that self-contact is defined.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define all of the surfaces or node sets forming contact
pairs. Each data line defines a pair of surfaces or a node set and a surface that may interact with one
another.

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 * CONTACT PERMEABILITY

3.68 *CONTACT PERMEABILITY: Specify fluid permeability contact property.

This option is used to modify pore fluid permeability in a surface interaction model. It must be used in
conjunction with the *SURFACE INTERACTION option. If this option is omitted, the surface interaction
model will have no resistance to fluid flow across a contact interface (corresponding to infinite permeability)
while contact is active and for clearances up to a default tolerance distance.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: Model data

Level: Model

References:
• “Pore fluid contact properties,” Section 37.4.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Coupled pore fluid diffusion and stress analysis,” Section 6.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *SURFACE INTERACTION
• *SOILS

Optional parameters:
CUTOFF FLOW ACROSS
Set this parameter equal to a cutoff clearance distance above which no fluid flow occurs across a
contact interface.
CUTOFF GAP FILL
Set this parameter equal to a cutoff clearance distance above which no fluid flow occurs into or out
of a contact interface due to changes in clearance distance.
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables on which the contact permeability, ,
depends.

Data lines to define the contact permeability, , directly:

First line:
1. Contact permeability, . (Units of L2 TM−1 .)
2. Contact pressure, .
3. Average pore pressure, .
4. Average temperature, .
5. Average value of the first field variable, .

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* CONTACT PERMEABILITY

6. Average value of the second field variable, .

7. Etc.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the dependence of contact permeability on the
contact pressure, average surface pore pressure, average surface temperature, and the average of any
predefined field variables on the surfaces.

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 * CONTACT PRINT

3.69 *CONTACT PRINT: Define print requests for contact variables.

This option is used to provide tabular printed output of contact variables for contact surface pairs.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

Reference:

• “Output to the data and results files,” Section 4.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the output frequency, in increments. The output will always be printed
at the last increment of each step unless FREQUENCY=0. The default is FREQUENCY=1. Set
FREQUENCY=0 to suppress the output.

MASTER
Set this parameter equal to the name of the master surface for which this output request is being
made.

NSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the node set for which this output request is being made.

SLAVE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the slave surface for which this output request is being made.

SUMMARY
Set SUMMARY=YES (default) to obtain a summary of the maximum and minimum values in each
column of the table and their locations. Set SUMMARY=NO to suppress this summary.

TOTALS
Set TOTALS=YES to print the total of each column in the table. The default is TOTALS=NO.

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* CONTACT PRINT

Data lines to request contact variable output in the data file:

First line:
1. Give the identifying keys for the variables to be written to the data file for this contact pair. The
keys are defined in “Abaqus/Standard output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary: each line defines a table. If this line is omitted, the default
variables will be output.

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 * CONTACT PROPERTY ASSIGNMENT

3.70 *CONTACT PROPERTY ASSIGNMENT: Assign contact properties for the general
contact algorithm.

This option is used to modify contact properties for specific contact interactions within the domain considered
by general contact. It must be used in conjunction with the *CONTACT and *SURFACE INTERACTION
options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; Model or history data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Model in Abaqus/Standard; Model or Step in Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Contact properties for general contact in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Assigning contact properties for general contact in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 36.4.3 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONTACT
• *SURFACE INTERACTION

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to assign nondefault contact properties:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire general contact domain is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as the
first surface name, the specified contact property definition is assigned to contact interactions
between the first surface and itself.
3. The name of the model data *SURFACE INTERACTION property definition to be assigned.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. If the contact property assignments overlap, the last
assignment applies in the overlap region.

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 * CONTACT RESPONSE

3.71 *CONTACT RESPONSE: Define contact responses for design sensitivity analysis.

This option is used to write contact response sensitivities to the output database. It must be used in conjunction
with the *DESIGN RESPONSE option.

Product: Abaqus/Design

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Design sensitivity analysis,” Section 19.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *DESIGN RESPONSE

Optional parameters:

MASTER
Set this parameter equal to the name of the master surface for which this output request is being
made.

NSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the node set for which this output request is being made.

SLAVE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the slave surface for which this output request is being made.

Data lines to request contact sensitivity output:

First line:
1. Specify the identifying keys for the responses whose sensitivities are to be written to the output
database. The valid keys are listed in “Design sensitivity analysis,” Section 19.1.1 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the contact responses whose sensitivities are to be
written to the output database.

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 * CONTACT STABILIZATION

3.72 *CONTACT STABILIZATION: Define contact stabilization controls for general contact.

Multiple instances of the option can be used to define contact stabilization controls for general contact in
Abaqus/Standard.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Stabilization for general contact in Abaqus/Standard,” Section 36.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• *CONTACT

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines a time-dependent scale
factor for contact stabilization over the step. If this parameter is omitted, the scale factor ramps
linearly from unity to zero over the step.

RANGE
Set this parameter equal to the clearance at which the stabilization becomes zero; no contact
stabilization is applied where the separation between surfaces exceeds this value. By default, this
clearance is calculated by Abaqus/Standard based on the facet sizes on contact surfaces.

REDUCTION PER INCREMENT

Set this parameter equal to a factor by which Abaqus/Standard will reduce the contact stabilization
coefficient per increment. The default value is 0.1 for the interactions specified on the data lines of
this option.

RESET
Include this parameter to cancel carryover effects from contact stabilization specifications involving
nondefault amplitudes that appeared in previous steps. This parameter cannot be used in conjunction
with any other parameters. There are no data lines if this parameter is included.

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* CONTACT STABILIZATION

SCALE FACTOR
Set this parameter equal to a factor by which Abaqus/Standard will scale the contact stabilization
coefficient. The default value is unity for the interactions specified on the data lines of this option.
Set SCALE FACTOR=USER ADAPTIVE to scale the contact stabilization coefficient by a
factor that decreases over iterations within each increment, according to the pattern specified on the
data line.

TANGENT FRACTION
Set this parameter equal to a factor that scales the contact stabilization coefficient in the tangential
direction only. The default value is zero, such that no contact stabilization is applied in the tangential
direction.

Data lines if the RESET parameter is omitted:

First line:
1. The name of the first surface. If the first surface name is omitted, a default surface that
encompasses the entire general contact domain (including all nodes and facets) is assumed.
2. The name of the second surface. If the second surface name is omitted or is the same as the first
surface name, the specified stabilization settings are assigned to contact interactions between
the first surface and itself.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data line if SCALE FACTOR=USER ADAPTIVE:

First line:
1. Up to eight scale values in descending order.

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 * CONTOUR INTEGRAL

3.73 *CONTOUR INTEGRAL: Provide contour integral estimates.

WARNING: Contour integrals are not calculated accurately for the bending stress in
shells. If contour integral values are needed where the bending stress is significant,
use second-order solid elements (C3D20 or C3D27) in the crack-tip region where
the integral is evaluated instead of shell elements. Contour integrals should not be
requested in a linear perturbation step. Initial stresses are not included in the evaluation
of the J-integrals, the stress intensity factors, and the T-stress (see “Contour integral
evaluation,” Section 11.4.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for details).

The *CONTOUR INTEGRAL option offers the evaluation of the J-integral, the -integral, the stress
intensity factors, and the T-stress for fracture mechanics studies based on either the conventional finite
element method or the extended finite element method (XFEM). The option also computes the crack
propagation direction at initiation when the stress intensity factors are evaluated. Contour integrals along
several different crack fronts can be evaluated by repeating this option as often as needed in the step
definition.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:

• “Contour integral evaluation,” Section 11.4.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

• “Modeling discontinuities as an enriched feature using the extended finite element method,”
Section 10.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

CONTOURS
Set this parameter equal to the number of contours to be used. Each contour provides an evaluation
of the contour integral.

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* CONTOUR INTEGRAL

Optional parameters:

CRACK NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the crack. When the extended finite
element method is used, set this parameter equal to the name assigned to the enriched feature on the
*ENRICHMENT option.
CRACK TIP NODES
Include this parameter to indicate that the crack tip nodes are specified to form the crack front line.
If this parameter is omitted, the crack front line will be formed along the first nodes of the crack
front node sets. (The first node will be the node with the smallest node number for each crack front
node set, unless the node set is generated as unsorted.)
This parameter is not relevant when the XFEM parameter is specified.

DIRECTION
This parameter can be used only in combination with the TYPE=K FACTORS parameter.
Set DIRECTION=MTS (default) to choose the maximum tangential stress criterion.
Set DIRECTION=MERR to choose the maximum energy release rate criterion.
Set DIRECTION=KII0 to choose the criterion.

FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the output frequency, in increments. The output will always be printed
at the last increment of each step unless FREQUENCY=0. The default is FREQUENCY=1. Set
FREQUENCY=0 to suppress the output.

NORMAL
Include this parameter to indicate that the direction normal to the plane of the crack is specified.
Omit this parameter to indicate that the virtual crack extension direction is specified.
This parameter is not relevant when the XFEM parameter is specified.

OUTPUT
If this parameter is omitted, the contour integral values will be printed in the data (.dat) file but
not stored in the results (.fil) file.
Set OUTPUT=FILE to store the contour integral values in the results file.
Set OUTPUT=BOTH to print the contour integral values in the data file and to store them in
the results file.

RESIDUAL STRESS STEP

Use this parameter to account for the effect of residual stress gradients on the contour integral
evaluation. Set this parameter equal to the step number from which the stress data in the last
available increment of the specified step will be considered as residual stresses. The default is
0, in which case the residual stresses are defined by the specified initial conditions.
This parameter can be set equal to zero only when the XFEM parameter is specified.

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 * CONTOUR INTEGRAL

SYMM
Include this parameter to indicate that the crack front is defined on a symmetry plane, with only
half the structure modeled. The change in potential energy calculated from the virtual crack front
advance is then doubled to compute the correct contour integral values.
This parameter is not relevant when the XFEM parameter is specified.
TYPE
Set TYPE=J (default) to specify J-integral calculations.
Set TYPE=C to specify -integral calculations.
Set TYPE=K FACTORS to specify the calculations of the stress intensity factors.
Set TYPE=T-STRESS to specify the T-stress calculations.
XFEM
Include this parameter to indicate that the crack is modeled as an enriched feature with the extended
finite element method.

Data lines if the NORMAL parameter is included but the CRACK TIP NODES and XFEM
parameters are both omitted:

First line:
1. -direction cosine of the normal to the plane of the crack ( for axisymmetric cases).
2. -direction cosine of the normal to the plane of the crack ( for axisymmetric cases).
3. For three-dimensional cases give the -direction cosine of the normal to the plane of the crack.
This field can be left blank for two-dimensional and axisymmetric cases.

Second line:
1. A list of node set names that define the crack front (in two-dimensional cases this will be one
node set only). Each node set must contain all the nodes at one position on the crack front.
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary to define the crack front node sets. Up to 16 entries
are allowed per line.

Data lines if the NORMAL, CRACK TIP NODES, and XFEM parameters are all omitted:

First line:
1. Node set name. The node set must contain all the nodes at one position on the crack front.
2. -direction cosine of the virtual crack extension direction ( for axisymmetric cases).
3. -direction cosine of the virtual crack extension direction ( for axisymmetric cases).
4. For three-dimensional cases give the -direction cosine of the virtual crack extension
direction. This field can be left blank for two-dimensional and axisymmetric cases.
In two-dimensional cases only one data line is necessary. In three-dimensional cases repeat this data
line as often as necessary to define the crack front node sets and virtual crack extension vectors along
the crack front.

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* CONTOUR INTEGRAL

Data lines if the NORMAL and CRACK TIP NODES parameters are both included but the XFEM
parameter is omitted:

First line:
1. -direction cosine of the normal to the plane of the crack ( for axisymmetric cases).
2. -direction cosine of the normal to the plane of the crack ( for axisymmetric cases).
3. For three-dimensional cases give the -direction cosine of the normal to the plane of the crack.
This field can be left blank for two-dimensional and axisymmetric cases.

Second line:
1. First crack front node set.
2. Node number of the first crack tip node or the node set that contains a crack tip node.
3. Second crack front node set.
4. Node number of the second crack tip node or node set that contains a crack tip node.
5. Etc., up to 8 pairs per line.
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary to define the crack front.

Data lines if the NORMAL and XFEM parameters are both omitted but the CRACK TIP NODES
parameter is included:

First line:
1. Node set name. The node set must contain all the nodes at one position on the crack front.
2. Node number of the crack tip node or a node set that contains a crack tip node.
3. -direction cosine of the virtual crack extension direction ( for axisymmetric cases).
4. -direction cosine of the virtual crack extension direction ( for axisymmetric cases).
5. For three-dimensional cases give the -direction cosine of the virtual crack extension
direction. This field can be left blank for two-dimensional and axisymmetric cases.
In two-dimensional cases only one data line is necessary. In three-dimensional cases repeat this data
line as often as necessary to define the crack front node sets and virtual crack extension vectors along
the crack front.

No data lines are needed if the XFEM parameter is included.

3.73–4

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 * CONTROLS

3.74 *CONTROLS: Reset solution controls.

WARNING: This option is not needed in most nonlinear analyses, except for use with the
parameter ANALYSIS=DISCONTINUOUS. However, if extreme nonlinearities occur,
this option may be needed to obtain a solution. “Commonly used control parameters,”
Section 7.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, contains a discussion of the types
of problems that may occur and the use of the *CONTROLS option to overcome these
problems. This option can also be used in some cases to obtain a solution in a more
efficient manner. Use of the option for this latter purpose is intended for experienced
users only.
Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

References:
• “Convergence and time integration criteria: overview,” Section 7.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• “Commonly used control parameters,” Section 7.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Convergence criteria for nonlinear problems,” Section 7.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Time integration accuracy in transient problems,” Section 7.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required, mutually exclusive parameters:

ANALYSIS
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set ANALYSIS=DISCONTINUOUS to set parameters that will usually improve efficiency
for severely discontinuous behavior, such as frictional sliding or concrete cracking, by allowing
relatively many iterations prior to beginning any checks on the convergence rate. This parameter
overrides any values that may be set for the variables and on the data lines associated with
PARAMETERS=TIME INCREMENTATION. A less efficient solution may result if this parameter
is set in problems that do not exhibit severely discontinuous behavior.
PARAMETERS
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set PARAMETERS=FIELD to set parameters for satisfying a field equation. In this case the
FIELD parameter can be used to define the field for which the parameters are being given. If the
FIELD parameter is omitted, the parameters are being set for all fields that are active in the problem.

3.74–1

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* CONTROLS

Set PARAMETERS=CONSTRAINTS to set tolerances on constraint equations.

Set PARAMETERS=LINE SEARCH to set line search control parameters.
Set PARAMETERS=TIME INCREMENTATION to set time incrementation control
parameters.
RESET
Include this parameter to reset all values to their defaults. The option should have no data lines
when this parameter is used.
TYPE
Set TYPE=FSI to set the parameters that will be used in deforming-mesh problems involving
moving boundaries or deforming geometries in Abaqus/CFD as well as an Abaqus/CFD to
Abaqus/Standard or to Abaqus/Explicit co-simulation. This parameter setting can be used only in
Abaqus/CFD analyses.
Set TYPE=DIRECT CYCLIC to set parameters that will be used to control the stabilized state
and plastic ratcheting detections and to specify when to impose the periodicity condition for direct
cyclic analysis.
Set TYPE=VCCT LINEAR SCALING to set the parameter that will be used with linear
scaling for a VCCT debonding analysis.

Optional parameters:
DISTORTION CONTROL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/CFD analyses when TYPE=FSI, MESH
SMOOTHING=EXPLICIT.
Set DISTORTION CONTROL=OFF (default) to deactivate a constraint that acts to prevent
negative element volumes in the CFD meshing movement.
Set DISTORTION CONTROL=ON to activate a constraint that acts to prevent negative
element volumes in the CFD meshing movement. The DISTORTION CONTROL parameter
cannot prevent elements from being distorted due to temporal instabilities and physically unrealistic
deformation.
FIELD
This parameter can be used only with PARAMETERS=FIELD in Abaqus/Standard.
Set FIELD=CONCENTRATION to set parameters for the mass concentration field equilibrium
equations.
Set FIELD=DISPLACEMENT to set parameters for the displacement field and warping degree
of freedom equilibrium equations.
Set FIELD=ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL to set parameters for the electrical potential field
equilibrium equations.
Set FIELD=GLOBAL (default) to define one set of parameters to be used for all active fields.
Set FIELD=HYDROSTATIC FLUID PRESSURE to set parameters for the hydrostatic fluid
element volume constraint.

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 * CONTROLS

Set FIELD=MATERIAL FLOW to set parameters for the material flow degree of freedom for
connector elements.
Set FIELD=PORE FLUID PRESSURE to set parameters for the pore liquid volumetric
continuity equations.
Set FIELD=PRESSURE LAGRANGE MULTIPLIER to set parameters for the pressure
Lagrange multiplier field equations.
Set FIELD=ROTATION to set parameters for the rotation field equilibrium equations.
Set FIELD=TEMPERATURE to set parameters for the temperature field equilibrium
equations.
Set FIELD=VOLUMETRIC LAGRANGE MULTIPLIER to set parameters for the volumetric
Lagrange multiplier field equations.

MESH SMOOTHING
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/CFD analyses when TYPE=FSI.
Set MESH SMOOTHING=IMPLICIT (default) to choose the implicit algorithm to control
mesh smoothing.
Set MESH SMOOTHING=EXPLICIT to choose the explicit algorithm to control mesh
smoothing.

Data line for TYPE=FSI, MESH SMOOTHING=IMPLICIT:

First (and only) line:

1. Number of iterations between convergence checks.

2. Maximum number of iterations.
3. FSI penalty scale factor, . Default .
4. Solid/fluid density ratio.
5. Scale factor for deformable mesh stiffness.
6. Linear convergence criterion.

Data line for TYPE=FSI, MESH SMOOTHING=EXPLICIT:

First (and only) line:

1. Minimum number of mesh smoothing increments.

2. Maximum number of mesh smoothing increments.
3. FSI penalty scale factor, . Default .
4. Solid/fluid density ratio.
5. Scale factor for deformable mesh stiffness.

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* CONTROLS

Data lines for PARAMETERS=FIELD:

First line:
1. , convergence criterion for the ratio of the largest residual to the corresponding average flux
norm for convergence. Default .
2. , convergence criterion for the ratio of the largest solution correction to the largest
corresponding incremental solution value. Default .
3. , initial value of the time average flux for this step. The default is the time average flux from
previous steps or if this is Step 1.
4. , user-defined average flux. When this value is defined, for all t.
The remaining items rarely need to be reset from their default values.
5. , alternative residual convergence criterion to be used after iterations. Default
.
6. , criterion for zero flux compared to . Default .
7. , convergence criterion for the ratio of the largest solution correction to the largest
corresponding incremental solution value when there is zero flux in the model. Default
.
8. , convergence criterion for the ratio of the largest residual to the corresponding average
flux norm for convergence to be accepted in one iteration (that is, for a linear case). Default
.

Second line:

These items rarely need to be reset from their default values.

1. , field conversion ratio used in scaling the relationship between two active fields when one
is of negligible magnitude. Default .
2. , criterion for zero flux compared to the time averaged value of the largest flux in the
model during the current step. Default .
3. , criterion for zero displacement increment (and/or zero penetration if CONVERT
SDI=YES) compared to the characteristic element length in the model. This item is used only
when FIELD=DISPLACEMENT. Default .

Data line for PARAMETERS=CONSTRAINTS:

First (and only) line:

These items rarely need to be reset from their default values. The relevance of certain parameters
depends on the value of the CONVERT SDI parameter on the *STEP option.
1. , volumetric strain compatibility tolerance for hybrid solid elements. Default
.
2. , axial strain compatibility tolerance for hybrid beam elements. Default .

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 * CONTROLS

3. , transverse shear strain compatibility tolerance for hybrid beam elements. Default
.
4. , contact and slip compatibility tolerance. For CONVERT SDI=YES, the ratio of the
maximum error in the contact or slip constraints to the maximum displacement increment must
be less than this tolerance.
For CONVERT SDI=NO, this is used only with softened contact specified with the *SURFACE
BEHAVIOR, PRESSURE-OVERCLOSURE option. The ratio of the error in the soft contact
constraint clearance to the user-specified clearance at which the contact pressure is zero must
lie below this tolerance for , where is the pressure value at zero clearance. Default
.
5. , soft contact compatibility tolerance for low pressure. This tolerance, which is used only
if CONVERT SDI=NO, is similar to for softened contact, except that it represents the
tolerance when . The actual tolerance is interpolated linearly between and
for . Default .
6. , displacement compatibility tolerance for distributing coupling elements. The ratio of the
error in the distributing coupling displacement compatibility to a measure of the characteristic
length of the coupling arrangement must lie below this tolerance. This characteristic length
is twice the average of the coupling node arrangement principal radii of gyration. Default
.
7. , rotation compatibility tolerance for distributing coupling elements. Default
.
8. , contact force error tolerance for CONVERT SDI=YES. The ratio of the maximum error
in the contact force to the time average force must be less than this tolerance. Default
. This parameter is not used if CONVERT SDI=NO.

Data line for PARAMETERS=LINE SEARCH:

First (and only) line:

1. , maximum number of line search iterations. Default for steps that use the Newton
method and for steps that use the quasi-Newton method. A suggested value for
activation of the line search algorithm is . Specify to forcibly deactivate the
method.
2. , maximum correction scale factor. Default .
3. , minimum correction scale factor. Default .
4. , residual reduction factor at which line searching terminates. Default .
5. , ratio of new to old correction scale factors below which line searching terminates. Default
.

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* CONTROLS

Data lines for PARAMETERS=TIME INCREMENTATION:

First line:

The relevance of certain parameters depends on the value of the CONVERT SDI parameter on the
*STEP option.
1. , number of equilibrium iterations (without severe discontinuities) after which the check is
made whether the residuals are increasing in two consecutive iterations. Minimum value is
. Default . If ANALYSIS=DISCONTINUOUS, .
2. , number of consecutive equilibrium iterations (without severe discontinutities)
at which logarithmic rate of convergence check begins. Default . If
ANALYSIS=DISCONTINUOUS, . The logarithmic rate of convergence is not
checked if fixed time incrementation is used.
The remaining items rarely need to be reset from their default values.
3. , number of consecutive equilibrium iterations (without severe discontinuities) after which
the residual tolerance is used instead of . Default .
4. , upper limit on the number of consecutive equilibrium iterations (without severe
discontinuities), based on prediction of the logarithmic rate of convergence. Default .
5. , number of consecutive equilibrium iterations (without severe discontinuities) above which
the size of the next increment will be reduced. Default .
6. , maximum number of consecutive equilibrium iterations (without severe discontinuities)
allowed in consecutive increments for the time increment to be increased. Default .
7. , maximum number of severe discontinuity iterations allowed in an increment if CONVERT
SDI=NO. Default . This parameter is not used if CONVERT SDI=YES.
8. , maximum number of cutbacks allowed for an increment. Default .
9. , maximum number of severe discontinuity iterations allowed in two consecutive increments
for the time increment to be increased if CONVERT SDI=NO. Default . This parameter
is not used if CONVERT SDI=YES.
10. , minimum number of consecutive increments in which the time integration accuracy
measure must be satisfied without any cutbacks to allow a time increment increase. Default
. Maximum allowed .
11. , maximum number of equilibrium and severe discontinuity iterations allowed in an
increment if CONVERT SDI=YES. Default . This parameter serves only as a
protection against failure of the default convergence criteria and should rarely need to be
changed. This parameter is not used if CONVERT SDI=NO.
12. , maximum number of equilibrium and severe discontinuity iterations allowed in two
consecutive increments for the time increment to be increased if CONVERT SDI=YES.
Default . This parameter is not used if CONVERT SDI=NO.
13. , maximum number of allowed contact augmentations if the augmented Lagrange contact
constraint enforcement method is specified. Default .

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Second line:

These items rarely need to be reset from their default values.

1. , cutback factor used when the solution appears to be diverging. Default .
2. , cutback factor used when the logarithmic rate of convergence predicts that too many
equilibrium iterations will be needed. Default .
3. , cutback factor for the next increment when too many equilibrium iterations ( ) are used
in the current increment. Default .
4. , cutback factor used when the time integration accuracy tolerance is exceeded. Default
.
5. , cutback factor used when too many iterations ( ) arise because of severe discontinuities.
Default .
6. , cutback factor used when element calculations have problems such as excessive distortion
in large-displacement problems. Default .
7. , increase factor when two consecutive increments converge in a small number of
equilibrium iterations ( ). Default .
8. , ratio of average time integration accuracy measure over increments to the
corresponding tolerance for the next allowable time increment to be increased. Default
.

Third line:

These items rarely need to be reset from their default values.

1. , increase factor for the next time increment, as a ratio of the average integration accuracy
measure over increments to the corresponding tolerance, when the time integration accuracy
measure is less than of the tolerance during consecutive increments. Default .
2. , maximum time increment increase factor for all cases except dynamic stress analysis and
diffusion-dominated processes. Default .
3. , maximum time increment increase factor for dynamic stress analysis. Default
.
4. , maximum time increment increase factor for diffusion-dominated processes (creep,
transient heat transfer, soils consolidation, transient mass diffusion). Default .
5. , minimum ratio of proposed next time increment to times the current time increment
for the proposed time increment to be used in a linear transient problem. This parameter is
intended to avoid excessive decomposition of the system matrix and should be less than 1.0.
Default .
6. , minimum ratio of proposed next time increment to the last successful time increment for
extrapolation of the solution vector to take place. Default .
7. , maximum allowable ratio of time increment to stability limit for conditionally stable time
integration procedures. Default is 1.0.

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8. , fraction of stability limit used as current time increment when the time increment exceeds
the above factor times the stability limit. This value cannot exceed 1.0. Default 0.95.

Fourth line:

These items rarely need to be reset from their default values.

1. , increase factor for the time increment directly before a time point or end time of a step is
reached. This parameter is used to avoid the small time increment that is sometimes necessary
to hit a time point or to complete a step and must be greater than or equal to 1.0. If output or
restart data are requested at exact times in a step, the default ; otherwise, the default
.

Data line for TYPE=DIRECT CYCLIC:

First (and only) line:

1. , iteration number at which the periodicity condition is first imposed. Default .
2. , stabilized state detection criterion for the ratio of the largest residual coefficient on any
terms in the Fourier series to the corresponding average flux norm. Default .
3. , stabilized state detection criterion for the ratio of the largest correction to the
displacement coefficient on any terms in the Fourier series to the largest displacement
coefficient. Default .
4. , plastic ratchetting detection criterion for the ratio of the largest residual coefficient on
the constant term in the Fourier series to the corresponding average flux norm. Default
.
5. , plastic ratchetting detection criterion for the ratio of the largest correction to the
displacement coefficient on the constant term in the Fourier series to the largest displacement
coefficient. Default .

Data line for TYPE=VCCT LINEAR SCALING:

First (and only) line:

1. parameter. Default .

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 * CONWEP CHARGE PROPERTY

3.75 *CONWEP CHARGE PROPERTY: Define a CONWEP charge for incident waves.

This option defines parameters that create the time history of pressure loading used to simulate an explosion
in air. This option must be used in conjunction with the *INCIDENT WAVE INTERACTION PROPERTY
option. The pressure loading is calculated using the CONWEP model empirical data in which mass, length,
time, and pressure are given in specific units. Multiplication factors are defined for conversion between the
CONWEP data units and the analysis units.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model data

Level: Model

References:
• “Acoustic and shock loads,” Section 34.4.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *INCIDENT WAVE INTERACTION PROPERTY

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define the CONWEP charge properties:

First line:
1. Equivalent mass of TNT in any preferred mass unit.
2. Multiplication factor to convert from the preferred mass unit to kilograms. The default is 1.0.

Second line (enter a blank line if the analysis uses SI units):

1. Multiplication factor to convert from the analysis length unit to meter.
2. Multiplication factor to convert from the analysis time unit to second.
3. Multiplication factor to convert from the analysis pressure unit to pascal (N/m2 ).

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 * CORRELATION

3.76 *CORRELATION: Define cross-correlation properties for random response loading.

This option is used to define the cross-correlation as part of the definition of random loading for use in the
*RANDOM RESPONSE analysis procedure. The *PSD-DEFINITION option is also needed to give the
frequency function to be used with the correlation definition.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Random response analysis,” Section 6.3.11 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *PSD-DEFINITION
• “UCORR,” Section 1.1.22 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Required parameter for TYPE=CORRELATED and TYPE=UNCORRELATED:

PSD
Set this parameter equal to the name of the frequency function defined on the *PSD-DEFINITION
option to be associated with this correlation option.

Optional parameters:

COMPLEX
Set COMPLEX=YES to include both real and imaginary terms in the cross-correlation definition.
The alternative is to include real terms only using COMPLEX=NO (default).
INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the alternate input file containing the data lines for this
option. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax
of such file names. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the data follow the keyword line.
TYPE
Set TYPE=CORRELATED (default) if all terms in the correlation matrix should be included.
Set TYPE=UNCORRELATED if only diagonal terms should be used.
Set TYPE=MOVING NOISE for moving noise loading. In this case only one
*CORRELATION option can be used in the step. The COMPLEX parameter cannot be used
with TYPE=MOVING NOISE.

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* CORRELATION

USER
Include this parameter to indicate that user subroutine UCORR will be called to obtain the scaling
factors for the correlation matrix. If this parameter is included, the TYPE parameter can be set only
to CORRELATED or UNCORRELATED.

Data lines for TYPE=CORRELATED or TYPE=UNCORRELATED:

First line:
1. Load case number defined on the loading data lines.
2. Real part of scaling factor.
3. Imaginary part of scaling factor. (Only needed if COMPLEX=YES.)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the load cases and their associated scaling factors.

Data lines if the USER parameter is included:

First line:
1. Load case number defined on the loading data lines.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the load cases to be correlated.

Data lines for TYPE=MOVING NOISE:

First line:
1. Load case number defined on the loading data lines.
2. x-component of noise velocity.
3. y-component of noise velocity.
4. z-component of noise velocity.
5. Name of the power spectral density function, defined on the *PSD-DEFINITION option, for
this noise source.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the random loading.

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 * CO-SIMULATION

3.77 *CO-SIMULATION: Identify the analysis program for co-simulation with Abaqus.

This option is used to identify the analysis program for co-simulation with Abaqus and the co-simulation
controls used to define the coupling and rendezvousing scheme.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Co-simulation: overview,” Section 17.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Preparing an Abaqus analysis for co-simulation,” Section 17.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Structural-to-structural co-simulation,” Section 17.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Fluid-to-structural co-simulation and conjugate heat transfer,” Section 17.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• *CO-SIMULATION CONTROLS
• *CO-SIMULATION REGION

Required parameters:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the co-simulation event. The
co-simulation name adheres to the naming convention for labels (see “Input syntax rules,”
Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide), except that it cannot begin with a number.
PROGRAM
Set PROGRAM=MULTIPHYSICS for exchange of data between Abaqus and the
SIMULIA Co-Simulation Engine, which in turn can exchange data with third-party analysis
programs that support the SIMULIA Co-Simulation Engine. This parameter should also be used
in an Abaqus/CFD to Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/CFD to Abaqus/Explicit co-simulation.
Set PROGRAM=ABAQUS for exchange of data with another Abaqus analysis in an
Abaqus/Standard to Abaqus/Explicit co-simulation.
Set PROGRAM=DIRECT for exchange of data between Abaqus and certain third-party
analysis programs. For more information, refer to the appropriate third-party program
documentation.

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* CO-SIMULATION

Set PROGRAM=MPCCI for exchange of data between Abaqus and the Mesh-based parallel
Code Coupling Interface (MpCCI), which in turn can exchange data with third-party analysis
programs supporting MpCCI.

Optional parameter:

CONTROLS
This parameter is required when PROGRAM=ABAQUS or PROGRAM=MPCCI.
Set this parameter equal to the name of the co-simulation controls to be used to define the
coupling and rendezvousing scheme.
For PROGRAM=DIRECT or PROGRAM=MULTIPHYSICS, the co-simulation controls are
defined in the co-simulation configuration file.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * CO-SIMULATION CONTROLS

3.78 *CO-SIMULATION CONTROLS: Specify the coupling and rendezvousing scheme for
co-simulation.

This option is used to specify the coupling and rendezvousing scheme for co-simulation. It must be
used in conjunction with the *CO-SIMULATION option to identify the analysis program for which the
co-simulation controls are specified. This option is required for co-simulation when PROGRAM=ABAQUS
or PROGRAM=MPCCI is used on the *CO-SIMULATION option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Co-simulation: overview,” Section 17.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Preparing an Abaqus analysis for co-simulation,” Section 17.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Structural-to-structural co-simulation,” Section 17.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Fluid-to-structural co-simulation and conjugate heat transfer,” Section 17.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• *CO-SIMULATION
• *CO-SIMULATION REGION

Specifying the coupling and rendezvousing scheme for *CO-SIMULATION, PROGRAM=ABAQUS

Required parameter:
NAME
Set this parameter equal to the label that will be used to identify the co-simulation controls. All
co-simulation control names in the same input file must be unique.

Optional parameters:
FACTORIZATION FREQUENCY
This parameter is valid when used with the TIME INCREMENTATION=SUBCYCLE parameter.
Set FACTORIZATION FREQUENCY=EXPLICIT INCREMENT (default) to specify
factoring of the interface matrix every Abaqus/Explicit increment.

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Set FACTORIZATION FREQUENCY=STANDARD INCREMENT to specify factoring of

the interface matrix once per Abaqus/Standard increment.

TIME INCREMENTATION
Set TIME INCREMENTATION=SUBCYCLE (default) to allow Abaqus to take one or more
increments to reach the next target time to exchange data with the external program. This setting
is valid only in an Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit analysis.
Set TIME INCREMENTATION=LOCKSTEP to force Abaqus to use only one increment to
reach the next target time.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

Specifying the coupling and rendezvousing scheme for *CO-SIMULATION, PROGRAM=MPCCI

Required parameters:

NAME
Set this parameter equal to the label that will be used to identify the co-simulation controls. All
co-simulation control names in the same input file must be unique.

STEP SIZE
Set this parameter equal to a value that defines the constant coupling step size to be used throughout
the coupled simulation.
Set STEP SIZE=IMPORT for Abaqus to import a coupling step size from the external program
for the next coupling step.
Set STEP SIZE=EXPORT for Abaqus to export a coupling step size to the external program
for the next coupling step.
Set STEP SIZE=MAX for Abaqus to select the maximum coupling step size based on the
suggested coupling step size of Abaqus and the external program.
Set STEP SIZE=MIN for Abaqus to select the minimum coupling step size based on the
suggested coupling step size of Abaqus and the external program.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

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 * CO-SIMULATION REGION

3.79 *CO-SIMULATION REGION: Identify the interface regions in the Abaqus model and
specify the fields to be exchanged during co-simulation.

This option is used to identify the regions across which data will be exchanged and to specify the fields to be
passed across those regions. It must be used in conjunction with the *CO-SIMULATION option to identify
the analysis program for co-simulation with Abaqus.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Co-simulation: overview,” Section 17.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Preparing an Abaqus analysis for co-simulation,” Section 17.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CO-SIMULATION

Defining a co-simulation region for *CO-SIMULATION, PROGRAM=MULTIPHYSICS or

PROGRAM=MPCCI

Required, mutually exclusive parameters:

EXPORT
Include this parameter to specify fields and the accompanying region for export to the coupled
analysis.
IMPORT
Include this parameter to specify fields and the accompanying region for import from the coupled
analysis.

Optional parameter:

TYPE
Set TYPE=NODE to define a co-simulation region consisting of nodes only.
Set TYPE=SURFACE (default) to define a co-simulation surface region.
Set TYPE=VOLUME to define a co-simulation volume region.

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* CO-SIMULATION REGION

Data lines for TYPE=NODE:

First line:

1. The name of the node set.

2. Field identifier for the field to be passed across this surface. The field identifiers are defined
in “Preparing an Abaqus analysis for co-simulation,” Section 17.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide.
3. Etc., up to seven field identifiers.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define more than seven field identifiers for a given region.
Repeat the option to define import and/or export fields. When PROGRAM=MULTIPHYSICS, only a single
node set can be declared for the co-simulation.

Data lines for TYPE=SURFACE:

First line:

1. The name of the element-based or node-based surface.

2. Field identifier for the field to be passed across this surface. The field identifiers are defined
in “Preparing an Abaqus analysis for co-simulation,” Section 17.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide.
3. Etc., up to seven field identifiers.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define more than seven field identifiers for a given region.
Repeat the option to define import and/or export fields. When PROGRAM=MULTIPHYSICS, only a single
surface can be declared for the co-simulation.

Data lines for TYPE=VOLUME:

First line:

1. The name of the element set.

2. Field identifier for the field to be passed across this surface. The field identifiers are defined
in “Preparing an Abaqus analysis for co-simulation,” Section 17.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide.
3. Etc., up to seven field identifiers.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define more than seven field identifiers for a given region.
Repeat the option to define import and/or export fields. When PROGRAM=MULTIPHYSICS, only a single
element set can be declared for the co-simulation.

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Defining a co-simulation region for *CO-SIMULATION, PROGRAM=ABAQUS

Optional parameter:

TYPE
Set TYPE=SURFACE (default) to define a surface-based co-simulation region.
Set TYPE=NODE to define a co-simulation region using a node set.

Data line for TYPE=SURFACE:

First (and only) line:

1. The name of the element-based or node-based surface.

Data line for TYPE=NODE:

First (and only) line:

1. The name of the node set.

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 * COUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT

3.80 *COUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT: Fully coupled, simultaneous heat

transfer and stress analysis.

This option is used to analyze problems where the simultaneous solution of the temperature and
stress/displacement fields is necessary.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

References:
• “Fully coupled thermal-stress analysis,” Section 6.5.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Rate-dependent plasticity: creep and swelling,” Section 23.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
ALLSDTOL
Include this parameter to indicate that an adaptive automatic damping algorithm will be activated
in this step. Set this parameter equal to the maximum allowable ratio of the stabilization energy
to the total strain energy. The initial damping factor is specified via the STABILIZE parameter or
the FACTOR parameter. This damping factor will then be adjusted through the step based on the
convergence history and the value of ALLSDTOL. If this parameter is set equal to zero, the adaptive
automatic damping algorithm is not activated; a constant damping factor will be used throughout
the step. If this parameter is included without a specified value, the default value is 0.05. If this
parameter is omitted but the STABILIZE parameter is included with the default value of dissipated
energy fraction, the adaptive automatic damping algorithm will be activated automatically with
ALLSDTOL=0.05.
This parameter must be used in conjunction with the STABILIZE parameter (see “Solving
nonlinear problems,” Section 7.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
CONTINUE
Set CONTINUE=NO (default) to specify that this step will not carry over the damping factors from
the results of the preceding general step. In this case the initial damping factors will be recalculated
based on the declared damping intensity and on the solution of the first increment of the step or can
be specified directly.
Set CONTINUE=YES to specify that this step will carry over the damping factors from the
end of the immediately preceding general step.

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* COUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT

This parameter must be used in conjunction with the ALLSDTOL and the STABILIZE
parameters.

CREEP
Set CREEP=EXPLICIT to use explicit integration for creep and swelling effects throughout the
step, which may sometimes be computationally less expensive. When CREEP=EXPLICIT, the
time increment will be limited by the accuracy tolerances (CETOL and DELTMX) and also by
the stability limit of the forward difference operator. See “Rate-dependent plasticity: creep and
swelling,” Section 23.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide for details on the integration scheme.
Set CREEP=NONE to specify that there is no creep or viscoelastic response occurring during
this step even if creep or viscoelastic material properties have been defined.

ELECTRICAL
Include this parameter to specify that electrical conduction will be modeled in regions of the model
that use thermal-electrical-structural elements.
In this case Abaqus/Standard solves the heat transfer equations in conjunction with the
mechanical equilibrium and the electrical conduction equations.
Omit this parameter to specify that the electrical conduction will not be modeled in these
regions.

FACTOR
Set this parameter equal to the damping factor to be used in the automatic damping algorithm
(see “Solving nonlinear problems,” Section 7.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) if the
problem is expected to be unstable due to local instabilities and the damping factor calculated by
Abaqus/Standard is not suitable. This parameter must be used in conjunction with the STABILIZE
parameter and overrides the automatic calculation of the damping factor based on a value of the
dissipated energy fraction.

STABILIZE
Include this parameter to use automatic stabilization if the problem is expected to be unstable due
to local instabilities. Set this parameter equal to the dissipated energy fraction of the automatic
damping algorithm (see “Solving nonlinear problems,” Section 7.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide). If this parameter is omitted, the stabilization algorithm is not activated. If this parameter
is included without a specified value, the default value of the dissipated energy fraction is 2 × 10−4
and the adaptive automatic damping algorithm will be activated by default with ALLSDTOL =0.05
in this step; set ALLSDTOL=0 to deactivate the adaptive automatic damping algorithm. If the
FACTOR parameter is used, any value of the dissipated energy fraction will be overriden by the
damping factor.

STEADY STATE
Include this parameter to choose steady-state analysis. If this parameter is omitted, the step is
assumed to involve transient response. If this parameter is included, automatic time incrementation
will be used.

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 * COUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT

Optional parameters to control time incrementation in transient analysis:

CETOL
Set this parameter equal to the maximum difference in the creep strain increment calculated from the
creep strain rates at the beginning and at the end of the increment, thus controlling the accuracy of
the creep integration. The tolerance is sometimes calculated by choosing an acceptable stress error
tolerance and dividing by a typical elastic modulus. This parameter is meaningful only when the
material response is time dependent (creep and swelling). If both this parameter and the DELTMX
parameter are omitted in a transient analysis, fixed time increments will be used, with a constant
time increment equal to the initial time increment.

DELTMX
Set this parameter equal to the maximum temperature change allowed within an increment.
Abaqus/Standard will restrict the time step to ensure that this value is not exceeded at any node
during any increment of the step. If both this and the CETOL parameter are omitted in a transient
analysis, fixed time increments will be used, with a constant time increment equal to the initial
time increment.

Data line to control incrementation in a fully coupled thermal-stress analysis:

First (and only) line:

1. Suggested initial time increment. If automatic incrementation is used, this should be a
reasonable suggestion for the initial increment size and will be adjusted as necessary. If direct
incrementation is used, this will be the fixed time increment size.
2. Total time period for the step.
3. Minimum time increment allowed. If Abaqus/Standard finds it needs a smaller time increment
than this value, the analysis is terminated. If this entry is zero, a default value of the smaller of
the suggested initial time increment or 10−5 times the total time period is assumed. This value
is used only for automatic time incrementation.
4. Maximum time increment allowed. If this value is not specified, the default upper limit is the
total time period for the step. This value is used only for automatic time incrementation.

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 * COUPLED THERMAL-ELECTRICAL

3.81 *COUPLED THERMAL-ELECTRICAL: Fully coupled, simultaneous heat transfer and

electrical analysis.

This option is used to analyze problems where the electrical potential and temperature fields must be solved
simultaneously.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:

• “Coupled thermal-electrical analysis,” Section 6.7.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

DELTMX
Include this parameter to activate automatic time incrementation in transient analysis. If the
DELTMX parameter is omitted in a transient analysis, fixed time increments will be used. Set this
parameter equal to the maximum temperature change to be allowed in an increment in a transient
analysis. Abaqus/Standard will restrict the time step to ensure that this value will not be exceeded
at any node (except nodes with boundary conditions) during any increment of the analysis.

END
Set END=PERIOD (default) to analyze a specific time period in a transient analysis. Set END=SS
to end the analysis when steady state is reached.

MXDEM
For problems including cavity radiation heat transfer, set this parameter equal to the maximum
allowable emissivity change with temperature and field variables during an increment. If the value
of MXDEM is exceeded, Abaqus/Standard will cut back the increment until the maximum change
in emissivity is less than the value input. If this parameter is omitted, a default value of 0.1 is used.
This parameter controls the accuracy of changes in emissivity due to temperature since
Abaqus/Standard evaluates the emissivity based on the temperature at the start of each increment
and uses that emissivity value throughout the increment.

3.81–1

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* COUPLED THERMAL-ELECTRICAL

STEADY STATE
Include this parameter to choose steady-state thermal analysis. Transient thermal analysis is
assumed if this parameter is omitted. If this parameter is included, automatic time incrementation
will be used.

Data line to define incrementation and steady state:

First (and only) line:

1. Initial time increment. If automatic incrementation is used, this value should be a reasonable
suggestion for the initial step and will be adjusted as necessary. If direct incrementation is
used, this value will be the fixed time increment size.
2. Total time period. If END=SS is chosen, the step ends when steady state is reached or after
this time period, whichever occurs first.
3. Minimum time increment allowed. If Abaqus/Standard finds it needs a smaller time increment
than this value, the analysis is terminated. If a value is given, Abaqus/Standard will use the
minimum of the given value and 0.8 times the initial time increment. If no value is given,
Abaqus/Standard sets the minimum increment equal to the minimum of 0.8 times the initial
time increment (first data item on this data line) and 10−5 times the total time period (second
data item on this data line). This value is used only for automatic time incrementation.
4. Maximum time increment allowed. If this value is not specified, the upper limit is the total
step time. This value is used only for automatic time incrementation.
5. Temperature change rate (temperature per time) used to define steady-state thermal conditions;
only needed if END=SS is chosen. When all nodal temperatures are changing at less than this
rate, the solution terminates.

3.81–2

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 * COUPLING

3.82 *COUPLING: Define a surface-based coupling constraint.

This option is used to impose a kinematic or distributing coupling constraint between a reference node
and a group of nodes located on a surface. It must be used in conjunction with the *KINEMATIC or the
*DISTRIBUTING option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Coupling constraints,” Section 35.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Element-based surface definition,” Section 2.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Node-based surface definition,” Section 2.3.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameters:
CONSTRAINT NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to this constraint.
REF NODE
Set this parameter equal to either the node number of the reference node or the name of a node set
containing the reference nodes.
SURFACE
Set this parameter equal to the surface name on which the coupling nodes are located.

Optional parameters:
INFLUENCE RADIUS
Set this parameter equal to the radius of influence centered about the reference node. If this
parameter is omitted, the entire surface is used to define the coupling constraint.
ORIENTATION
Set this parameter equal to the name given to the *ORIENTATION definition (“Orientations,”
Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) that specifies the initial orientation of the local
system in which the constrained degrees of freedom are defined.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

3.82–1

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 * CRADIATE

3.83 *CRADIATE: Specify radiation conditions and associated sink temperatures at one
or more nodes or vertices.

This option is used to apply radiation boundary conditions between a node and a nonreflecting environment
in fully coupled thermal-stress analysis. In Abaqus/Standard it is also used for heat transfer, coupled thermal-
electrical, and coupled thermal-electrical-structural analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

Reference:
• “Thermal loads,” Section 34.4.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *AMPLITUDE option that gives the variation of the
ambient temperature with time.
If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the reference magnitude is applied
immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned
to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of
the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *CRADIATE definitions to remain, with this option modifying
existing radiation conditions or defining additional radiation conditions.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *CRADIATE definitions applied to the model should be removed.
REGION TYPE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
This parameter is relevant only for concentrated radiation conditions applied on the boundary
of an adaptive mesh domain. If concentrated radiation conditions are applied to nodes in the interior
of an adaptive mesh domain, these nodes will always follow the material.
Set REGION TYPE=LAGRANGIAN (default) to apply a concentrated radiation condition to
a node that follows the material (nonadaptive).

3.83–1

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* CRADIATE

Set REGION TYPE=SLIDING to apply a concentrated radiation condition to a node that can
slide over the material. Mesh constraints are typically applied to the node to fix it spatially.
Set REGION TYPE=EULERIAN to apply a concentrated radiation condition to a node that
can move independently of the material. This option is used only for boundary regions where the
material can flow into or out of the adaptive mesh domain. Mesh constraints must be used normal
to an Eulerian boundary region to allow material to flow through the region. If no mesh constraints
are applied, an Eulerian boundary region will behave in the same way as a sliding boundary region.

Data lines to define radiation conditions:

First line:
1. Node number or node set name.
2. Appropriate area associated with the node where the concentrated radiation condition is
applied. The default is 1.0.
3. Reference ambient temperature value, . (Units of .)
4. Emissivity, .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define radiation conditions.

3.83–2

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 * CREEP

3.84 *CREEP: Define a creep law.

This option is used when metal creep behavior is to be included in a material definition. Metal creep
behavior defined is active only during *DIRECT CYCLIC; *SOILS, CONSOLIDATION; *COUPLED
TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT; *STEADY STATE TRANSPORT; and *VISCO procedures. This
option can also be used to define creep behavior in the thickness direction in a gasket; in this case the option
is active only during the *VISCO procedure.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Rate-dependent plasticity: creep and swelling,” Section 23.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Anisotropic yield/creep,” Section 23.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “CREEP,” Section 1.1.1 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the creep constants in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the
creep constants have no dependencies or depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for
more information.
LAW
Set LAW=STRAIN (default) to choose a strain-hardening power law.
Set LAW=TIME to choose a time-hardening power law.
Set LAW=HYPERB to choose a hyperbolic-sine law.
Set LAW=USER to input the creep law using user subroutine CREEP.
TIME
This parameter is relevant only when LAW=TIME is used.
Set TIME=CREEP (default) to use creep time in the time-hardening relation.
Set TIME=TOTAL to use total time in the time-hardening relation.

3.84–1

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* CREEP

Data lines for LAW=TIME or LAW=STRAIN:

First line:
1. A. (Units of F L T .)
2. n.
3. m.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the creep constants on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for LAW=HYPERB:

First line:
1. A. (Units of T−1 .)
2. B. (Units of F−1 L2 .)
3. n.
4. . (Units of JM−1 .) (This value can be left blank if temperature dependence is not needed.)
5. R. (Units of JM−1 −1
.)
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the creep constants on
predefined field variables.

3.84–2

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 * CREEP STRAIN RATE CONTROL

3.85 *CREEP STRAIN RATE CONTROL: Control loadings based on the maximum
equivalent creep strain rate.

This option is used to control loading based on a maximum equivalent creep strain rate calculated in a specified
element set.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

Reference:
• “Rate-dependent plasticity: creep and swelling,” Section 23.2.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the *AMPLITUDE name (of type DEFINITION=SOLUTION
DEPENDENT) that is referenced by the loads being controlled (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set in which the search for the maximum
equivalent creep strain rate is made. The *CREEP option must be part of the *MATERIAL
definition (“Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) for
some elements in the set.

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the target creep strain rate, in addition to temperature and creep strain. If this parameter is omitted, it
is assumed that the target creep strain rate depends only on the equivalent creep strain and, possibly,
on temperature. The creep strain dependency curve at each temperature must always start at zero
equivalent creep strain. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,”
Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing target *CREEP STRAIN RATE CONTROL definitions to
remain, with this option defining target creep strain rates to be added or modified.
Set OP=NEW if all target creep strain rates defined in the previous step should be removed.

3.85–1

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* CREEP STRAIN RATE CONTROL

Data lines to define load control parameters:

First line:
1. Target equivalent creep strain rate.
2. Equivalent creep strain.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of target strain rate on creep
strain, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

3.85–2

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 * CRUSHABLE FOAM

3.86 *CRUSHABLE FOAM: Specify the crushable foam plasticity model.

This option is used to specify the plastic part of the material behavior for elastic-plastic materials that
use the crushable foam plasticity model. It must be used in conjunction with the *CRUSHABLE FOAM
HARDENING option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Crushable foam plasticity models,” Section 23.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CRUSHABLE FOAM HARDENING

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the crushable foam parameters, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the crushable foam parameters are constant or depend only on temperature. See “Specifying
field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide, for more information.
HARDENING
Set HARDENING=VOLUMETRIC (default) to specify the volumetric hardening model.
Set HARDENING=ISOTROPIC to specify the isotropic hardening model.
Data lines to define the crushable foam plasticity model with volumetric hardening
(HARDENING=VOLUMETRIC):

First line:
1. , yield stress ratio for compression loading; . Enter the ratio of initial
yield stress in uniaxial compression to initial yield stress in hydrostatic compression.
2. , yield stress ratio for hydrostatic loading; . Enter the ratio of yield stress in
hydrostatic tension to initial yield stress in hydrostatic compression, given as a positive value.
The default value is 1.0.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.

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* CRUSHABLE FOAM

5. Second field variable.

6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the crushable foam
parameters on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define the crushable foam plasticity model with isotropic hardening
(HARDENING=ISOTROPIC):

First line:
1. , yield stress ratio for compression loading; . Enter the ratio of initial
yield stress in uniaxial compression to initial yield stress in hydrostatic compression.
2. , plastic Poisson’s ratio; .
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the crushable foam
parameters on temperature and other predefined field variables.

3.86–2

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 * CRUSHABLE FOAM HARDENING

3.87 *CRUSHABLE FOAM HARDENING: Specify hardening for the crushable foam
plasticity model.

This option is used to define the hardening data for elastic-plastic materials that use the crushable foam
plasticity model. It must be used in conjunction with the *CRUSHABLE FOAM option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Crushable foam plasticity models,” Section 23.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CRUSHABLE FOAM

Optional parameter:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
yield surface size, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the size
of the yield surface depends only on the volumetric plastic strain and, possibly, on the temperature.
See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

Data lines to define crushable foam hardening:

First line:
1. , yield stress in uniaxial compression, given as a positive value.
2. Absolute value of the corresponding plastic strain. (The first tabular value entered must always
be zero.)
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.

3.87–1

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* CRUSHABLE FOAM HARDENING

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the yield stress in
uniaxial compression on the corresponding axial plastic strain and, if needed, on temperature and other
predefined field variables.

3.87–2

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 * CYCLED PLASTIC

3.88 *CYCLED PLASTIC: Specify cycled yield stress data for the *ORNL model.

This option is used to specify the tenth-cycle yield stress and hardening values for the ORNL constitutive
model. It is relevant only if the *ORNL option is used.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• *ORNL
• “ORNL – Oak Ridge National Laboratory constitutive model,” Section 23.2.12 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to specify cycled yield stress data:

First line:
1. Yield stress.
2. Plastic strain.
3. Temperature.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the dependence of yield stress on plastic strain and,
if needed, on temperature.

3.88–1

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 * CYCLIC

3.89 *CYCLIC: Define cyclic symmetry for a cavity radiation heat transfer analysis.

This option is used to define cavity symmetry by cyclic repetition about a point or an axis. The *CYCLIC
option can be used only following the *RADIATION SYMMETRY option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Cavity radiation,” Section 41.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *RADIATION SYMMETRY

Required parameters:
NC
Set this parameter equal to the number of cyclically similar images that compose the cavity formed
as a result of this symmetry. The angle of rotation (about a point or an axis) used to create cyclically
similar images is equal to 360°/NC.
TYPE
Set TYPE=POINT to create a two-dimensional cavity by cyclic repetition of the cavity surface
defined in the model by rotation about a point, l. See Figure 3.89–1. The cavity surface defined
in the model must be bounded by the line and a line passing through l at an angle, measured
counterclockwise when looking into the plane of the model, of 360°/NC to .
Set TYPE=AXIS to create a three-dimensional cavity by cyclic repetition of the cavity surface
defined in the model by rotation about an axis, . See Figure 3.89–2. The cavity surface defined
in the model must be bounded by the plane and a plane passing through line at an angle,
measured clockwise when looking from l to m, of 360°/NC to . Line must be normal to line
.

Data line to define cyclic symmetry for a two-dimensional cavity (TYPE=POINT):

First (and only) line:

1. x-coordinate of rotation point l (see Figure 3.89–1).
2. y-coordinate of rotation point l.
3. x-coordinate of point k.
4. y-coordinate of point k.

3.89–1

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* CYCLIC

Data lines to define cyclic symmetry for a three-dimensional cavity (TYPE=AXIS):

First line:
1. x-coordinate of point l on rotation axis (see Figure 3.89–2).
2. y-coordinate of point l on rotation axis.
3. z-coordinate of point l on rotation axis.
4. x-coordinate of point m on rotation axis.
5. y-coordinate of point m on rotation axis.
6. z-coordinate of point m on rotation axis.

Second line:
1. x-coordinate of point k.
2. y-coordinate of point k.
3. z-coordinate of point k.

n=4

l k

Figure 3.89–1 *CYCLIC, TYPE=POINT option.

3.89–2

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 * CYCLIC

m
k

l
n=8

Figure 3.89–2 *CYCLIC, TYPE=AXIS option.

3.89–3

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 * CYCLIC HARDENING

3.90 *CYCLIC HARDENING: Specify the size of the elastic range for the combined
hardening model.

This option is used to define the evolution of the elastic domain for the nonlinear isotropic/kinematic hardening
model. It can be used only in conjunction with the *PLASTIC option. The elastic domain remains constant
during the analysis if this option is not used.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

• “Models for metals subjected to cyclic loading,” Section 23.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *PLASTIC
• “UHARD,” Section 1.1.36 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “VUHARD,” Section 1.2.15 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of
the cyclic hardening behavior, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, this behavior
does not depend on field variables. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data
definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.

PARAMETERS
Include this parameter to provide the material parameters and b directly.

USER
Include this parameter to define the elastic range in user subroutine UHARD in Abaqus/Standard
analyses and user subroutine VUHARD in Abaqus/Explicit analyses. This parameter cannot be
included if the kinematic hardening component is specified via half-cycle test data using DATA
TYPE=HALF CYCLE on the associated *PLASTIC option.

3.90–1

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* CYCLIC HARDENING

Optional parameter for use with the USER parameter:

PROPERTIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of property values needed as data in user subroutine UHARD
in Abaqus/Standard analyses and user subroutine VUHARD in Abaqus/Explicit analyses. The default
is PROPERTIES=0.

Optional parameter if neither PARAMETERS nor USER is included:

RATE
Set this parameter equal to the equivalent plastic strain rate, , for which this stress-strain curve
applies.

Data lines to give tabular material data:

First line:
1. Equivalent stress defining the size of the elastic range.
2. Equivalent plastic strain.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the values of the isotropic component as a
function of plastic strain, temperature, and other predefined variables.

Data lines to define the material parameters directly (PARAMETERS):

First line:
1. Equivalent stress defining the size of the elastic range at zero plastic strain.
2. Isotropic hardening parameter, .
3. Isotropic hardening parameter, b.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.

3.90–2

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 * CYCLIC HARDENING

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameters
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for USER with PROPERTIES:

First line:
1. Give the hardening properties, eight per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define all hardening properties.

3.90–3

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 * CYCLIC SYMMETRY MODEL

3.91 *CYCLIC SYMMETRY MODEL: Define the number of sectors and the axis of
symmetry for a cyclic symmetric structure.

This option is used to define the number of sectors and the axis of symmetry for a cyclic symmetric structure.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Analysis of models that exhibit cyclic symmetry,” Section 10.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *SELECT CYCLIC SYMMETRY MODES
• *TIE

Required parameter:

N
Set this parameter equal to the number of repetitive datum sectors in the entire 360° structure.

Data line to define the axis of cyclic symmetry:

First (and only) line:

1. X-coordinate of the first point defining the cyclic symmetry axis.
2. Y-coordinate of the first point defining the cyclic symmetry axis.
3. Z-coordinate of the first point defining the cyclic symmetry axis.
The second point is not required for two-dimensional analyses.
4. X-coordinate of the second point defining the cyclic symmetry axis.
5. Y-coordinate of the second point defining the cyclic symmetry axis.
6. Z-coordinate of the second point defining the cyclic symmetry axis.

3.91–1

Abaqus ID:
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 D

4. D

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * D ADDED MASS

4.1 *D ADDED MASS: Specify distributed added mass in a *FREQUENCY step.

This option is used to include the “added mass” contributions due to distributed fluid inertia loads in a
*FREQUENCY step.

Product: Abaqus/Aqua

Type: History data

Level: Step

Reference:
• “Abaqus/Aqua analysis,” Section 6.11.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define distributed fluid added mass:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label FI.
3. Effective outer diameter of the member.
4. Transverse added-mass coefficient, .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed fluid added mass at various elements
or element sets.

Data lines to define concentrated fluid added mass:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label FI1 or FI2.
3. Added mass coefficient, .
4. Structural acceleration shape factor, .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated fluid added mass at various elements
or element sets.

4.1–1

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 * D EM POTENTIAL

4.2 *D EM POTENTIAL: Specify distributed surface magnetic vector potential.

This option is used to prescribe distributed surface magnetic vector potential in an eddy current or in a
magnetostatic analysis.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

Reference:
• “Eddy current analysis,” Section 6.7.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Magnetostatic analysis,” Section 6.7.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the variation of the magnetic
vector potential magnitude during the step with respect to frequency for time-harmonic eddy current
analysis or with respect to time for transient eddy current and magnetostatic analyses.
Amplitude references are ignored for nonuniform potentials given by user subroutine
UDEMPOTENTIAL.
Only the magnitude of the magnetic vector potential is changed with frequency or time. The
direction (or both the real and imaginary parts of the direction for a time-harmonic eddy current
analysis) of the magnetic vector potential is not changed.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *D EM POTENTIALs to remain, with this option modifying
existing distributed magnetic vector potentials or defining additional distributed magnetic vector
potentials.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *D EM POTENTIALs applied to the model should be removed.
New distributed magnetic vector potentials can be defined.

Data lines to define distributed surface magnetic vector potentials in a time-harmonic eddy
current analysis:

First line:
1. Surface name.

4.2–1

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* D EM POTENTIAL

2. Region type label S.

3. Distributed potential type label MVP (uniform) or MVPNU (nonuniform).
4. Name of the orientation (“Orientations,” Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide)
that defines the local coordinate system in which the magnetic vector potential is defined (if
left blank, the default is assumed to be the global coordinate system)
5. Magnitude of the real (in-phase) part of the reference magnetic vector potential, which can be
modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option. For nonuniform potentials the magnitude must
be defined in user subroutine UDEMPOTENTIAL. If given, this value, along with the three
components of the direction for the real part of the magnetic vector potential that are provided
as the next three data entries, will be passed into the user subroutine.
6. 1-component of the direction of the real part of the magnetic vector potential.
7. 2-component of the direction of the real part of the magnetic vector potential.
8. 3-component of the direction of the real part of the magnetic vector potential.
9. Magnitude of the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the reference magnetic vector potential,
which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option. For nonuniform potentials
the magnitude must be defined in user subroutine UDEMPOTENTIAL. If given, this value,
along with the three components of the direction for the imaginary part of the magnetic
vector potential that are provided as the next three data entries, will be passed into the user
subroutine.
10. 1-component of the direction of the imaginary part of the magnetic vector potential.
11. 2-component of the direction of the imaginary part of the magnetic vector potential.
12. 3-component of the direction of the imaginary part of the magnetic vector potential.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed magnetic vector potentials on different
surfaces.

Data lines to define distributed surface magnetic vector potentials in a transient eddy current
analysis or in a magnetostatic analysis:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Region type label S.
3. Distributed potential type label MVP (uniform) or MVPNU (nonuniform).
4. Name of the orientation (“Orientations,” Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide)
that defines the local coordinate system in which the magnetic vector potential is defined (if
left blank, the default is assumed to be the global coordinate system).
5. Magnitude of the reference magnetic vector potential, which can be modified by using the
*AMPLITUDE option. For nonuniform potentials the magnitude must be defined in user
subroutine UDEMPOTENTIAL. If given, this value, along with the three components of the
direction of the magnetic vector potential that are provided as the next three data entries, will
be passed into the user subroutine.

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6. 1-component of the direction of the magnetic vector potential.

7. 2-component of the direction of the magnetic vector potential.
8. 3-component of the direction of the magnetic vector potential.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed magnetic vector potentials on different
surfaces.

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4.3 *DAMAGE EVOLUTION: Specify material properties to define the evolution of

damage.

This option is used to provide material properties that define the evolution of damage leading to eventual
failure. It must be used in conjunction with the *DAMAGE INITIATION option. It can be utilized for
materials defined for cohesive elements, for enriched elements, for elements with plane stress formulations
(plane stress, shell, continuum shell, and membrane elements) used with the damage model for fiber-reinforced
materials, for ductile bulk materials associated with any element type in a low-cycle fatigue analysis, and,
in Abaqus/Explicit, for elastic-plastic materials associated with any element type. It can also be used in
conjunction with the *SURFACE INTERACTION and *DAMAGE INITIATION options to define a contact
property model that allows modeling of progressive failure for cohesive surfaces.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Damage evolution and element removal for ductile metals,” Section 24.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Damage evolution and element removal for fiber-reinforced composites,” Section 24.3.3 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide
• “Damage evolution for ductile materials in low-cycle fatigue,” Section 24.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining the constitutive response of cohesive elements using a traction-separation description,”
Section 32.5.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Surface-based cohesive behavior,” Section 37.1.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Modeling discontinuities as an enriched feature using the extended finite element method,”
Section 10.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

TYPE
Set TYPE=DISPLACEMENT to define the evolution of damage as a function of the total (for elastic
materials in cohesive elements) or the plastic (for bulk elastic-plastic materials) displacement after
the initiation of damage.

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Set TYPE=ENERGY to define the evolution of damage in terms of the energy required for
failure (fracture energy) after the initiation of damage.
Set TYPE=HYSTERESIS ENERGY to define the evolution of damage in terms of the inelastic
hysteresis energy dissipated per stabilized cycle after the initiation of damage in a low-cycle fatigue
analysis.

Optional parameters:

DEGRADATION
Set DEGRADATION=MAXIMUM (default) to specify that the current damage evolution
mechanism will interact with other damage evolution mechanisms in a maximum sense to
determine the total damage from multiple mechanisms.
Set DEGRADATION=MULTIPLICATIVE to specify that the current damage evolution
mechanism will interact with other damage evolution mechanisms using the same value of the
DEGRADATION parameter in a multiplicative manner to determine the total damage from
multiple mechanisms.
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of damage
evolution. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that properties defining the evolution of
damage are constant or depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence”
in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more
information.

FAILURE INDEX
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with the user-defined damage initiation criterion.
Set this parameter equal to the corresponding failure mechanism specified in the user-defined
damage initiation criterion for enriched elements.

MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR

This parameter is meaningful only when the *DAMAGE EVOLUTION option is used to define the
evolution of damage for materials associated with cohesive elements or for surface-based cohesive
behavior. If this parameter is omitted, Abaqus assumes that the damage evolution behavior is mode
independent.
Set MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=TABULAR to specify the fracture energy or displacement
(total or plastic) directly as a function of the shear-normal mode mix for cohesive elements.
This method must be used to specify the mixed-mode behavior for cohesive elements when
TYPE=DISPLACEMENT.
Set MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=POWER LAW to specify the fracture energy as a function
of the mode mix by means of a power law mixed mode fracture criterion.
Set MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=BK to specify the fracture energy as a function of the mode
mix by means of the Benzeggagh-Kenane mixed mode fracture criterion.

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MODE MIX RATIO

This parameter can be used only in conjunction with the MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR parameter.
The specification of the damage evolution properties (fracture energy or effective displacement) as
a function of the mode mix depends on the value of this parameter. See “Defining damage evolution
data as a tabular function of mode mix” in “Defining the constitutive response of cohesive elements
using a traction-separation description,” Section 32.5.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, or
“Defining damage evolution data as a tabular function of mode mix” in “Surface-based cohesive
behavior,” Section 37.1.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for further details.
Set MODE MIX RATIO=ENERGY (default) to define the mode mix in terms of a ratio
of fracture energy in the different modes. This definition must be used when MIXED MODE
BEHAVIOR=POWER LAW or BK.
Set MODE MIX RATIO=TRACTION to define the mode mix in terms of a ratio of traction
components.
POWER
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=POWER LAW
or MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=BK.
Set this parameter equal to the exponent in the power law or the Benzeggagh-Kenane criterion
that defines the variation of fracture energy with mode mix for cohesive elements.
SOFTENING
Set SOFTENING=LINEAR (default) to specify a linear softening stress-strain response (after the
initiation of damage) for linear elastic materials or a linear evolution of the damage variable with
deformation (after the initiation of damage) for elastic-plastic materials.
Set SOFTENING=EXPONENTIAL to specify an exponential softening stress-strain response
(after the initiation of damage) for linear elastic materials or an exponential evolution of the damage
variable with deformation (after the initiation of damage) for elastic-plastic materials.
Set SOFTENING=TABULAR to specify the evolution of the damage variable with
deformation (after the initiation of damage) in tabular form. SOFTENING=TABULAR can be
used only in conjunction with TYPE=DISPLACEMENT.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, SOFTENING=LINEAR without

the MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR parameter:
First line:
1. Effective total or plastic displacement at failure, measured from the time of damage initiation.
2. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.

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2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the total or the plastic displacement at failure
as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=ENERGY, SOFTENING=LINEAR without the
MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR parameter:
First line:
1. Fracture energy.
2. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the fracture energy as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, SOFTENING=LINEAR, MIXED

MODE BEHAVIOR=TABULAR:
First line:
1. Total displacement at failure, measured from the time of damage initiation.
2. Appropriate mode mix ratio.
3. Appropriate mode mix ratio (if relevant, for three-dimensional problems with anisotropic shear
behavior).
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the total displacement at failure as a function
of mode mix, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

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Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=ENERGY, SOFTENING=LINEAR, MIXED MODE
BEHAVIOR=TABULAR:

First line:

1. Fracture energy.
2. Appropriate mode mix ratio.
3. Appropriate mode mix ratio (if relevant, for three-dimensional problems with anisotropic shear
behavior).
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):

1. Fifth field variable.

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the fracture energy as a function of mode
mix, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, SOFTENING=EXPONENTIAL

without the MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR parameter:

First line:

1. Effective total or plastic displacement at failure, measured from the time of damage initiation.
2. Exponential law parameter.
3. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):

1. Sixth field variable.

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the total or the plastic displacement at failure
and the exponential law parameter as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

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Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=ENERGY, SOFTENING=EXPONENTIAL without

the MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR parameter:

First line:

1. Fracture energy.
2. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):

1. Seventh field variable.

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the fracture energy as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, SOFTENING=EXPONENTIAL,

MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=TABULAR:

First line:

1. Total displacement at failure, measured from the time of damage initiation.

2. Exponential law parameter.
3. Appropriate mode mix ratio.
4. Appropriate mode mix ratio (if relevant, for three-dimensional problems with anisotropic shear
behavior).
5. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):

1. Fourth field variable.

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the total displacement at failure and the
exponential law parameter as a function of mode mix, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

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Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=ENERGY, SOFTENING=EXPONENTIAL, MIXED

MODE BEHAVIOR=TABULAR:

First line:
1. Fracture energy.
2. Appropriate mode mix ratio.
3. Appropriate mode mix ratio (if relevant, for three-dimensional problems with anisotropic shear
behavior).
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the fracture energy as a function of mode
mix, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, SOFTENING=TABULAR

without the MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR parameter:

First line:
1. Damage variable.
2. Effective total or plastic displacement, measured from the time of damage initiation.
3. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the damage variable as a function of the
total or the plastic displacement, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=DISPLACEMENT, SOFTENING=TABULAR,

MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=TABULAR:

First line:
1. Damage variable.

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2. Effective total displacement, measured from the time of damage initiation.

3. Appropriate mode mix ratio.
4. Appropriate mode mix ratio (if relevant, for three-dimensional problems with anisotropic shear
behavior).
5. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the damage variable as a function of the
total displacement, mode mix, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=ENERGY, SOFTENING=LINEAR or

EXPONENTIAL, MIXED MODE BEHAVIOR=POWER LAW or BK:

First line:
1. Normal mode fracture energy.
2. Shear mode fracture energy for failure in the first shear direction.
3. Shear mode fracture energy for failure in the second shear direction.
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the fracture energy as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=ENERGY, SOFTENING=LINEAR for the damage
model for fiber-reinforced materials:

First line:
1. Fracture energy of the lamina in the longitudinal tensile direction.
2. Fracture energy of the lamina in the longitudinal compressive direction.
3. Fracture energy of the lamina in the transverse tensile direction.
4. Fracture energy of the lamina in the transverse compressive direction.

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5. Temperature, if temperature dependent.

6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of fracture energies on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage evolution for TYPE=HYSTERESIS ENERGY in a low-cycle fatigue
analysis:

First line:
1. Material constant . (Units of )
2. Material constant .
3. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables per line.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of material constants on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

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4.4 *DAMAGE INITIATION: Specify material and contact properties to define the initiation
of damage.

This option is used to provide material properties that define the initiation of damage. It can also be used
in conjunction with the *SURFACE INTERACTION option to define a contact property model that allows
definition of damage initiation for cohesive surfaces.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Damage initiation for ductile metals,” Section 24.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Damage initiation for fiber-reinforced composites,” Section 24.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Damage initiation for ductile materials in low-cycle fatigue,” Section 24.4.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Defining the constitutive response of cohesive elements using a traction-separation description,”
Section 32.5.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Modeling discontinuities as an enriched feature using the extended finite element method,”
Section 10.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Surface-based cohesive behavior,” Section 37.1.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “UDMGINI,” Section 1.1.26 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Defining damage initiation as a material property

Required parameter:
CRITERION
Set CRITERION=DUCTILE to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the ductile failure
strain.
Set CRITERION=FLD to specify a damage initiation criterion based on a forming limit
diagram.
Set CRITERION=FLSD to specify a damage initiation criterion based on a forming limit stress
diagram.
Set CRITERION=HASHIN to specify damage initiation criteria based on the Hashin analysis.

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Set CRITERION=HYSTERESIS ENERGY to specify damage initiation criteria based on the

inelastic hysteresis energy dissipated per stabilized cycle in a low-cycle fatigue analysis.
Set CRITERION=JOHNSON COOK to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the
Johnson-Cook failure strain.
Set CRITERION=MAXE to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the maximum
nominal strain for cohesive elements or enriched elements.
Set CRITERION=MAXS to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the maximum
nominal stress criterion for cohesive elements or enriched elements.
Set CRITERION=MAXPE to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the maximum
principal strain for enriched elements.
Set CRITERION=MAXPS to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the maximum
principal stress criterion for enriched elements.
Set CRITERION=MK to specify a damage initiation criterion based on a Marciniak-Kuczynski
analysis.
Set CRITERION=MSFLD to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the Müschenborn
and Sonne forming limit diagram.
Set CRITERION=QUADE to specify a damage initiation based on the quadratic separation-
interaction criterion for cohesive elements or enriched elements.
Set CRITERION=QUADS to specify a damage initiation based on the quadratic traction-
interaction criterion for cohesive elements or enriched elements.
Set CRITERION=SHEAR to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the shear failure
strain.
Set CRITERION=USER to specify a user-defined damage initiation criterion for enriched
elements.

Optional parameters:

ALPHA
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=HASHIN.
Set this parameter equal to the value of the coefficient that will multiply the shear contribution
to the Hashin’s fiber initiation criterion. The default value is .
DEFINITION
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MSFLD.
Set DEFINITION=MSFLD (default) to specify the MSFLD damage initiation criterion by
providing the limit equivalent plastic strain as a tabular function of .
Set DEFINITION=FLD to specify the MSFLD damage initiation criterion by providing the
limit major strain as a tabular function of minor strain.
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of the damage
initiation properties. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the damage initiation

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properties are constant or depend only on temperature. This parameter cannot be used with
CRITERION=JOHNSON COOK.
FAILURE MECHANISMS
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=USER.
Set this parameter equal to the total number of failure mechanisms to be specified in a user-
defined damage initiation criterion. This parameter value must be a nonzero.
FEQ
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MK.
Set this parameter equal to the critical value of the deformation severity index for equivalent
plastic strains, . The default value is .
Set this parameter equal to zero if the deformation severity factor for equivalent plastic strains
should not be considered for the evaluation of the Marciniak-Kuczynski criterion.
FNN
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MK.
Set this parameter equal to the critical value of the deformation severity index for strains normal
to the groove direction, . The default value is .
Set this parameter equal to zero if the deformation severity factor for strains normal to the
groove should not be considered for the evaluation of the Marciniak-Kuczynski criterion.
FNT
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MK.
Set this parameter equal to the critical value of the deformation severity index for shear strains,
. The default value is .
Set this parameter equal to zero if the deformation severity factor for shear strains should not
be considered for the evaluation of the Marciniak-Kuczynski criterion.
FREQUENCY
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MK.
Set this parameter equal to the frequency, in increments, at which the Marciniak-Kuczynski
analysis is going to be performed. By default, the M-K analysis is performed every increment; that
is, FREQUENCY=1.
KS
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=SHEAR.
Set this parameter equal to the value of . The default value is .
LODE DEPENDENT
Include this parameter to define a ductile damage initiation criterion that depends on the Lode angle.
NORMAL DIRECTION
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MAXE, CRITERION=MAXS,
CRITERION=QUADE, or CRITERION=QUADS for enriched elements in Abaqus/Standard.

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Set NORMAL DIRECTION=1 (default) to specify that a new crack orthogonal to the element
local 1-direction will be introduced when the damage initiation criterion is satisfied.
Set NORMAL DIRECTION=2 to specify that a new crack orthogonal to the element local
2-direction will be introduced when the damage initiation criterion is satisfied.
NUMBER IMPERFECTIONS
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MK.
Set this parameter equal to the number of imperfections to be considered for the evaluation of
the Marciniak-Kuczynski analysis. These imperfections are assumed to be equally spaced in the
angular direction. By default, four imperfections are used.
OMEGA
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MSFLD in Abaqus/Explicit.
Set this parameter equal to the factor used for filtering the ratio of principal strain rates used
for the evaluation of the MSFLD damage initiation criterion. The default value is .
PEINC
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MSFLD in Abaqus/Explicit.
Set this parameter equal to the accumulated increment in equivalent plastic strain used to trigger
the evaluation of the MSFLD damage initiation criterion. The default value is ( %).
POSITION
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MAXPE,
CRITERION=MAXPS, CRITERION=MAXE, CRITERION=MAXS, CRITERION=QUADE,
CRITERION=QUADS, or CRITERION=USER for enriched elements in Abaqus/Standard.
Set POSITION=CENTROID (default) to use the stress/strain at the element centroid ahead of
the crack tip to determine if the damage initiation criterion is satisfied and to determine the crack
propagation direction (if needed).
Set POSITION=CRACKTIP to use the stress/strain extrapolated to the crack tip to determine
if the damage initiation criterion is satisfied and to determine the crack propagation direction (if
needed).
Set POSITION=COMBINED to use the stress/strain extrapolated to the crack tip to determine
if the damage initiation criterion is satisfied and to use the stress/strain at the element centroid to
determine the crack propagation direction (if needed).
PROPERTIES
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=USER.
Set this parameter equal to the number of material constants being specified for a user-defined
damage initiation criterion. This parameter value must be a nonzero value.
TOLERANCE
This parameter can be used only in conjunction with CRITERION=MAXPE,
CRITERION=MAXPS, CRITERION=MAXE, CRITERION=MAXS, CRITERION=QUADE,
CRITERION=QUADS, or CRITERION=USER for enriched elements in Abaqus/Standard.

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Set this parameter equal to the tolerance within which the damage initiation criterion must be
satisfied. The default is 0.05.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=DUCTILE without the LODE DEPENDENT
parameter:

First line:
1. Equivalent plastic strain at damage initiation.
2. Stress triaxiality, ( ).
3. Strain rate.
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the equivalent plastic strain at damage
initiation as a function of triaxiality, strain rate, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=DUCTILE, LODE DEPENDENT:

First line:
1. Equivalent plastic strain at damage initiation.
2. Stress triaxiality, .
3. Lode angle term, .
4. Strain rate.
5. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the equivalent plastic strain at damage
initiation as a function of triaxiality, Lode angle, strain rate, temperature, and other predefined field
variables.

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Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=FLD:

First line:
1. Major principal strain at damage initiation.
2. Minor principal strain.
3. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the major principal strain at damage initiation
as a function of minor principal strain, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=FLSD:

First line:
1. Major principal stress at damage initiation.
2. Minor principal stress.
3. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the major principal stress at damage initiation
as a function of minor principal stress, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=HASHIN:

First line:
1. Longitudinal tensile strength of the lamina.
2. Longitudinal compressive strength of the lamina.
3. Transverse tensile strength of the lamina.
4. Transverse compressive strength of the lamina.
5. Longitudinal shear strength of the lamina.
6. Transverse shear strength of the lamina.

4.4–6

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 * DAMAGE INITIATION

7. Temperature, if temperature dependent.

8. First field variable.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the strengths on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=HYSTERESIS ENERGY:

First line:
1. Material constant . (Units of )
2. Material constant .
3. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables per line.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of material constants on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=JOHNSON COOK:

First (and only) line:

1. Johnson-Cook failure parameter, .
2. Johnson-Cook failure parameter, .
3. Johnson-Cook failure parameter, .
4. Johnson-Cook failure parameter, .
5. Johnson-Cook failure parameter, .
6. Melting temperature, .
7. Transition temperature, .
8. Reference strain rate, .

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=MK:

First line:
1. Groove size relative to nominal thickness of the section, .

4.4–7

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* DAMAGE INITIATION

2. Angle (in degrees) with respect to the 1-direction of the local material orientation.
3. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the groove size as a function of angular
distance, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=MSFLD, DEFINITION=MSFLD:

First line:
1. Equivalent plastic strain at initiation of localized necking.
2. Ratio of minor to major principal strains, .
3. Equivalent plastic strain rate.
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the equivalent plastic strain at damage
initiation as a function of , equivalent plastic strain rate, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=MSFLD, DEFINITION=FLD:

First line:
1. Major principal strain at initiation of localized necking.
2. Minor principal strain.
3. Equivalent plastic strain rate.
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

4.4–8

Abaqus ID:
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 * DAMAGE INITIATION

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the major principal strain at damage initiation
as a function of minor principal strain, equivalent plastic strain rate, temperature, and other predefined
field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=QUADE or CRITERION=MAXE:

First line:
1. Nominal strain at damage initiation in a normal-only mode.
2. Nominal strain at damage initiation in a shear-only mode that involves separation only along
the first shear direction.
3. Nominal strain at damage initiation in a shear-only mode that involves separation only along
the second shear direction.
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the maximum normal and shear tractions at
damage initiation as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=QUADS or CRITERION=MAXS:

First line:
1. Maximum nominal stress in the normal-only mode.
2. Maximum nominal stress in the first shear direction (for a mode that involves separation only
in this direction).
3. Maximum nominal stress in the second shear direction (for a mode that involves separation
only in this direction).
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

4.4–9

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* DAMAGE INITIATION

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the maximum normal and shear tractions at
damage initiation as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=MAXPE:

First line:
1. Maximum principal strain at damage initiation.
2. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the maximum principal strain at damage
initiation as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=MAXPS:

First line:
1. Maximum principal stress at damage initiation.
2. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the maximum principal stress at damage
initiation as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=SHEAR:

First line:
1. Equivalent plastic strain at damage initiation.
2. Shear stress ratio, .

4.4–10

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 * DAMAGE INITIATION

3. Strain rate.
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the equivalent plastic strain at damage
initiation as a function of the shear stress ratio, strain rate, temperature, and other predefined field
variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=USER:

First line:
1. Give the material constants, eight per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define all material constants.

Defining damage initiation as part of a contact property model

Required parameter:

CRITERION
Set CRITERION=MAXS to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the maximum nominal
stress criterion for cohesive surfaces.
Set CRITERION=MAXU to specify a damage initiation criterion based on the maximum
separation criterion for cohesive surfaces.
Set CRITERION=QUADS to specify a damage initiation based on the quadratic traction-
interaction criterion for cohesive surfaces.
Set CRITERION=QUADU to specify a damage initiation based on the quadratic separation-
interaction criterion for cohesive surfaces.

Optional parameter:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of the damage
initiation properties. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the damage initiation properties
are constant or depend only on temperature.

4.4–11

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* DAMAGE INITIATION

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=QUADU or CRITERION=MAXU:

First line:
1. Separation at damage initiation in a normal-only mode.
2. Separation at damage initiation in a shear-only mode that involves separation only along the
first shear direction.
3. Separation at damage initiation in a shear-only mode that involves separation only along the
second shear direction.
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the maximum normal and shear separations
at damage initiation as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to specify damage initiation for CRITERION=QUADS or CRITERION=MAXS:

First line:
1. Maximum nominal stress in the normal-only mode.
2. Maximum nominal stress in the first shear direction (for a mode that involves separation only
in this direction).
3. Maximum nominal stress in the second shear direction (for a mode that involves separation
only in this direction).
4. Temperature, if temperature dependent.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the maximum normal and shear tractions at
damage initiation as a function of temperature and other predefined field variables.

4.4–12

Abaqus ID:
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 * DAMAGE STABILIZATION

4.5 *DAMAGE STABILIZATION: Specify viscosity coefficients for the damage model for
fiber-reinforced materials, surface-based cohesive behavior or cohesive behavior in
enriched elements.

This option is used to specify viscosity coefficients used in the viscous regularization scheme for the damage
model for fiber-reinforced materials, surface-based traction-separation behavior in contact or cohesive
behavior in enriched elements. For fiber-reinforced materials, you can use this option in conjunction
with the *DAMAGE INITIATION, CRITERION=HASHIN and *DAMAGE EVOLUTION options; for
surface-based traction-separation behavior, you can use this option in conjunction with the *DAMAGE
INITIATION, CRITERION=MAXS, MAXE, QUADS, or QUADE and *DAMAGE EVOLUTION options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Viscous regularization” in “Damage evolution and element removal for fiber-reinforced composites,”
Section 24.3.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Surface-based cohesive behavior,” Section 37.1.10 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Modeling discontinuities as an enriched feature using the extended finite element method,”
Section 10.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define viscosity coefficients for fiber-reinforced materials:

First line:
1. Viscosity coefficient in the longitudinal tensile direction.
2. Viscosity coefficient in the longitudinal compressive direction.
3. Viscosity coefficient in the transverse tensile direction.
4. Viscosity coefficient in the transverse compressive direction.

Data line to define viscosity coefficients for surfaced-based traction-separation behavior or

cohesive behavior in enriched elements:

First (and only) line:

1. Viscosity coefficient.

4.5–1

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 * DAMPING

4.6 *DAMPING: Specify material damping.

WARNING: The use of stiffness proportional material damping in Abaqus/Explicit may

reduce the stable time increment dramatically and can lead to longer analysis times. See
“Material damping,” Section 26.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
This option is used to provide material damping for mode-based analyses and for direct-integration dynamic
analysis in Abaqus/Standard and for explicit dynamic analysis in Abaqus/Explicit.
Damping is defined in a material data block except in the case of elements defined with the *BEAM
GENERAL SECTION option, the *SHELL GENERAL SECTION option, the *ROTARY INERTIA option,
the *MASS option, or the *SUBSTRUCTURE PROPERTY option. For the *BEAM GENERAL SECTION,
the *SHELL GENERAL SECTION, and the *SUBSTRUCTURE PROPERTY options the *DAMPING
option must be used in conjunction with the property references. For the *MASS and the *ROTARY
INERTIA options damping must be specified using either the ALPHA or the COMPOSITE parameter
associated with these options. Damping may also be defined as step data using the *GLOBAL DAMPING
option and may come from damper elements like connectors and dashpots.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Material damping,” Section 26.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Dynamic analysis procedures: overview,” Section 6.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Explicit dynamic analysis,” Section 6.3.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
ALPHA
Set this parameter equal to the factor to create Rayleigh mass proportional damping in the
following procedures:
*DYNAMIC (Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit)
*COMPLEX FREQUENCY
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS that allows nondiagonal damping
*MODAL DYNAMIC that allows nondiagonal damping

4.6–1

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* DAMPING

This parameter is ignored in mode-based procedures that use Lanczos or subspace iteration
eigenvalue extraction that is not based on the SIM architecture. The default is ALPHA=0. (Units
of T−1 .)
In Abaqus/Explicit set ALPHA=TABULAR to specify that the mass proportional damping is
dependent on temperature and/or field variables.

BETA
Set this parameter equal to the factor to create Rayleigh stiffness proportional damping in the
following procedures:
*DYNAMIC (Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit)
*COMPLEX FREQUENCY
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS that allows nondiagonal damping
*MODAL DYNAMIC that allows nondiagonal damping
This parameter is ignored in mode-based procedures that use Lanczos or subspace iteration
eigenvalue extraction that is not based on the SIM architecture. The default is BETA=0. (Units
of T.)
In Abaqus/Explicit set BETA=TABULAR to specify that the stiffness proportional damping is
dependent on temperature and/or field dependent variables.

COMPOSITE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the fraction of critical damping to be used with this material
in calculating composite damping factors for the modes. Composite damping is used in
modal-based procedures that follow subspace iteration eigenvalue extraction or eigenvalue
extraction using the Lanczos eigensolver that does not use the SIM architecture, except for
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION. Use the *MODAL DAMPING,
VISCOUS=COMPOSITE (or MODAL=COMPOSITE) option to activate composite modal
damping.
The default is COMPOSITE=0.

DEPENDENCIES
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses when ALPHA=TABULAR and/or
BETA=TABULAR.
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of the
and/or factors, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
Rayleigh damping is constant or depends only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for more information.

4.6–2

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 * DAMPING

STRUCTURAL
Set this parameter equal to the factor to create imaginary stiffness proportional damping in the
following procedures:
*FREQUENCY, DAMPING PROJECTION=ON
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS that allows nondiagonal damping
*MODAL DYNAMIC that allows nondiagonal damping
*COMPLEX FREQUENCY that uses the SIM architecture
This parameter is ignored in mode-based procedures that use Lanczos or subspace iteration
eigenvalue extraction that is not based on the SIM architecture.
The default is STRUCTURAL=0.

Data lines to define temperature and/or field variable-dependent mass proportional damping
(ALPHA=TABULAR) in Abaqus/Explicit:

First line:
1. . (Units of T−1 .)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the alpha damping as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define temperature and/or field variable-dependent stiffness proportional damping
(BETA=TABULAR) in Abaqus/Explicit:

First line:
1. . (Units of T.)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

4.6–3

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* DAMPING

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the beta damping as a function of temperature
and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define both temperature and/or field variable-dependent mass and stiffness
proportional damping (both ALPHA=TABULAR and BETA=TABULAR) in Abaqus/Explicit:

First line:
1. . (Units of T−1 .)
2. . (Units of T.)
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the alpha and beta damping as a function
of temperature and other predefined field variables.

4.6–4

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 * DAMPING CONTROLS

4.7 *DAMPING CONTROLS: Specify damping controls.

This option is used to control the type (viscous, structural) and source of damping (material, global) within
the step definition for the following types of analyses in Abaqus/Standard:

*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT

*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS that supports nondiagonal damping
*MODAL DYNAMIC that supports nondiagonal damping
*MATRIX GENERATE
*SUBSTRUCTURE GENERATE
Damping can be defined at the material level using *DAMPING; at the element level using *SPRING,
COMPLEX STIFFNESS or *CONNECTOR DAMPING; for acoustic elements using *ACOUSTIC
MEDIUM, VOLUMETRIC DRAG; or using the acoustic impedance definitions (*IMPEDANCE and
*SIMPEDANCE). Damping is defined at the global level using *GLOBAL DAMPING. The *DAMPING
CONTROLS option controls which of the supplied damping options will participate in the current step or
within a substructure.
The *DAMPING CONTROLS option is also used to define the type and the source of substructure
damping under the *SUBSTRUCTURE PROPERTY option in all analysis procedures using substructures
that take damping into account. The rules for using this option within a substructure property definition are
the same as the rules for using it within a step definition (see “Defining substructure damping” in “Using
substructures,” Section 10.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for details).

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model or history data

Level: Part, Part instance

Abaqus/CAE: Supported in the Step module only for substructure generation.

References:

• “Material damping,” Section 26.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

• “Damping in dynamic analysis” in “Dynamic analysis procedures: overview,” Section 6.3.1 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *FREQUENCY

4.7–1

Abaqus ID:
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* DAMPING CONTROLS

Optional parameters:

STRUCTURAL
Set this parameter equal to ELEMENT to request the structural damping matrix that includes
material and/or element damping properties only.
Set this parameter equal to FACTOR to request the structural damping matrix that includes the
global damping factor only.
Set this parameter equal to COMBINED to request the structural damping matrix that includes
the combination of both ELEMENT and FACTOR.
Set this parameter equal to NONE to exclude the structural damping matrix at this step.
If this parameter is omitted or the option is not used within the step definition, the default uses
all structural damping specified at the model and step levels. If both material and global structural
damping are specified, the COMBINED damping is used.
If this parameter is omitted or the option is not used as a suboption of *SUBSTRUCTURE
PROPERTY, the substructure property uses COMBINED as the default with the structural factor
specified under the *DAMPING, STRUCTURAL option.

VISCOUS
Set this parameter equal to ELEMENT to request a viscous damping matrix that includes material
and/or element damping properties only.
Set this parameter equal to FACTOR to request a viscous damping matrix that includes the
global damping factor only.
Set this parameter equal to COMBINED to request a viscous damping matrix that includes a
combination of ELEMENT and FACTOR.
Set this parameter equal to NONE to exclude the viscous damping matrix in this step.
If this parameter is omitted or the option is not used within the step definition, the default uses
all viscous damping specified at the model and step levels. If both material and global damping are
specified, the COMBINED damping is used.
If this parameter is omitted or the option is not used as a suboption of *SUBSTRUCTURE
PROPERTY, the substructure property uses COMBINED as the default with the mass and stiffness
proportional Rayleigh damping factors specified under the *DAMPING, ALPHA or BETA option.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

4.7–2

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 * DASHPOT

4.8 *DASHPOT: Define dashpot behavior.

This option is used to define the dashpot behavior for dashpot elements.
In Abaqus/Standard analyses it is also used to define the dashpot behavior for ITS and JOINTC elements.
If the *DASHPOT option is being used to define part of the behavior of ITS or JOINTC elements, it must be
used in conjunction with the *ITS or *JOINT options and the ELSET and ORIENTATION parameters should
not be used.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Property module and Interaction module; supported only for linear behavior independent
of field variables. For nonlinear behavior or to include field variables, model connectors in the Interaction
module.

References:
• “Dashpots,” Section 32.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Flexible joint element,” Section 32.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Tube support elements,” Section 32.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter if the behavior of dashpot elements is being defined:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set containing the dashpot elements for which
this behavior is being defined.

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the dashpot coefficient, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed
that the dashpot coefficient is independent of field variables. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide,
for more information.
NONLINEAR
Include this parameter to define nonlinear dashpot behavior. Omit this parameter to define linear
dashpot behavior.

4.8–1

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* DASHPOT

ORIENTATION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
If the option is being used to define the behavior of DASHPOT1 or DASHPOT2 elements,
this parameter can be used to refer to an orientation definition so that the dashpot is acting in a local
system. Set this parameter equal to the name of the *ORIENTATION definition (“Orientations,”
Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
RTOL
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used for regularizing the material data. The
default is RTOL=0.03. See “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide, for a discussion of data regularization.

Data lines to define linear dashpot behavior for DASHPOTA or ITS elements:

First line:
1. Enter a blank line.

Second line:
1. Dashpot coefficient (force per relative velocity).
2. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis this field corresponds to frequency (in cycles per time, for
*STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT and *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE
PROJECTION analyses only). Leave this field blank in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dashpot coefficient as a function of
frequency, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define nonlinear dashpot behavior for DASHPOTA or ITS elements:

First line:
1. Enter a blank line.

Second line:
1. Force.
2. Relative velocity.

4.8–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * DASHPOT

3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):

1. Sixth field variable.

2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dashpot coefficient as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define linear dashpot behavior for DASHPOT1, DASHPOT2, or JOINTC elements:

First line:

1. Give the degree of freedom with which the dashpots are associated at their first nodes or, for
JOINTC elements, the degree of freedom in the local corotational system for which the dashpot
behavior is being defined.
2. For DASHPOT2 elements give the degree of freedom with which the dashpots are associated
at their second nodes.

If the ORIENTATION parameter is included on the *DASHPOT option when defining dashpot
elements or on the *JOINT option when defining joint elements, the degrees of freedom specified
here are in the local system defined by the *ORIENTATION option referenced.

Second line:

1. Dashpot coefficient (force per relative velocity).

2. Frequency (in cycles per time, for *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, DIRECT and *STEADY
STATE DYNAMICS, SUBSPACE PROJECTION analyses only).
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

4.8–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* DASHPOT

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dashpot coefficient as a function of
frequency, temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define nonlinear dashpot behavior for DASHPOT1, DASHPOT2, or JOINTC elements:

First line:
1. Give the degree of freedom with which the dashpots are associated at their first nodes or, for
JOINTC elements, the degree of freedom in the local corotational system for which the dashpot
behavior is being defined.
2. For DASHPOT2 elements give the degree of freedom with which the dashpots are associated
at their second nodes.

If the ORIENTATION parameter is included on the *DASHPOT option when defining dashpot
elements or on the *JOINT option when defining joint elements, the degrees of freedom specified
here are in the local system defined by the *ORIENTATION option referenced.

Second line:
1. Force.
2. Relative velocity.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dashpot coefficient as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

4.8–4

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 * DEBOND

4.9 *DEBOND: Activate crack propagation capability and specify debonding amplitude
curve.

This option is used to specify that crack propagation may occur between two surfaces that are initially partially
bonded. The *FRACTURE CRITERION option must appear immediately following this option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Crack propagation analysis,” Section 11.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *FRACTURE CRITERION

Required parameters:
MASTER
Set this parameter equal to the name of the master surface of the contact pair used in the crack
propagation analysis.
SLAVE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the slave surface of the contact pair used in the crack
propagation analysis.

Optional parameters:
DEBONDING FORCE
Set DEBONDING FORCE=STEP (default) if the traction between the two surfaces at the crack tip
is to be released immediately during the following increment after debonding.
Set DEBONDING FORCE=RAMP if the traction between the two surfaces at the crack tip is
to be released gradually during succeeding increments after debonding to avoid a sudden loss of
stability.
This parameter is relevant only when TYPE=VCCT or TYPE= ENHANCED VCCT is used
on the *FRACTURE CRITERION option.
FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the output frequency, in increments. The crack-tip location
and associated quantities will always be printed at the last increment of each step unless
FREQUENCY=0. The default is FREQUENCY=1. Set FREQUENCY=0 to suppress this output.

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* DEBOND

OUTPUT
If this parameter is omitted, crack propagation information will be printed in the data (.dat) file
but not stored in the results (.fil) file.
Set OUTPUT=FILE to store the crack propagation information in the results file.
Set OUTPUT=BOTH to print the crack propagation information in the data file and to store it
in the results file.

TIME INCREMENT
Set this parameter equal to the suggested time increment for automatic time incrementation to use
for the first increment just after debonding starts. The default is the last relative time given on the
data lines below.
For fixed time incrementation the value of this parameter will be used as the time increment
after debonding starts if Abaqus/Standard finds it needs a smaller time increment than its current
value. The time increment size will be modified as required until debonding is complete.

Data lines to define the debonding amplitude curve:

First line:
1. Time relative to the time at the start of debonding.
2. Relative amplitude of the stresses at the contact interface due to bonding remaining at this time.
3. Etc., up to four time/amplitude pairs per line.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the debonding amplitude curve.

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 * DECHARGE

4.10 *DECHARGE: Input distributed electric charges for piezoelectric analysis.

This option is used to input distributed electric charges on piezoelectric elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

Reference:
• “Piezoelectric analysis,” Section 6.7.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the
distributed electric charge during the step. If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude
is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value
assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DECHARGEs to remain, with this option defining electric
charges to be added or modified. Set OP=NEW if all existing *DECHARGEs applied to the model
should be removed.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and direct-solution, steady-state
dynamics analysis:
IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the loading.
REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the loading.

Data lines to define distributed electric charges:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.

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* DECHARGE

2. Distributed electric charge type label (see Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide).
3. Reference electric charge magnitude. (Units of CL−2 for surface charges and CL−3 for body
charges.)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed electric charges for various elements or
element sets.

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 * DECURRENT

4.11 *DECURRENT: Specify distributed current densities in an electromagnetic analysis.

This option is used to input distributed current densities in coupled thermal-electrical and coupled
thermal-electrical-structural analyses or to input volume current densities in an eddy current and
magnetostatic analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Coupled thermal-electrical analysis,” Section 6.7.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Fully coupled thermal-electrical-structural analysis,” Section 6.7.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Eddy current analysis,” Section 6.7.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Magnetostatic analysis,” Section 6.7.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the electric
current density during the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide). If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning
of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter
on the *STEP option (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DECURRENTs to remain, with this option defining distributed
current densities to be added or modified.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DECURRENTs applied to the model should be removed.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for time-harmonic eddy current analyses:

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the volume current density.
REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the volume current density.

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* DECURRENT

Data lines to define distributed electrical current densities in coupled thermal-electrical or

coupled thermal-electrical-structural analyses:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed current density type label (see Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide).
3. Reference current density magnitude. (Units of CL−2 T−1 for surface current densities and
CL−3 T−1 for body current sources.)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define current densities for various elements or element
sets.

Data lines to define volume current densities in eddy current or magnetostatic analyses:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Volume current density type label CJ (uniform) or CJNU (nonuniform).
3. Reference volume current density magnitude. (Units of CL−2 T−1 .)
4. 1-component of the volume current density vector direction.
5. 2-component of the volume current density vector direction.
6. 3-component of the volume current density vector direction.
For nonuniform loads the magnitude and direction must be defined in user subroutine
UDECURRENT. If given, the magnitude and direction will be passed into the user subroutine.
7. Name of the orientation option (“Orientations,” Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide) that defines the local coordinate system in which the volume current density vector is
specified.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define volume current densities for various elements or
element sets.

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 * DEFORMATION PLASTICITY

4.12 *DEFORMATION PLASTICITY: Specify the deformation plasticity model.

This option is used to define the mechanical behavior of a material as a deformation theory Ramberg-Osgood
model.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

Reference:
• “Deformation plasticity,” Section 23.2.13 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define deformation plasticity:

First line:
1. Young’s modulus, E.
2. Poisson’s ratio, .
3. Yield stress, .
4. Exponent, n.
5. Yield offset, .
6. Temperature.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the dependence of the deformation plasticity
parameters on temperature.

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 * DENSITY

4.13 *DENSITY: Specify material mass density.

This option is used to define a material’s mass density. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis spatially varying
mass density can be defined for solid continuum elements using a distribution (“Distribution definition,”
Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

Reference:
• “Density,” Section 21.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of the density,
in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the density is constant
or depends only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data
definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
This parameter is not relevant in an Abaqus/Standard analysis if spatially varying density is
defined using a distribution. See “Distribution definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide.
It is assumed that the density is constant in Abaqus/CFD analyses.
PORE FLUID
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Include this parameter if the density of the pore fluid in a porous medium is being defined.

Data lines to define mass density:

First line:
1. Mass density. (Units of ML−3 .)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

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* DENSITY

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the density as a function of temperature and
other predefined field variables.

Data line to define spatially varying mass density for solid continuum elements in an
Abaqus/Standard analysis using a distribution:

First (and only) line:

1. Distribution name. The data defined in the distribution must be in units of ML−3 .

4.13–2

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 * DEPVAR

4.14 *DEPVAR: Specify solution-dependent state variables.

This option is used to allocate space at each integration point for solution-dependent state variables. If the
*DEPVAR option is used, it must appear within the *MATERIAL definition for which solution-dependent
state variables are needed.
In addition, an output key and a description can be given for some or all of the solution-dependent state
variables allocated by this option. If field or history output of solution-dependent state variables is requested
using the *ELEMENT OUTPUT option, the output identifier for solution-dependent state variables for which
a key has been specified under this option will consist of the string “SDV_,” followed by the specified key.
Similarly, the descriptions specified under this option will be used in the corresponding field descriptions
written to the output database.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

• “User subroutines: overview,” Section 18.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “User-defined mechanical material behavior,” Section 26.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Finite element conversion to SPH particles,” Section 15.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

CONVERT
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses when continuum finite elements are
allowed to convert to SPH particles.
Set this parameter equal to the state variable number controlling the element conversion flag
(see “Finite element conversion to SPH particles,” Section 15.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide).

DELETE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
Set this Abaqus/Explicit parameter equal to the state variable number controlling the element
deletion flag (see “User-defined mechanical material behavior,” Section 26.7.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide).

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* DEPVAR

Data line to specify the number of solution-dependent state variables:

First line:
1. Number of solution-dependent state variables required at each integration point.

Optional data lines to specify output descriptions for select solution-dependent state variables:

Second line:
1. Index of the solution-dependent state variable for which an output key and a description are
being given. This value is 1 for the first solution-dependent state variable.
2. The output variable key. The key is treated as a label; therefore, it must adhere to the
conventions for labels (see “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide), with the exception that case will be preserved.
3. The output variable description. The description is treated as a label; therefore, it must adhere
to the conventions for labels (see “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide), with the exception that case will be preserved.
Repeat this data line for each solution-dependent state variable for which an output key and a description
are being defined. If an output key and a description are not given for a solution-dependent state variable,
the default output identifier SDVn and description “Solution-dependent state variables” will be used.

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 * DESIGN GRADIENT

4.15 *DESIGN GRADIENT: Directly specify design gradients for design sensitivity
analysis.

This option is used to specify directly design gradients with respect to design parameters, excluding design
parameters related to shape. (By default, Abaqus/Design will automatically determine the design gradients
with respect to non-shape design parameters numerically based on the parameterization of the input file.
Design gradients with respect to shape design parameters must be specified via the *PARAMETER SHAPE
VARIATION option.)

Product: Abaqus/Design

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly, Model, Step

References:
• “Design sensitivity analysis,” Section 19.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *PARAMETER
• *DESIGN PARAMETER

Required parameters:

DEPENDENT
Set this parameter equal to the list of parameter names whose gradients with respect to the design
parameter are to be specified. The list must be given inside parentheses as parameter names
separated by commas; for example, (depPar1, depPar2, depPar3).

INDEPENDENT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the design parameter with respect to which gradients are
specified.

Data lines to define the design gradients:

First line:
1. Python expression giving the gradient of the first dependent parameter.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the gradients of the dependent parameters
consecutively with respect to the design parameter. Up to 16 entries are allowed per line.

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 * DESIGN PARAMETER

4.16 *DESIGN PARAMETER: Specify design parameters with respect to which

sensitivities are calculated.

This option is used to specify design parameters for design sensitivity analysis. Sensitivities of responses
specified under the *DESIGN RESPONSE option will be calculated with respect to these design parameters.
The design parameters must be chosen from an existing set of parameters defined on the *PARAMETER
option.

Product: Abaqus/Design

Type: Model data

Level: Model

References:
• “Design sensitivity analysis,” Section 19.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *PARAMETER

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to specify design parameters:

First line:
1. List of parameter names chosen from those specified on the *PARAMETER option. The
parameter names associated with this option must be chosen such that they are unique when
interpreted in a case insensitive manner.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. Up to 16 entries are allowed per line.

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 * DESIGN RESPONSE

4.17 *DESIGN RESPONSE: Specify responses for design sensitivity analysis.

This option is used to write the sensitivities of contact, element, nodal, and/or eigenmode responses to the
output database. The *CONTACT RESPONSE, *ELEMENT RESPONSE, and/or *NODE RESPONSE
options can be used in conjunction with this option.

Product: Abaqus/Design

Type: History data

Level: Step

References:
• “Design sensitivity analysis,” Section 19.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONTACT RESPONSE
• *ELEMENT RESPONSE
• *NODE RESPONSE

Optional parameters:

FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the output frequency of the response sensitivities. The output will always
be written to the output database at the last increment. If this parameter is omitted, output will be
written at every increment of the analysis. Set FREQUENCY=0 to suppress output of the response
sensitivities. This parameter also controls the frequency of the sensitivity calculations for the total
DSA formulation.

MODE LIST
Include this parameter to indicate that a list of eigenmodes for which sensitivities are desired will
be listed on the data lines. This parameter is valid only in a *FREQUENCY procedure.

Data lines to list desired eigenmodes if the MODE LIST parameter is included:

First line:
1. Specify a list of desired eigenmodes.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to list all desired eigenmodes.

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 * DETONATION POINT

4.18 *DETONATION POINT: Define detonation points for a JWL explosive equation of
state.

This option is used to define detonation points for a JWL explosive equation of state. It is required when the
*EOS, TYPE=JWL option is used. The *DETONATION POINT option should appear immediately after the
*EOS option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• *EOS
• “Equation of state,” Section 25.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

There are no parameters associated with this option.

Data lines to define detonation points:

First line:
1. Coordinate 1 of detonation point.
2. Coordinate 2 of detonation point.
3. Coordinate 3 of detonation point.
4. Detonation delay time (total time, as defined in “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide). The default is 0.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define each detonation point.

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 * DFLOW

4.19 *DFLOW: Specify distributed seepage flows for consolidation analysis.

This option is used to input seepage flows (pore fluid velocities normal to surfaces of the model) in
consolidation problems.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:

• “Pore fluid flow,” Section 34.4.7 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “DFLOW,” Section 1.1.2 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *AMPLITUDE curve that defines the magnitude of the
seepage flow during the step. If this parameter is omitted for uniform seepage types, the reference
magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on
the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,”
Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Amplitude references are ignored for flows
defined in user subroutine DFLOW.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DFLOWs to remain, with this option modifying existing flows
or defining additional flows.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DFLOWs applied to the model should be removed. New flows
can be defined.

Data lines to define uniform seepage:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed seepage type label (see Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

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* DFLOW

3. Reference seepage magnitude. (Units of LT−1 .) The seepage magnitude is the pore fluid
effective velocity crossing the surface at this point in an outward direction.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define uniform seepage for various elements or element
sets.

Data lines to define nonuniform seepage:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed seepage type label (see Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
3. Seepage magnitude (optional). If given, this value is passed into user subroutine DFLOW in the
variable used to define the seepage magnitude.

Nonuniform seepage magnitudes are defined via user subroutine DFLOW.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define nonuniform seepage for various elements or element
sets.

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 * DFLUX

4.21 *DFLUX: Specify distributed fluxes in heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics,
or mass diffusion analyses.

This option is used to apply distributed fluxes in fully coupled thermal-stress analysis. In Abaqus/Standard
it is also used for heat transfer, coupled thermal-electrical, and mass diffusion analyses. In Abaqus/CFD this
option is used to specify distributed volumetric heat sources.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Thermal loads,” Section 34.4.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “DFLUX,” Section 1.1.3 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the
distributed fluxes during the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide).
If this parameter is omitted for uniform flux types in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step,
depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining
an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is omitted in
an Abaqus/Explicit or Abaqus/CFD analysis, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at
the beginning of the step.
For nonuniform fluxes of type BFNU and SnNU (which are available only in
Abaqus/Standard), the flux magnitude is defined in user subroutine DFLUX, and AMPLITUDE
references are ignored.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DFLUXs to remain, with this option modifying existing fluxes
or defining additional fluxes.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DFLUXs applied to the model should be removed.

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* DFLUX

Data lines to define a distributed flux:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed flux type label (see Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
3. Reference flux magnitude (units of JT−1 L−2 for surface fluxes and JT−1 L−3 for body fluxes). It
is needed for uniform fluxes only. If this value is given for nonuniform fluxes, it will be passed
into user subroutine DFLUX, where the actual flux magnitude is defined.
In heat transfer analysis the units are JT−1 L−2 for surface fluxes and JT−1 L−3 for body fluxes.
In mass diffusion analysis the units are PLT−1 for surface fluxes and PT−1 for body fluxes.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed fluxes for different element surfaces.

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 * DIAGNOSTICS

4.22 *DIAGNOSTICS: Control diagnostic messages.

This option is used to request detailed diagnostic output or to cancel specific diagnostic checks. By
default, short summaries of diagnostic checks are output if problems are detected during an analysis. In
Abaqus/Explicit the diagnostics messages are written to the status (.sta) file or to the message (.msg) file.
In Abaqus/Standard the diagnostic messages are written to the data (.dat) file.
For a multistep analysis all parameter values remain the same during the analysis until they are redefined
explicitly in the beginning of the next step.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model data in Abaqus/Standard; History data in Abaqus/Explicit

Level: Model in Abaqus/Standard; Step in Abaqus/Explicit

References:
• “Explicit dynamic analysis,” Section 6.3.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Output and diagnostics for ALE adaptive meshing in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.5 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide
• “Contact diagnostics in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis,” Section 39.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide
• “Linear elastic behavior,” Section 22.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Hyperelastic behavior of rubberlike materials,” Section 22.5.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONTACT CONTROLS

Defining diagnostics in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis

Optional parameters:

ADAPTIVE MESH
Adaptive mesh information is written to the message (.msg) file for each adaptive mesh domain in
the problem.
Set ADAPTIVE MESH=STEP SUMMARY (default) to obtain a summary at the end of the
step. The summary gives the average number of advection sweeps per adaptive mesh increment
and the average, maximum, and minimum percentages of nodes moved during the step.
Set ADAPTIVE MESH=SUMMARY to obtain a summary for each adaptive mesh increment.
The summary gives the number of mesh sweeps, the average percentage of nodes moved during
those mesh sweeps, and the number of advection sweeps performed during the adaptive mesh

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* DIAGNOSTICS

increment. In addition to this information, the STEP SUMMARY information will be written at
the end of each step.
Set ADAPTIVE MESH=DETAIL to obtain detailed information about each adaptive mesh
increment. The detailed report gives the number of mesh sweeps performed; the minimum, average,
and maximum percentage of nodes moved during those mesh sweeps; the number of advection
sweeps performed; the mass and momentum before and after advection; and the percentage volume
change during the adaptive mesh increment. In addition to this information, the STEP SUMMARY
information will be written at the end of each step.
Set ADAPTIVE MESH=OFF to suppress all diagnostic messages about adaptive meshing.
CONTACT INITIAL OVERCLOSURE
Set CONTACT INITIAL OVERCLOSURE=DETAIL (default) to write all of the initial
displacements required to resolve initial overclosures to the message (.msg) file and a summary
of the maximum initial overclosure for each contact pair to the status (.sta) file.
Set CONTACT INITIAL OVERCLOSURE=SUMMARY to obtain only a summary of the
maximum initial overclosure for each contact pair in the status (.sta) file.
CRITICAL ELEMENTS
Set this parameter equal to the number of critical elements (elements having the smallest stable time
increment) written to the output database diagnostic information. The default is 10.
CUTOFF RATIO
Set this parameter equal to the cutoff ratio of deformation speed versus wave speed (the default
is 1.0). If the maximum ratio calculated is greater than this value, the analysis ends with an error
message. The cutoff check is not applied to a model that has an equation of state material or a
user-defined material.
DEEP PENETRATION FACTOR
Set this parameter equal to the fraction of the typical element face dimension in the general contact
domain used to detect excessively deep penetrations (the default is 0.5). If during node-to-face
contact the penetration of a node into its tracked face exceeds the deep penetration factor times the
typical element face dimension in the general contact domain, a diagnostic message is issued. The
deep penetration check does not apply to contact penetrations detected by the contact pair algorithm.
DEFORMATION SPEED CHECK
Set DEFORMATION SPEED CHECK=SUMMARY (default) to print messages for only the
element with the greatest deformation speed to wave speed ratio in the model. This information is
output to the status (.sta) file.
Set DEFORMATION SPEED CHECK=DETAIL to print messages for all elements with
relatively large deformation speed. This information is output to the message (.msg) file.
Set DEFORMATION SPEED CHECK=OFF to suppress the deformation speed check.
DETECT CROSSED SURFACES
This parameter applies only to general contact.

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 * DIAGNOSTICS

Set DETECT CROSSED SURFACES=ON (default) to issue warning messages for instances
of adjacent slaves being on opposite sides of master surfaces in the initial configuration.
Set DETECT CROSSED SURFACES=OFF to suppress this diagnostic.
PLASTICITY
Set PLASTICITY=SUMMARY (default) to obtain a summary of the total number of material points
at which the plasticity algorithms have not converged. This information will be printed only at the
first occurrence in the status (.sta) file.
Set PLASTICITY=DETAIL to obtain detailed information about the elements at which the
plasticity algorithms have not converged. This information will be printed in the message (.msg)
file. This request may cause the analysis to run for a longer time. It is currently available only for
Mises plasticity.
Set PLASTICITY=OFF to suppress all of the diagnostic messages about the plasticity
algorithms.
WARNING RATIO
Set this parameter equal to the warning ratio of deformation speed versus wave speed (the default
ratio is 0.3). If the ratio calculated in an element is greater than this value, a warning message will
be printed to the status (.sta) file or the message (.msg) file.
WARPED SURFACE
Set WARPED SURFACE=SUMMARY (default) to obtain a warning message in the status (.sta)
file when a surface is first considered to contain at least one highly warped facet.
Set WARPED SURFACE=DETAIL to have detailed warning messages also output to the
message (.msg) file.
Set WARPED SURFACE=OFF to suppress all warnings about warped surfaces.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

Defining diagnostics in an Abaqus/Standard analysis

Optional parameter:
NONHYBRID INCOMPRESSIBLE
If a model has nearly incompressible elastic or hyperelastic materials with an effective initial
Poisson’s ratio greater than 0.495 (i.e., the ratio of the initial bulk modulus to the initial shear
modulus is greater than 100) used in nonbybrid continuum elements (except plane stress elements),
error messages are written to the data (.dat) file during preprocessing.
Set NONHYBRID INCOMPRESSIBLE=WARNING to replace the error messages with
corresponding warning messages.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

4.22–3

Abaqus ID:
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 * DIELECTRIC

4.23 *DIELECTRIC: Specify dielectric material properties.

This option is used to define the dielectric property of a fully constrained material for use in coupled
piezoelectric analysis.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

Reference:
• “Piezoelectric behavior,” Section 26.5.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of the dielectric
property. If this parameter is omitted, the dielectric property is assumed not to depend on any
field variables but may still depend on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence”
in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more
information.

TYPE
Set TYPE=ISO (default) for isotropic behavior. Set TYPE=ORTHO for orthotropic behavior. Set
TYPE=ANISO for fully anisotropic behavior.

Data lines to define isotropic behavior (TYPE=ISO):

First line:
−1
1. Dielectric constant. (Units of C L−1 .)
2. Temperature, .
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

4.23–1

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* DIELECTRIC

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dielectric property as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define orthotropic behavior (TYPE=ORTHO):

First line:
−1
1. . (Units of C L−1 .)
2. .
3. .
4. Temperature, .
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dielectric property as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define anisotropic behavior (TYPE=ANISO):

First line:
−1
1. . (Units of C L−1 .)
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. Temperature, .
8. First field variable.

4.23–2

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 * DIELECTRIC

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dielectric property as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

4.23–3

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 * DIFFUSIVITY

4.24 *DIFFUSIVITY: Specify mass diffusivity.

This option is used to define the mass diffusivity of a material diffusing through a base material. It must be
used in conjunction with the *SOLUBILITY option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Diffusivity,” Section 26.4.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *SOLUBILITY

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of diffusivity. If
this parameter is omitted, the diffusivity is assumed not to depend on any field variables but may still
depend on concentration and temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material
data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
LAW
Set LAW=GENERAL (default) to choose general mass diffusion behavior. Set LAW=FICK to
choose Fick’s diffusion law. LAW=FICK and the *KAPPA, TYPE=TEMP option are mutually
exclusive.
TYPE
Set TYPE=ISO (default) to define isotropic diffusivity. Set TYPE=ORTHO to define orthotropic
diffusivity. Set TYPE=ANISO to define fully anisotropic diffusivity.

Data lines to define isotropic diffusivity (TYPE=ISO):

First line:
1. Diffusivity, D. (Units of L2 T−1 .)
2. Concentration, c.
3. Temperature, .
4. First field variable.

4.24–1

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* DIFFUSIVITY

5. Second field variable.

6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the diffusivity as a function of concentration,
temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define orthotropic diffusivity (TYPE=ORTHO):

First line:
1. . (Units of L2 T−1 .)
2. .
3. .
4. Concentration, c.
5. Temperature, .
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the diffusivity as a function of concentration,
temperature, and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define anisotropic diffusivity (TYPE=ANISO):

First line:
1. . (Units of L2 T−1 .)
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. Concentration, c.
8. Temperature, .

4.24–2

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 * DIFFUSIVITY

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter is used):

1. First field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the diffusivity as a function of concentration,
temperature, and other predefined field variables.

4.24–3

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 * DIRECT CYCLIC

4.25 *DIRECT CYCLIC: Obtain the stabilized cyclic response of a structure directly.

This option is used to provide a direct cyclic procedure for nonlinear, non-isothermal quasi-static analysis
in Abaqus/Standard. It can also be used to predict progressive damage and failure for ductile bulk materials
and/or to predict delamination/debonding growth at the interfaces in laminated composites in a low-cycle
fatigue analysis.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

References:
• “Direct cyclic analysis,” Section 6.2.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Low-cycle fatigue analysis using the direct cyclic approach,” Section 6.2.7 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• *TIME POINTS

Optional parameters:
CETOL
Set this parameter equal to the maximum difference in the creep strain increment calculated from the
creep strain rates based on conditions at the beginning and on conditions at the end of the increment,
thus controlling the time integration accuracy of the creep integration.
This parameter can be used in conjunction with the *TIME POINTS option. In this case
Abaqus/Standard will ensure the response will also be evaluated at each time point specified on
the *TIME POINTS option.
If both this parameter and the DELTMX parameter are omitted, fixed time stepping will be
used, with a constant time increment equal to the initial time increment or by following precisely
the time points specified on the *TIME POINTS option.
CONTINUE
Set CONTINUE=YES to specify that the current *DIRECT CYCLIC step is a continuation of the
previous direct cyclic step. The displacement solution in the Fourier series obtained in the previous
*DIRECT CYCLIC step is then used as the starting values for the current step.
Set CONTINUE=NO (default) to reset all the displacement Fourier coefficients to zero, thus
allowing application of cyclic loading conditions that are very different from those in the previous
direct cyclic step.

4.25–1

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DELTMX
Set this parameter equal to the maximum temperature change to be allowed in an increment during
a direct cyclic analysis. Abaqus/Standard will restrict the time increment to ensure that this value
will not be exceeded at any node during any increment of the step.
This parameter can be used in conjunction with the *TIME POINTS option. In this case
Abaqus/Standard will ensure the response will also be evaluated at each time point specified on
the *TIME POINTS option.
If both this parameter and the CETOL parameter are omitted, fixed time stepping will be used,
with a constant time increment equal to the initial time increment or by following precisely the time
points specified on the *TIME POINTS option.
FATIGUE
Include this parameter to perform a low-cycle fatigue analysis using a direct cyclic approach
in conjunction with the damage extrapolation technique. Multiple cycles can be included in a
single direct cyclic analysis. The analysis models progressive damage and failure on constitutive
points in the bulk materials based on a continuum damage approach. It can also be used to model
delamination/debonding growth at the interfaces in laminated composites.
TIME POINTS
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *TIME POINTS option that defines the time points at
which the response of the structure will be evaluated.

Data line to control incrementation and Fourier representation in a direct cyclic analysis without
the FATIGUE parameter:

First (and only) line:

1. Initial time increment. If this entry is omitted, a default value of 0.1 times the single
loading cycle period is assumed. If automatic incrementation is used, this should be a
reasonable suggestion for the initial increment size and will be adjusted as necessary. If direct
incrementation is used, this entry will be used as the constant time incrementation or will be
ignored if the *TIME POINTS option is specified.
2. Time of a single loading cycle.
3. Minimum time increment allowed. This entry is used only if the CETOL or DELTMX
parameter is specified. If this entry is omitted, a default value of the smaller of the suggested
initial time increment or 10−5 times the single loading cycle period is assumed.
4. Maximum time increment allowed. This entry is used only if the CETOL or DELTMX
parameter is specified. If this entry is omitted, the upper limit is equal to 0.1 times the single
loading cycle period.
5. Initial number of terms in the Fourier series. The value must be greater than 0 and less than
500. It cannot be greater than half of the time of a single loading cycle divided by the initial
time increment. If the *TIME POINTS option is used, the number of terms in the Fourier
series must be less than half of the number of time points specified. Abaqus/Standard will

4.25–2

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 * DIRECT CYCLIC

automatically adjust the number of Fourier terms used in the analysis if such a condition is not
satisfied. The default is 11.
6. Maximum number of terms in the Fourier series. It must be greater than 0 and less than 500.
The default is 25.
7. Increment in number of terms in the Fourier series. The default is 5.
8. Maximum number of iterations allowed in a step. The default is 200.

Data lines for a low-cycle fatigue analysis using the direct cyclic approach:

First line:
1. Initial time increment. If this entry is omitted, a default value of 0.1 times the single
loading cycle period is assumed. If automatic incrementation is used, this should be a
reasonable suggestion for the initial increment size and will be adjusted as necessary. If direct
incrementation is used, this entry will be used as the constant time incrementation or will be
ignored if the *TIME POINTS option is specified.
2. Time of a single loading cycle.
3. Minimum time increment allowed. This entry is used only if the CETOL or DELTMX
parameter is specified. If this entry is omitted, a default value of the smaller of the suggested
initial time increment or 10−5 times the single loading cycle period is assumed.
4. Maximum time increment allowed. This entry is used only if the CETOL or DELTMX
parameter is specified. If this entry is omitted, the upper limit is equal to 0.1 times the single
loading cycle period.
5. Initial number of terms in the Fourier series. The value must be greater than 0 and less than
500. It cannot be greater than half of the time of a single loading cycle divided by the initial
time increment. If the *TIME POINTS option is used, the number of terms in the Fourier
series must be less than half of the number of time points specified. Abaqus/Standard will
automatically adjust the number of Fourier terms used in the analysis if such a condition is not
satisfied. The default is 11.
6. Maximum number of terms in the Fourier series. It must be greater than 0 and less than 500.
The default is 25.
7. Increment in number of terms in the Fourier series. The default is 5.
8. Maximum number of iterations allowed in a step. The default is 200.

Second line:
1. Minimum increment in number of cycles over which the damage is extrapolated forward. It
must be greater than 0, and the default is 100. This value is most relevant for progressive
damage and failure in bulk materials.
2. Maximum increment in number of cycles over which the damage is extrapolated forward. It
must be greater than 0, and the default is 1000. This value is most relevant for progressive
damage and failure in bulk materials.

4.25–3

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* DIRECT CYCLIC

3. Total number of cycles allowed in a step. If this entry is zero or not specified, the default value
is equal to one plus half of the maximum increment in number of cycles over which the damage
is extrapolated.
4. Damage extrapolation tolerance. The maximum extrapolated damage increment will be limited
by this value. The default is 1.0.

4.25–4

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 * DISCRETE SECTION

4.26 *DISCRETE SECTION: Specify element properties for discrete elements.

This option is used to define properties of discrete elements.

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Reference:
• “Discrete element method,” Section 15.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameters:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set containing the elements for which the section
is being defined.

DENSITY
Set this parameter equal to a numerical value or to the name of a distribution (see “Distribution
definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) to be used with these elements.

SHAPE
This parameter is used to specify the shape of the discrete element.
Set this parameter equal to SPHERE.

Optional parameter:

ALPHA
Set this parameter equal to the value of the mass proportional damping factor for discrete elements.
The default value is 0.0.

Data line for discrete elements:

First (and only) line:

1. Enter the name of the distribution for the radius of the discrete elements or the value of the
radius.

4.26–1

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 * DISPLAY BODY

4.27 *DISPLAY BODY: Define a part instance that will be used for display only.

This option is used to specify that a part instance should be used for display purposes only and should not
take part in the analysis. This option must be used in conjunction with the *ASSEMBLY and *INSTANCE
options.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

Reference:
• “Display body definition,” Section 2.9.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

INSTANCE
Set this parameter to the name of the part instance that is to be considered a display body.

Data line to specify the reference nodes (optional; if no data line is given, the display body
will remain stationary during the analysis):

First (and only) line:

1. Node number of the first reference node.
2. Node number of the second reference node (optional).
3. Node number of the third reference node (optional; required if a node number for the second
reference node is given).

4.27–1

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 * DISTRIBUTING

4.28 *DISTRIBUTING: Define a distributing coupling constraint.

This option is used to define a distributing coupling constraint. It must be used in conjunction with the
*COUPLING option to define the reference node and coupling nodes.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Interaction module

References:
• “Coupling constraints,” Section 35.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *COUPLING

Optional parameters:

COUPLING
Set this parameter equal to the coupling method used to couple the displacement and rotation of the
reference node to the average motion of the surface nodes within the influence radius.
Set COUPLING=CONTINUUM (default) to couple the displacement and rotation of each
attachment point to the average displacement of the surface nodes within the influence radius.
Set COUPLING=STRUCTURAL to couple the displacement and rotation of each attachment
point to the average displacement and rotation of the surface nodes within the influence radius. This
parameter value is available only in three-dimensional analyses.

WEIGHTING METHOD
Defines an optional weighting method to modify the default weight distribution at the coupling
nodes.
Set WEIGHTING METHOD=UNIFORM to select a uniform weight distribution equal to 1.0.
This is the default.
Set WEIGHTING METHOD=LINEAR to select a linear decreasing weight distribution with
distance from the reference node.
Set WEIGHTING METHOD=QUADRATIC to select a quadratic polynomial decreasing
weight distribution with distance from the reference node.
Set WEIGHTING METHOD=CUBIC to select a cubic polynomial monotonic decreasing
weight distribution with distance from the reference node.

4.28–1

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* DISTRIBUTING

Data lines to specify the degrees of freedom to be constrained:

First line:
1. First degree of freedom constrained. See “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide, for a definition of the numbering of degrees of freedom in Abaqus. If this field
is left blank, all degrees of freedom will be constrained.
2. Last degree of freedom constrained. If this field is left blank, the degree of freedom specified
in the first field will be the only one constrained.
Only rotational degrees of freedom can be released. All available translational degrees of freedom
are constrained. If the user specifies one or more rotation degrees of freedom but not all available
translational degrees of freedom, Abaqus will issue a warning message and add all available
translational degrees of freedom to the constraint.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify constraints for different degrees of freedom. When
the ORIENTATION parameter is specified on the associated *COUPLING option, the degrees of freedom
are in the referenced local system in the initial configuration; otherwise, they are in the global system. In
either case these directions will rotate with the reference node in large-displacement analyses (when the
NLGEOM parameter is included on the *STEP option).

4.28–2

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 * DISTRIBUTING COUPLING

4.29 *DISTRIBUTING COUPLING: Specify nodes and weighting for distributing coupling
elements.

This option is used to define the set of nodes to which forces and mass are distributed according to a specified
weighting and to specify the mass of the associated distributing coupling element. The preferred method for
defining a distributing constraint is the *COUPLING option used in conjunction with the *DISTRIBUTING
option. A DCOUP* element, together with the *DISTRIBUTING COUPLING option, must be used if a point
mass at the reference node needs to be distributed as well.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Unsupported; this option has been superseded by coupling constraints used in conjunction
with the distributing option.

Reference:
• “Distributing coupling elements,” Section 32.4.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:
ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set containing the distributing coupling elements
that interact with the coupling nodes. This element set can contain more than one element, although
this would not be a typical case.

Optional parameter:
MASS
Set this parameter equal to the mass to be distributed to the coupling nodes.

Data lines to specify coupling nodes and assign weight factors:

First line:
1. Coupling node number or node set label.
2. Weight factor for the coupling node or for the nodes of the coupling node set.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary. A minimum of two coupling nodes must be specified for each
distributing coupling definition.

4.29–1

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 * DISTRIBUTION

4.30 *DISTRIBUTION: Define spatial distributions.

This option is used to define a spatial distribution.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly, Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Distribution definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *CONTACT CLEARANCE
• *DENSITY
• *DISTRIBUTION TABLE
• *ELASTIC
• *EXPANSION
• *FLUID BOUNDARY
• *MEMBRANE SECTION
• *ORIENTATION
• *SHELL GENERAL SECTION
• *SHELL SECTION

Required parameters:

LOCATION
Set LOCATION=ELEMENT to define a distribution on elements.
Set LOCATION=NODE to define a distribution on nodes.
Set LOCATION=NONE to define a distribution used with a fluid boundary condition.
NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the distribution.
TABLE
Set this parameter equal to the distribution table that defines the format of the data given on the data
lines.

4.30–1

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Optional parameter:

INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the alternate input file containing the data lines for this
option. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax
of such file names. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the data follow the keyword line.

Data lines to define a distribution of the coordinates of points a and b used to define a local
coordinate system:

First line:

1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. X-coordinate of point a.
3. Y-coordinate of point a.
4. Z-coordinate of point a.
5. X-coordinate of point b.
6. Y-coordinate of point b.
7. Z-coordinate of point b.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of additional rotation angles used to define a local coordinate
system:

First line:

1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. Angle (in degrees).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of shell or membrane thickness:

First line:

1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. Shell or membrane thickness.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

4.30–2

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Data lines to define a distribution of shell offset:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. Shell offset.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of general section stiffnesses:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent uses of this data line.
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .
Second line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .
Third line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element
sets.

4.30–3

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Data lines to define a distribution of initial contact clearances:

First line:
1. Node number or node set. Default data are not allowed.
2. Initial clearance.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data lines to define a distribution of isotropic elastic moduli:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent uses of this data line.
2. E.
3. .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic elastic moduli:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent uses of this data line.
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Second line:
1. .
2. .
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic elastic moduli using engineering constants:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent uses of this data line.
2. .

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3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Second line:
1. .
2. .
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element
sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic elastic moduli in plane stress:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. . This shear modulus is needed to define transverse shear behavior in shells.
7. . This shear modulus is needed to define transverse shear behavior in shells.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of anisotropic elastic moduli:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent uses of this data line.
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

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Second line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Third line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element
sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of mass density:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. Density.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of isotropic thermal expansion:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

4.30–6

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Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic thermal expansion:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. .
3. .
4. . (Not used for plane stress case.)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of anisotropic thermal expansion:

First line:
1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element
set for subsequent data lines.
2. .
3. .
4. . (Not used for plane stress case.)
5. .
6. .
7. .
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of pressure that varies with the total volume of fluid crossing
a surface in Abaqus/CFD:

First line when specifying pressure first:

1. Pressure.
2. Volume.

First line when specifying volume first:

1. Volume.
2. Pressure.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for pressure and volume.

4.30–7

Abaqus ID:
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 * DISTRIBUTION TABLE

4.31 *DISTRIBUTION TABLE: Define a distribution table.

This option is used to define a distribution table that defines the format of the data given on the data lines for
a spatial distribution.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Distribution definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *DISTRIBUTION

Required parameter:
NAME
Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the distribution table.

Data line to define a distribution table for shell thickness or initial contact clearance:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” LENGTH.

Data line to define a distribution table for shell offset:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” RATIO.

Data lines to define a distribution table for shell stiffness:

First line:
1. The “word” SHELLSTIFF1.
2. The “word” SHELLSTIFF1.
3. The “word” SHELLSTIFF1.
4. The “word” SHELLSTIFF1.
5. The “word” SHELLSTIFF1.
6. The “word” SHELLSTIFF1.
7. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.

4.31–1

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* DISTRIBUTION TABLE

Second line:
1. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
2. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
3. The “word” SHELLSTIFF3.
4. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
5. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
6. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
7. The “word” SHELLSTIFF3.
8. The “word” SHELLSTIFF3.

Third line:
1. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
2. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
3. The “word” SHELLSTIFF2.
4. The “word” SHELLSTIFF3.
5. The “word” SHELLSTIFF3.
6. The “word” SHELLSTIFF3.

Data line to define a distribution table for the coordinates of points a and b used to define a
local coordinate system:

First (and only ) line:

1. The “word” COORD3D.
2. The “word” COORD3D.

Data line to define a distribution table for an additional rotation angle used to define a local
coordinate system:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” ANGLE.

Data line to define a distribution table for isotropic elasticity:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” RATIO.

4.31–2

Abaqus ID:
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 * DISTRIBUTION TABLE

Data lines to define a distribution table for orthotropic elasticity:

First line:
1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.
3. The “word” MODULUS.
4. The “word” MODULUS.
5. The “word” MODULUS.
6. The “word” MODULUS.
7. The “word” MODULUS.

Second line:
1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.

Data lines to define a distribution table for orthotropic elasticity with engineering constants:

First line:
1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.
3. The “word” MODULUS.
4. The “word” RATIO.
5. The “word” RATIO.
6. The “word” RATIO.
7. The “word” MODULUS.

Second line:
1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.

Data line to define a distribution table for orthotropic elasticity in plane stress:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.
3. The “word” RATIO.
4. The “word” MODULUS.
5. The “word” MODULUS.
6. The “word” MODULUS.

4.31–3

Abaqus ID:
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* DISTRIBUTION TABLE

Data lines to define a distribution table for anisotropic elasticity:

First line:
1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.
3. The “word” MODULUS.
4. The “word” MODULUS.
5. The “word” MODULUS.
6. The “word” MODULUS.
7. The “word” MODULUS.

Second line:
1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.
3. The “word” MODULUS.
4. The “word” MODULUS.
5. The “word” MODULUS.
6. The “word” MODULUS.
7. The “word” MODULUS.
8. The “word” MODULUS.

Third line:
1. The “word” MODULUS.
2. The “word” MODULUS.
3. The “word” MODULUS.
4. The “word” MODULUS.
5. The “word” MODULUS.
6. The “word” MODULUS.

Data line to define a distribution table for mass density:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” DENSITY.

Data line to define a distribution table for isotropic thermal expansion:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” EXPANSION.

4.31–4

Abaqus ID:
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 * DISTRIBUTION TABLE

Data line to define a distribution table for orthotropic thermal expansion:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” EXPANSION.
2. The “word” EXPANSION.
3. The “word” EXPANSION.

Data line to define a distribution table for anisotropic thermal expansion:

First (and only) line:

1. The “word” EXPANSION.
2. The “word” EXPANSION.
3. The “word” EXPANSION.
4. The “word” EXPANSION.
5. The “word” EXPANSION.
6. The “word” EXPANSION.

Data line to define a distribution table for pressure that varies with the total volume of fluid
crossing a surface in Abaqus/CFD:

First (and only) line when specifying pressure first:

1. The “word” PRESSURE.
2. The “word” VOLUME.

First (and only) line when specifying volume first:

1. The “word” VOLUME.
2. The “word” PRESSURE.

4.31–5

Abaqus ID:
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 * DLOAD

4.32 *DLOAD: Specify distributed loads.

This option is used to prescribe distributed loading. It is also used to apply concentrated or distributed wind,
wave, or buoyancy loading in an Abaqus/Aqua analysis or to apply general body, buoyancy, or porous drag
force loading in Abaqus/CFD.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE Abaqus/Aqua

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Distributed loads,” Section 34.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “DLOAD,” Section 1.1.5 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “Defining ALE adaptive mesh domains in Abaqus/Explicit,” Section 12.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide
• “Analysis of models that exhibit cyclic symmetry,” Section 10.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Abaqus/Aqua analysis,” Section 6.11.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Applying distributed loads

Required parameter for cyclic symmetry models in steady-state dynamics analyses:

CYCLIC MODE
Set this parameter equal to the cyclic symmetry mode number of loads that are applied in the current
steady-state dynamics procedure.

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the variation of the load
magnitude during the step.
If this parameter is omitted for uniform load types in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the
step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see
“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is

4.32–1

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* DLOAD

omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit or an Abaqus/CFD analysis, the reference magnitude is applied

immediately at the beginning of the step.
Amplitude references are ignored for nonuniform loads given by user subroutine DLOAD in
an Abaqus/Standard analysis. Amplitude references are passed into user subroutine VDLOAD in an
Abaqus/Explicit analysis.
Only the load magnitude is changed with time. Quantities such as the direction of an applied
gravity load and the fluid surface level in hydrostatic pressure loading are not changed.
CONSTANT RESULTANT
Set CONSTANT RESULTANT=NO (default) if surface traction vectors, edge traction vectors, or
edge moments are to be integrated over the surface in the current configuration.
Set CONSTANT RESULTANT=YES if surface traction vectors, edge traction vectors, or edge
moments are to be integrated over the surface in the reference configuration.
The CONSTANT RESULTANT parameter is valid only for uniform and nonuniform surface
tractions and edge loads (including edge moments); it is ignored for all other load types.
FOLLOWER
Set FOLLOWER=YES (default) if a prescribed traction or shell-edge load is to rotate with the
surface or shell edge in a large-displacement analysis (live load).
Set FOLLOWER=NO if a prescribed traction or edge load is to remain fixed in a
large-displacement analysis (dead load).
The FOLLOWER parameter is valid only for traction and edge load labels TRVECn, TRVEC,
TRVECnNU, TRVECNU, EDLDn, and EDLDnNU. It is ignored for all other load labels.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DLOADs to remain, with this option modifying existing
distributed loads or defining additional distributed loads.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DLOADs applied to the model should be removed. New
distributed loads can be defined.
ORIENTATION
Set this parameter equal to the name given for the *ORIENTATION option (“Orientations,”
Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) used to specify the local coordinates in which
components of traction or shell-edge loads are specified.
The ORIENTATION parameter is valid only for traction and edge load labels TRSHRn,
TRSHR, TRSHRnNU, TRSHRNU, TRVECn, TRVEC, TRVECnNU, TRVECNU, EDLDn, and
EDLDnNU. It is ignored for all other load labels.
REF NODE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses and is relevant only for viscous and
stagnation body force and pressure loads when the velocity at the reference node is used.
Set this parameter equal to either the node number of the reference node or the name of a node
set containing the reference node. If the name of a node set is chosen, the node set must contain
exactly one node. If this parameter is omitted, the reference velocity is assumed to be zero.

4.32–2

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 * DLOAD

REGION TYPE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses.
This parameter is relevant only for pressure loads applied to the boundary of an adaptive
mesh domain. If a distributed pressure load is applied to a surface in the interior of an adaptive
mesh domain, the nodes on the surface will move with the material in all directions (they will be
nonadaptive). Abaqus/Explicit will create a boundary region automatically on the surface subjected
to the defined pressure load.
Set REGION TYPE=LAGRANGIAN (default) to apply the pressure to a Lagrangian boundary
region. The edge of a Lagrangian boundary region will follow the material while allowing adaptive
meshing along the edge and within the interior of the region.
Set REGION TYPE=SLIDING to apply the pressure load to a sliding boundary region. The
edge of a sliding boundary region will slide over the material. Adaptive meshing will occur along
the edge and in the interior of the region. Mesh constraints are typically applied on the edge of a
sliding boundary region to fix it spatially.
Set REGION TYPE=EULERIAN to apply the pressure to an Eulerian boundary region. This
option is used to create a boundary region across which material can flow. Mesh constraints must
be used normal to an Eulerian boundary region to allow material to flow through the region. If no
mesh constraints are applied, an Eulerian boundary region will behave in the same way as a sliding
boundary region.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and steady-state dynamics
analyses (direct, modal, or subspace):

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the loading.

REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the loading.

Data lines to define all distributed loads except those special cases described below:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label (see Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE
option. For nonuniform loads the magnitude must be defined in user subroutine DLOAD for
Abaqus/Standard and VDLOAD for Abaqus/Explicit. If given, this value will be passed into
the user subroutine in an Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed loads for different elements or element
sets.

4.32–3

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* DLOAD

Data lines to define a general surface traction vector, a surface shear traction vector, or a
general shell-edge traction vector:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label TRVECn, TRVEC, TRSHRn, TRSHR, EDLDn, TRVECnNU,
TRVECNU, TRSHRnNU, TRSHRNU, or EDLDnNU.
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. 1-component of the traction vector direction.
5. 2-component of the traction vector direction.
6. 3-component of the traction vector direction.

For a two-dimensional or axisymmetric analysis, only the first two components of the traction vector
direction need to be specified. For the shear traction load labels TRSHRn, TRSHR, TRSHRnNU, or
TRSHRNU, the loading direction is computed by projecting the specified traction vector direction
down upon the surface in the reference configuration. For nonuniform loads in Abaqus/Standard the
magnitude and traction vector direction must be defined in user subroutine UTRACLOAD. If given,
the magnitude and vector will be passed into the user subroutine in an Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define traction vectors for different elements or element
sets.

Data lines to define a surface normal traction vector, a shell-edge traction vector (in the normal,
transverse, or tangent direction), or a shell-edge moment:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type EDMOMn, EDNORn, EDSHRn, EDTRAn, EDMOMnNU,
EDNORnNU, EDSHRnNU, or EDTRAnNU.
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option. For
nonuniform loads in Abaqus/Standard the magnitude must be defined in user subroutine
UTRACLOAD. If given, the magnitude will be passed into the user subroutine in an
Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define traction vectors for different elements or element
sets.

Data lines to define centrifugal loads and Coriolis forces (Abaqus/Standard only):

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label CENTRIF, CENT, or CORIO.
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.

4.32–4

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 * DLOAD

4. Coordinate 1 of a point on the axis of rotation.

5. Coordinate 2 of a point on the axis of rotation.
6. Coordinate 3 of a point on the axis of rotation.
7. 1-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotation.
8. 2-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotation.
9. 3-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotation.

For axisymmetric elements the axis of rotation must be the global y-axis, which must be specified
as 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define centrifugal or Coriolis forces for different elements
or element sets.
Data lines to define rotary acceleration loads (Abaqus/Standard only):

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label ROTA.
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. Coordinate 1 of a point on the axis of rotary acceleration.
5. Coordinate 2 of a point on the axis of rotary acceleration.
6. Coordinate 3 of a point on the axis of rotary acceleration.
7. 1-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotary acceleration.
8. 2-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotary acceleration.
9. 3-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotary acceleration.

For two-dimensional elements the axis of rotation direction must be the global z-axis (out of the
plane of the model), which must be specified as 0.0, 0.0, 1.0.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define rotary acceleration loading for different elements or
element sets.

Data lines to define rotordynamic loads (Abaqus/Standard only):

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label ROTDYNF.
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. Coordinate 1 of a point on the axis of rotation.
5. Coordinate 2 of a point on the axis of rotation.
6. Coordinate 3 of a point on the axis of rotation.
7. 1-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotation.

4.32–5

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* DLOAD

8. 2-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotation.

9. 3-component of the direction cosine of the axis of rotation.

Rotordynamic loads are supported only for three-dimensional continuum and cylindrical elements,
shell elements, membrane elements, beam elements, and rotary inertia elements. The spinning axis
defined as part of the load must be the axis of symmetry for the structure. Therefore, beam elements
must be aligned with the symmetry axis. In addition, one of the principal directions of each loaded
rotary inertia element must be aligned with the symmetry axis, and the inertia components of the
rotary inertia elements must be symmetric about this axis.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define rotordynamic loads for different elements or element
sets.
Data lines to define gravity loading:

First line:
1. The element number or element set label is optional for gravity loads. If this field is left blank
in an Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit analysis, all elements in the model that have mass
contributions (including point mass elements) are automatically included in an element set
called _Whole_Model_Gravity_Elset and the gravity load is applied to all elements
in this element set. If this field is left blank in an Abaqus/CFD analysis, the gravity load is
applied to all user-defined element sets.
2. Distributed load type label GRAV.
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. 1-component of the gravity vector.
5. 2-component of the gravity vector.
6. 3-component of the gravity vector.

For axisymmetric elements the gravity load must be in the z-direction; therefore, only component 2
should be nonzero. For Abaqus/CFD gravity loading defines the gravity vector used with
a Boussinesq-type body force in buoyancy driven flow (see “Specifying gravity loading” in
“Distributed loads,” Section 34.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define gravity loading for different elements or element
sets.

Data lines to define porous drag load (Abaqus/CFD only):

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label PDBF.
3. Value of the porosity, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define porous drag body force loads for different elements
or element sets.

4.32–6

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 * DLOAD

Data lines to define external and internal pressure in pipe or elbow elements:

First line:

1. Element number or element set label.

2. Distributed load type label PE, PI, PENU, or PINU.
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
For nonuniform loads the magnitude must be defined in user subroutine DLOAD.
4. Effective inner or outer diameter.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define internal or external pressure loading for different
pipe or elbow elements or element sets.

Data lines to define hydrostatic pressure (Abaqus/Standard only):

First line:

1. Element number or element set label.

2. Distributed load type label HPn or HP.
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. Z-coordinate of zero pressure level in three-dimensional or axisymmetric cases; Y-coordinate
of zero pressure level in two-dimensional cases.
5. Z-coordinate of the point at which the pressure is defined in three-dimensional or axisymmetric
cases; Y-coordinate of the point at which the pressure is defined in two-dimensional cases.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define hydrostatic pressure loading for different elements
or element sets.

Data lines to define external and internal hydrostatic pressure in pipe or elbow elements:

First line:

1. Element number or element set label.

2. Distributed load type label HPE (external) or HPI (internal).
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. Z-coordinate of zero pressure level in three-dimensional or axisymmetric cases; Y-coordinate
of zero pressure level in two-dimensional cases.
5. Z-coordinate of the point at which the pressure is defined in three-dimensional or axisymmetric
cases; Y-coordinate of the point at which the pressure is defined in two-dimensional cases.
6. Effective inner or outer diameter.

4.32–7

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* DLOAD

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define internal or external pressure loading for different
pipe or elbow elements or element sets.

Data lines to define viscous body force, stagnation pressure, or stagnation body loads
(Abaqus/Explicit only):

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label VBF, SPn, SP, or SBF.
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by the use of the *AMPLITUDE option.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define viscous body force, stagnation pressure, or
stagnation body loads for different elements or element sets.

Loads used by Abaqus/Aqua

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the variation of the load
magnitude during the step. If this parameter is omitted for uniform load types, the reference
magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending
on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an
analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Amplitude references are ignored
for nonuniform loads given by user subroutine DLOAD.
Only the load magnitude is changed with time. Quantities such as the fluid surface level in
hydrostatic pressure loading are not changed.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DLOADs to remain, with this option modifying existing loads
or defining additional loads.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DLOADs applied to the model should be removed. New
distributed loads can be defined.

Data lines to define distributed buoyancy forces:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label PB.
3. Magnitude factor, M (default value is 1.0). This factor will be scaled by any *AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *DLOAD option.

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4. Effective outer diameter of the beam, truss, or one-dimensional rigid element (not used for
rigid surface elements R3D3 and R3D4).
The following data must be provided only when it is necessary to model the fluid inside an element:
5. Density of fluid inside the element.
6. Effective inner diameter of the element.
7. Free surface elevation of the fluid inside the element.
The following data should be provided only if it is necessary to change the fluid properties provided
on the *AQUA option, as described in “Buoyancy loads” in “Abaqus/Aqua analysis,” Section 6.11.1
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide. Gravity waves do not affect the buoyancy loading when any
external fluid property is overridden.
8. Density of the fluid outside the element.
9. Free surface elevation of the fluid outside the element.
10. Constant pressure, added to the hydrostatic pressure outside the element.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define buoyancy loading for various elements or element
sets.

Data lines to define distributed transverse fluid or wind drag:

First line:

1. Element number or element set label.

2. Distributed load type label FDD (fluid) or WDD (wind).
3. Magnitude factor, M (default value is 1.0). This factor will be scaled by any *AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *DLOAD option.
4. Effective outer diameter of the member, D.
5. Drag coefficient, .
6. Structural velocity factor, . The default value is 1.0 if this entry is left blank or set equal to
0.0.
7. For load type FDD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling steady current velocities
( ). For load type WDD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling the local x-
direction wind velocity ( ). If this entry is blank, the velocities are not scaled ( or
).
8. For load type FDD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling wave velocities ( ).
For load type WDD, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling the local y-direction
wind velocity ( ). If this is blank, the velocities are not scaled ( or ).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed transverse fluid or wind drag on various
elements or element sets.

4.32–9

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* DLOAD

Data lines to define distributed tangential fluid drag:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label FDT.
3. Magnitude factor, M (default value is 1.0). This factor will be scaled by any *AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *DLOAD option.
4. Effective outer diameter of the member, D.
5. Drag coefficient, .
6. Structural velocity factor, . The default value is 1.0 if this entry is left blank or set equal to
0.0.
7. Exponent h. The default value is 2.0 if this entry is left blank or set equal to 0.0.
8. Name of the *AMPLITUDE curve ( ) used for scaling steady current velocities. If this entry
is blank, the current velocities are not scaled ( ).
9. Name of the *AMPLITUDE curve ( ) used for scaling wave velocities. If this entry is blank,
the wave velocities are not scaled ( ).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed tangential fluid drag on various elements
or element sets.

Data lines to define distributed fluid inertia loading:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label FI.
3. Magnitude factor, M (default value is 1.0). This factor will be scaled by any *AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *DLOAD option.
4. Effective outer diameter of the member, D.
5. Transverse fluid inertia coefficient, .
6. Transverse added-mass coefficient, .
7. Name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling fluid particle accelerations ( ). If this
entry is blank, the fluid particle accelerations are not scaled ( ).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define fluid inertia loading for various elements or element
sets.

Data lines to define concentrated fluid and wind drag loading on the ends of elements:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label FD1, FD2, WD1, or WD2.

4.32–10

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 * DLOAD

3. Magnitude factor, M (default value is 1.0). This factor will be scaled by any AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *DLOAD option.
4. Exposed area, .
5. Drag coefficient, C.
6. Structural velocity factor, . The default value is 1.0 if this entry is left blank or set equal to
0.0.
7. For load types FD1 or FD2, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling steady current
velocities ( ). For load types WD1 or WD2, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for
scaling the local x-direction wind velocity ( ). If this entry is blank, the velocities are not
scaled ( or ).
8. For load types FD1 or FD2, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling wave velocities
( ). For load types WD1 or WD2, name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling the
local y-direction wind velocity ( ). If this entry is blank, the velocities are not scaled (
or ).
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated fluid or wind drag loading on the ends
of elements.

Data lines to define concentrated fluid inertia loading on the ends of elements:

First line:
1. Element number or element set label.
2. Distributed load type label FI1 or FI2.
3. Magnitude factor, M (default value is 1.0). This factor will be scaled by any AMPLITUDE
specification associated with this *DLOAD option.
4. Fluid inertia coefficient, .
5. Fluid acceleration shape factor, .
6. Added-mass coefficient, .
7. Structural acceleration shape factor, .
8. Name of the *AMPLITUDE curve used for scaling fluid particle accelerations. If this entry is
blank, the fluid particle accelerations are not scaled.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define concentrated fluid inertia loading on the ends of
elements.

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 * DRAG CHAIN

4.33 *DRAG CHAIN: Specify parameters for drag chain elements.

This option is used to specify the maximum length of a drag chain, the frictional limit between the chain and
the seabed, and the weight of the drag chain.

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Reference:
• “Drag chains,” Section 32.11.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set with which this behavior is associated.

Data line for DRAG2D elements:

First (and only) line:

1. Horizontal length of chain at slip, .
2. Friction limit between the chain and the seabed.

Data line for DRAG3D elements:

First (and only) line:

1. Total length of chain.
2. Friction coefficient.
3. Weight of chain (per unit length).

4.33–1

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 * DRUCKER PRAGER

4.34 *DRUCKER PRAGER: Specify the extended Drucker-Prager plasticity model.

This option is used to define yield surface and flow potential parameters for elastic-plastic materials that use
one of the extended Drucker-Prager plasticity models. It must be used in conjunction with the *DRUCKER
PRAGER HARDENING option and, if creep material behavior is included in an Abaqus/Standard analysis,
with the *DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

• “Extended Drucker-Prager models,” Section 23.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *DRUCKER PRAGER HARDENING
• *DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the material parameters other than temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that
the material parameters depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence”
in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more
information.

ECCENTRICITY
This parameter is only for use with SHEAR CRITERION=HYPERBOLIC or SHEAR
CRITERION=EXPONENT FORM or if creep material properties are included with SHEAR
CRITERION=LINEAR.
It is used to define the flow potential eccentricity, . The eccentricity is a small positive number
that defines the rate at which the hyperbolic flow potential approaches its asymptote. The default is
for the exponent model; and if , it is set to for
the hyperbolic model to ensure associated flow (the terms are defined in “Extended Drucker-Prager
models,” Section 23.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

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* DRUCKER PRAGER

SHEAR CRITERION
Set SHEAR CRITERION=LINEAR (default) to define the linear yield criterion. This is required if
creep material behavior is included for an Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Set SHEAR CRITERION=HYPERBOLIC to define the hyperbolic yield criterion.
Set SHEAR CRITERION=EXPONENT FORM to define the exponent form as a yield
criterion.
TEST DATA
This parameter is only for use with SHEAR CRITERION=EXPONENT FORM.
Include this parameter if the material constants for the exponent model are to be computed
by Abaqus from triaxial test data at different levels of confining pressure. The *TRIAXIAL TEST
DATA option must be used for this purpose.

Data lines to define a linear Drucker-Prager plasticity model (SHEAR CRITERION=LINEAR):

First line:
1. Material angle of friction, , in the p–t plane. Give the value in degrees.
2. K, the ratio of the flow stress in triaxial tension to the flow stress in triaxial compression.
. If this field is left blank or a value of 0.0 is entered, the default of 1.0 is
used. If creep material behavior is included, K should be set to 1.0.
3. Dilation angle, , in the p–t plane. Give the value in degrees.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameters
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define a hyperbolic Drucker-Prager plasticity model (SHEAR

CRITERION=HYPERBOLIC):

First line:
1. Material angle of friction, , at high confining pressure in the p–q plane. Give the value in
degrees.
2. Initial hydrostatic tension strength, . (Units of FL−2 .)
3. Not used.
4. Dilation angle, , at high confining pressure in the p–q plane. Give the value in degrees.

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 * DRUCKER PRAGER

5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameters
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define a Drucker-Prager plasticity model with the exponent law (SHEAR
CRITERION=EXPONENT FORM) and without test data (TEST DATA):

First line:
1. Material constant a.
2. Exponent b. To ensure a convex yield surface, .
3. Not used.
4. Dilation angle, , at high confining pressure in the p–q plane. Give the value in degrees.
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameters
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define a Drucker-Prager plasticity model with the exponent law (SHEAR
CRITERION=EXPONENT FORM) and with test data (TEST DATA):

First line:
1. Not used.
2. Not used.
3. Not used.
4. Dilation angle, , at high confining pressure in the p–q plane. Give the value in degrees.
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.

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* DRUCKER PRAGER

7. Second field variable.

8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the material parameters
on temperature and other predefined field variables.

4.34–4

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 * DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP

4.35 *DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP: Specify a Drucker-Prager creep law and material
properties.

This option is used to define a Drucker-Prager creep model and material properties. Creep behavior
defined by this option is active only during *SOILS, CONSOLIDATION; *COUPLED TEMPERATURE-
DISPLACEMENT; and *VISCO procedures. It must be used in conjunction with the *DRUCKER PRAGER
and *DRUCKER PRAGER HARDENING options. The data entered must be consistent with the TYPE
parameter used on the *DRUCKER PRAGER HARDENING option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Extended Drucker-Prager models,” Section 23.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *DRUCKER PRAGER
• *DRUCKER PRAGER HARDENING
• “CREEP,” Section 1.1.1 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
creep constants, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the creep
constants depend only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material
data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
LAW
Set LAW=STRAIN (default) to choose a strain-hardening power law.
Set LAW=TIME to choose a time-hardening power law.
Set LAW=SINGHM to choose a Singh-Mitchell type law.
Set LAW=USER to input the creep law using user subroutine CREEP.
TIME
This parameter is relevant only when LAW=TIME or LAW=SINGHM is used.
Set TIME=CREEP (default) to use creep time.
Set TIME=TOTAL to use total time.

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* DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP

Data lines for LAW=TIME or LAW=STRAIN:

First line:
1. A. (Units of F L T .)
2. n.
3. m.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the creep constants on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines for LAW=SINGHM:

First line:
1. A. (Units of T−1 .)
2. . (Units of F−1 L2 .)
3. m.
4. . (Units of T.)
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.
7. Etc., up to three field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of the creep constants on
temperature and other predefined field variables.

4.35–2

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 * DRUCKER PRAGER HARDENING

4.36 *DRUCKER PRAGER HARDENING: Specify hardening for Drucker-Prager plasticity

models.

This option is used to specify the hardening data for elastic-plastic materials that use any of the generalized
Drucker-Prager yield criteria defined in the *DRUCKER PRAGER option.
This option is also used in Abaqus/Standard analyses to specify the type of creep test with which the creep
laws defined in the *DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP option are measured. It must be used in conjunction with
the *DRUCKER PRAGER option and, if creep material behavior is included in an Abaqus/Standard analysis,
with the *DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:
• “Extended Drucker-Prager models,” Section 23.3.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *DRUCKER PRAGER
• *DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition of the
yield stress, in addition to temperature. If this parameter is omitted, the yield stress depends only
on the plastic strain and, possibly, on temperature. See “Using the DEPENDENCIES parameter
to define field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
RATE
Set this parameter equal to the equivalent plastic strain rate, , for which this hardening curve
applies. This parameter should be omitted if the *RATE DEPENDENT option or the *DRUCKER
PRAGER CREEP option is used. Rate-independent behavior is assumed if the RATE parameter,
the *RATE DEPENDENT option, and the *DRUCKER PRAGER CREEP option are not used.
TYPE
Set TYPE=COMPRESSION (default) to define the hardening behavior by giving the uniaxial
compression yield stress, , as a function of uniaxial compression plastic strain, .

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* DRUCKER PRAGER HARDENING

Set TYPE=TENSION to define the hardening behavior by giving the uniaxial tension yield
stress, , as a function of uniaxial tension plastic strain, .
Set TYPE=SHEAR to define the hardening behavior by giving the cohesion, ,
as a function of equivalent shear plastic strain, , where is the yield stress in shear,
K is the ratio of flow stress in triaxial tension to the flow stress in triaxial compression, and is
the engineering shear plastic strain.

Data lines to define Drucker-Prager hardening:

First line:
1. Yield stress.
2. Absolute value of the corresponding plastic strain. (The first tabular value entered must always
be zero.)
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the dependence of yield stress on plastic
strain and, if needed, on temperature and other predefined field variables.

4.36–2

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 * DSA CONTROLS

4.37 *DSA CONTROLS: Set DSA solution controls.

This option can be used to control the accuracy or efficiency of the DSA computations.

Product: Abaqus/Design

Type: Model or history data

Level: Model, Step

Reference:

• “Design sensitivity analysis,” Section 19.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

FORMULATION
Use this parameter to select the design sensitivity analysis formulation type in a multi-increment
analysis. This parameter will be ignored if used as history data.
Set FORMULATION=INCREMENTAL (default) to select incremental design sensitivity
analysis.
Set FORMULATION=TOTAL to select total design sensitivity analysis.

RESET
Include this parameter to reset the values to those specified on the model data options or to the
original default values if no model data options exist. This action takes effect before applying any
additional changes to the values.

SIZING FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the frequency in increments (static steps) or modes (frequency steps)
at which the default perturbation sizing algorithm is to be executed. The algorithm will always be
executed for the first increment or first eigenmode in each step for which DSA calculations are done,
even if SIZING FREQUENCY is set to 0. The default is SIZING FREQUENCY=0.

TOLERANCE
Set this parameter equal to the tolerance to be used with the default perturbation sizing algorithm.
The default is TOLERANCE= .

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* DSA CONTROLS

Data lines to override the default perturbation sizing algorithm for selected design parameters
(The SIZING FREQUENCY and TOLERANCE parameters will be ignored for these design
parameters.):

First line:
1. Design parameter.
2. Set this entry to FD to use forward difference. Set this entry to CD to use central difference.
3. Absolute value of perturbation.
Repeat this data line for each design parameter for which the default algorithm is to be overridden.

4.37–2

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 * DSECHARGE

4.38 *DSECHARGE: Input distributed electric surface charges for piezoelectric analysis.

This option is used to input distributed electric surface charges on a surface underlying piezoelectric elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

Reference:
• “Piezoelectric analysis,” Section 6.7.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the
distributed electric charge during the step. If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude
is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value
assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DSECHARGEs to remain, with this option defining electric
charges to be added or modified. Set OP=NEW if all existing *DSECHARGEs applied to the model
should be removed.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and direct-solution, steady-state
dynamics analysis:
IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the loading.
REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the loading.

Data lines to define distributed electric charges:

First line:
1. Surface name.

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* DSECHARGE

2. Distributed electric charge label ES.

3. Reference electric surface charge magnitude. (Units of CL−2 .)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed electric charges for various surfaces.

4.38–2

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 * DSECURRENT

4.39 *DSECURRENT: Specify distributed current densities over a surface in an

electromagnetic analysis.

This option is used to input distributed current densities over a surface in coupled thermal-electrical, coupled
thermal-electrical-structural, eddy current, and magnetostatic analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Coupled thermal-electrical analysis,” Section 6.7.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Fully coupled thermal-electrical-structural analysis,” Section 6.7.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Eddy current analysis,” Section 6.7.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Magnetostatic analysis,” Section 6.7.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the electric
current density during the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide). If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning
of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter
on the *STEP option (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DSECURRENTs to remain, with this option defining
distributed current densities to be added or modified.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DSECURRENTs applied to the model should be removed.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for time-harmonic eddy current analyses:

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the surface current density.
REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the surface current density.

4.39–1

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* DSECURRENT

Data lines to define distributed electrical current densities in coupled thermal-electrical or

coupled thermal-electrical-structural analyses:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed current density type label CS.
3. Reference surface current density magnitude. (Units of CL−2 T−1 .)
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define current densities for various surfaces.

Data lines to define surface current densities in eddy current or magnetostatic analyses:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Surface current density type label CK (uniform) or CKNU (nonuniform).
3. Reference surface current density magnitude. (Units of CL−1 T−1 .)
4. 1-component of the surface current density vector direction.
5. 2-component of the surface current density vector direction.
6. 3-component of the surface current density vector direction.
For nonuniform loads the magnitude and direction must be defined in user subroutine
UDSECURRENT. If given, the magnitude and direction will be passed into the user subroutine.
7. Name of the orientation option (“Orientations,” Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide) that defines the local coordinate system in which the surface current density vector is
specified.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define surface current densities for various surfaces.

4.39–2

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 * DSFLOW

4.40 *DSFLOW: Specify distributed seepage flows normal to a surface.

This option is used to input seepage flows (pore fluid velocities) normal to surfaces of the model in
consolidation problems.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Pore fluid flow,” Section 34.4.7 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “DFLOW,” Section 1.1.2 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the *AMPLITUDE curve that defines the magnitude of the
seepage flow during the step. If this parameter is omitted for uniform seepage types, the reference
magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on
the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see “Defining an analysis,”
Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Amplitude references are ignored for flows
defined in user subroutine DFLOW.
OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DSFLOWs to remain, with this option modifying existing
flows or defining additional flows.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DSFLOWs applied to the model should be removed. New flows
can be defined.

Data lines to define uniform seepage:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed uniform seepage type label S.
3. Reference seepage magnitude. (Units of LT−1 .) The seepage magnitude is the pore fluid
effective velocity crossing the surface at this point in an outward direction.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define uniform seepage for various surfaces.

4.40–1

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* DSFLOW

Data lines to define nonuniform seepage:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Nonuniform distributed seepage type label SNU.
3. Seepage magnitude (optional). If given, this value is passed into user subroutine DFLOW in the
variable used to define the seepage magnitude.

Nonuniform seepage magnitudes are defined via user subroutine DFLOW.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define nonuniform seepage for surfaces.

4.40–2

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 * DSFLUX

4.41 *DSFLUX: Specify distributed surface fluxes for heat transfer analysis.

This option is used to apply distributed surface fluxes for a fully coupled thermal-stress analysis in
Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit. In Abaqus/Standard it is also used for heat transfer, coupled
thermal-electrical, and coupled thermal-electrical-structural analyses. In Abaqus/CFD it is used for thermal
energy (heat) transport and conjugate heat transfer analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:

• “Thermal loads,” Section 34.4.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

• “DFLUX,” Section 1.1.3 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the
distributed fluxes during the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s
Guide).
If this parameter is omitted for uniform flux types in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step,
depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Defining
an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter is omitted in
an Abaqus/Explicit or Abaqus/CFD analysis, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at
the beginning of the step.
For nonuniform flux type SNU (which is available only in Abaqus/Standard), the flux
magnitude is defined in user subroutine DFLUX, and AMPLITUDE references are ignored.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DSFLUXs to remain, with this option modifying existing
fluxes or defining additional fluxes.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DSFLUXs applied to the model should be removed.

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* DSFLUX

Data lines to define a distributed surface flux:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed flux type label S or SNU.
3. Reference flux magnitude (units JT−1 L−2 ). This value is needed for uniform fluxes only. If it
is given for nonuniform fluxes, it will be passed into user subroutine DFLUX, where the actual
flux magnitude is defined.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed fluxes for different surfaces.

4.41–2

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 * DSLOAD

4.42 *DSLOAD: Specify distributed surface loads.

This option is used to prescribe distributed surface loading.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:
• “Distributed loads,” Section 34.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “DLOAD,” Section 1.1.5 of the Abaqus User Subroutines Reference Guide
• “Analysis of models that exhibit cyclic symmetry,” Section 10.4.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Submodeling: overview,” Section 10.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Surface-based submodeling,” Section 10.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Modeling discontinuities as an enriched feature using the extended finite element method,”
Section 10.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Applying distributed loads

Required parameter for cyclic symmetry models in steady-state dynamics analyses:

CYCLIC MODE
Set this parameter equal to the cyclic symmetry mode number of loads that are applied in the current
steady-state dynamics procedure.

Optional parameters:
AMPLITUDE
Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the variation of the load
magnitude during the step.
If this parameter is omitted for uniform load types in an Abaqus/Standard analysis, the
reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the
step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (see
“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). If this parameter
is omitted in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at the
beginning of the step.

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* DSLOAD

Amplitude references are ignored for nonuniform loads given by user subroutine DLOAD in
an Abaqus/Standard analysis. Amplitude references are passed into user subroutine VDLOAD in an
Abaqus/Explicit analysis.
Only the load magnitude is changed with time. Quantities such as the fluid surface level in
hydrostatic pressure loading are not changed.

CONSTANT RESULTANT
Set CONSTANT RESULTANT=NO (default) if surface traction vectors, edge traction vectors, or
edge moments are to be integrated over the surface in the current configuration.
Set CONSTANT RESULTANT=YES if surface traction vectors, edge traction vectors, or edge
moments are to be integrated over the surface in the reference configuration.
The CONSTANT RESULTANT parameter is valid only for uniform and nonuniform surface
tractions and edge loads (including edge moments); it is ignored for all other load types.

FOLLOWER
Set FOLLOWER=YES (default) if a prescribed traction or shell-edge load is to rotate with the
surface or shell edge in a large-displacement analysis (live load).
Set FOLLOWER=NO if a prescribed traction or edge load is to remain fixed in a
large-displacement analysis (dead load).
The FOLLOWER parameter is valid only for traction and edge load labels TRVEC,
TRVECNU, EDLD, and EDLDNU. It is ignored for all other load labels.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DSLOADs to remain, with this option modifying existing
distributed loads or defining additional distributed loads.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DSLOADs applied to the model should be removed. New
distributed loads can be defined.

ORIENTATION
Set this parameter equal to the name given for the *ORIENTATION option (“Orientations,”
Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) used to specify the local coordinates in which
components of traction or shell-edge loads are specified.
The ORIENTATION parameter is valid only for traction and edge load labels TRSHR,
TRSHRNU, TRVEC, TRVECNU, EDLD, and EDLDNU. It is ignored for all other load labels.

REF NODE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Explicit analyses and is relevant only for viscous and
stagnation pressure loads when the velocity at the reference node is used.
Set this parameter equal to either the node number of the reference node or the name of a node
set containing the reference node. If the name of a node set is chosen, the node set must contain
exactly one node. If this parameter is omitted, the reference velocity is assumed to be zero.

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Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for matrix generation and steady-state dynamics
analysis (direct, modal, or subspace):

IMAGINARY
Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the loading.

REAL
Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the loading.

Data lines to define distributed surface pressures:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed load type label P, PNU, SP, or VP.
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option.
For nonuniform loads the magnitude must be defined in user subroutine DLOAD for an
Abaqus/Standard analysis or VDLOAD for an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. If given, this value
will be passed into the user subroutine in an Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define distributed loads on different surfaces.

Data lines to define hydrostatic pressure (Abaqus/Standard only):

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed load type label HP.
3. Actual magnitude of the load, which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. Z-coordinate of zero pressure level.
5. Z-coordinate of the point at which the pressure is defined.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define hydrostatic pressure loading on different surfaces.

Data lines to define a general surface traction vector, a surface shear traction vector, or a
general shell-edge traction vector:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed load type label TRVEC, TRSHR, EDLD, TRVECNU, TRSHRNU, or EDLDNU.
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option.
4. 1-component of the traction vector direction.

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5. 2-component of the traction vector direction.

6. 3-component of the traction vector direction.

For a two-dimensional or axisymmetric analysis, only the first two components of the traction vector
direction need to be specified. For the shear traction load labels TRSHR and TRSHRNU, the loading
direction is computed by projecting the specified traction vector direction down upon the surface in
the reference configuration. For nonuniform loads in Abaqus/Standard the magnitude and traction
vector direction must be defined in user subroutine UTRACLOAD. If given, the magnitude and vector
will be passed into the user subroutine in an Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define traction vectors on different surfaces.

Data lines to define a surface normal traction vector, a shell-edge traction vector (in the normal,
transverse, or tangent direction), or a shell-edge moment:

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed load type label EDMOM, EDNOR, EDSHR, EDTRA, EDMOMNU, EDNORNU,
EDSHRNU, or EDTRANU.
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option. For
nonuniform loads in Abaqus/Standard the magnitude must be defined in user subroutine
UTRACLOAD. If given, the magnitude will be passed into the user subroutine in an
Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define traction vectors on different surfaces.

Data lines to define stagnation pressure loads (Abaqus/Explicit only):

First line:
1. Surface name.
2. Distributed load type label SP.
3. Reference load magnitude, which can be modified by using the *AMPLITUDE option.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define stagnation pressure loads on different surfaces.

Applying submodel boundary conditions (Abaqus/Standard only)

Required parameters:

STEP
Set this parameter equal to the step number in the global analysis for which the values of the driven
stresses will be read during this step of the submodel analysis.

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SUBMODEL
Include this parameter to specify that the distributed loads are the “driven loads” in a submodel
analysis. Surfaces used in this option must be among those listed in the *SUBMODEL model
definition option.

Optional parameters:

INC
This parameter can be used only in a static linear perturbation step (“General and linear perturbation
procedures,” Section 6.1.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
Set this parameter equal to the increment in the selected step of the global analysis at which
the solution will be used to specify the values of the driven stresses. By default, Abaqus/Standard
uses the solution at the last increment of the selected step.

OP
Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DSLOADs to remain, with this option modifying existing
distributed loads or defining additional distributed loads.
Set OP=NEW if all existing *DSLOADs applied to the model should be removed. New
distributed loads can be defined.

Data lines to define submodeling loads:

First line:
1. Surface name
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to specify submodel distributed loads at different surfaces.

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4.43 *DYNAMIC: Dynamic stress/displacement analysis.

This option is used to provide direct integration of a dynamic stress/displacement response in Abaqus/Standard
analyses and is generally used for nonlinear cases. It is used to perform a dynamic stress/displacement analysis
using explicit integration in Abaqus/Explicit. The analysis in both Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit can
also be adiabatic.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

References:
• “Implicit dynamic analysis using direct integration,” Section 6.3.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Explicit dynamic analysis,” Section 6.3.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Adiabatic analysis,” Section 6.5.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Defining a dynamic analysis in Abaqus/Standard

Optional parameter for the subspace projection method:

SUBSPACE
Include this parameter to choose the subspace projection method (explicit integration of the model
projected onto the eigenvectors obtained in the last *FREQUENCY step preceding this step).
If this parameter is omitted, implicit time integration of the dynamic equations for all global
level degrees of freedom is used.

Optional parameters for the general implicit integration method:

ADIABATIC
Include this parameter if an adiabatic stress analysis is to be performed. This parameter is relevant
only for isotropic metal plasticity materials with a Mises yield surface and when the *INELASTIC
HEAT FRACTION option has been specified.
ALPHA
Set this parameter equal to a nondefault value of the numerical (artificial) damping control
parameter, , in the implicit operator for TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-TF or HHT-MD. Allowable
values are 0 (no damping) to –0.5. The value of −0.333 provides maximum damping. The default
for TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-TF is ALPHA=−0.05, which provides slight numerical damping.

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APPLICATION
Use this parameter to choose a time integration method. Other parameter values are determined by
the time integration method selected. You can override the defaults by specifying these parameter
values directly.
Set APPLICATION=TRANSIENT FIDELITY (default for problems without
contact in the model) to choose a method for an accurate solution with slight numerical
damping. The TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-TF, IMPACT=AVERAGE TIME, and
INCREMENTATION=CONSERVATIVE are set.
Set APPLICATION=MODERATE DISSIPATION (default for problems with contact in the
model) to choose a method with larger than default numerical damping and a more aggressive time
incrementation scheme at the expense of some solution accuracy. The TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-
MD, IMPACT=NO, and INCREMENTATION=AGGRESSIVE are set.
Set APPLICATION=QUASI-STATIC to choose a method with very significant
numerical damping that is primarily intended to obtain quasi-static solutions. The TIME
INTEGRATOR=BWE, IMPACT=NO, and INCREMENTATION=AGGRESSIVE values are set.
In addition, the default step amplitude is set to RAMP instead of STEP.
BETA
Set this parameter equal to a nondefault value, , in the implicit operator for TIME
INTEGRATOR=HHT-TF or HHT-MD. Allowable values are positive.
DIRECT
Include this parameter to choose direct user control of the incrementation through the step. If this
parameter is included and no contact impacts or releases occur, constant increments of the size
defined on the data line are used. If this parameter is omitted, Abaqus/Standard uses the automatic
time incrementation scheme after trying the user’s initial time increment for the first attempt at
the first increment. The DIRECT parameter and the HAFTOL and HALFINC SCALE FACTOR
parameters are mutually exclusive.
The DIRECT parameter may have the value NO STOP. If this value is included, the solution
to an increment is accepted after the maximum number of iterations allowed (as defined in the
*CONTROLS option) have been done, even if the equilibrium tolerances are not satisfied. Small
increments and a minimum of two iterations are usually necessary if this value is used. This
approach is not generally recommended; it should be used only in special cases when the analyst
has a thorough understanding of how to interpret results obtained in this way.
GAMMA
Set this parameter equal to a nondefault value, , in the implicit operator for TIME
INTEGRATOR=HHT-TF or HHT-MD. Allowable values are greater or equal to 0.5.
HAFTOL
Set this parameter equal to the half-increment residual tolerance to be used with the automatic time
incrementation scheme. For automatic time incrementation this value controls the accuracy of the
solution if HALFINC SCALE FACTOR is not specified. It is recommended that the HALFINC

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SCALE FACTOR parameter be used instead of the HAFTOL parameter. If both are included, the
HAFTOL parameter is ignored. The DIRECT and HAFTOL parameters are mutually exclusive.
The HAFTOL parameter has dimensions of force and is usually chosen by comparison with
typical actual force values, such as applied forces or expected reaction forces. The following
guidelines may be helpful. For problems where considerable plasticity or other dissipation is
expected to damp out the high frequency response, choose HAFTOL as 10 to 100 times typical
actual force values for moderate accuracy and low cost; choose HAFTOL as 1 to 10 times typical
actual force values for higher accuracy. In such cases smaller values of HAFTOL are usually not
needed.
For elastic cases with little damping the high frequency modes usually remain important
throughout the problem; therefore, HAFTOL values should be smaller than recommended above.
Choose HAFTOL as 1 to 10 times typical actual force values for moderate accuracy; choose
HAFTOL as 0.1 to 1 times actual force values for higher accuracy.

HALFINC SCALE FACTOR

Set this parameter equal to a scale factor applied to Abaqus/Standard calculated time average
force and moment values to be used as the half-increment residual tolerance with the automatic
time incrementation solution accuracy checking scheme. The DIRECT and HALFINC SCALE
FACTOR parameters are mutually exclusive. The HALFINC SCALE FACTOR is ignored when
NOHAF parameter is set.
The HALFINC SCALE FACTOR parameter is unitless. As a guideline, with smaller
HALFINC SCALE FACTOR values, more accurate solutions should be obtained at the expense
of using finer time increments. By default for APPLICATION=TRANSIENT FIDELITY, it is set
to 10000 if contact is present in the model and to 1000 otherwise. These defaults differ from the
suggested HAFTOL ratios primarily because the HALFINC SCALE FACTOR is applied to known
force averages; hence, they need not be as conservative.

IMPACT
Use this parameter to choose a time incrementation type when contact impacts or releases occur
during analysis.
Set IMPACT=AVERAGE TIME to choose a time incrementation scheme that employs
average time of impact/release cut backs to enforce energy balance and maintains velocities and
accelerations compatible on the active contact interface. The IMPACT=AVERAGE TIME and
TIME INTEGRATOR=BWE settings are mutually exclusive.
Set IMPACT=CURRENT TIME to choose a “marching through” scheme without
impact/release cut backs. The velocities and accelerations are compatible on the active contact
interface.
Set IMPACT=NO to choose a “marching through” scheme without impact/release cut backs
and without velocity/acceleration compatibility computations.

INCREMENTATION
Use this parameter to choose a general time incrementation type.

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Set INCREMENTATION=CONSERVATIVE to choose a time incrementation scheme that

maximizes solution accuracy.
Set INCREMENTATION=AGGRESSIVE to choose a time incrementation scheme based
only on convergence history, similar to a scheme typically used in static problems without rate
or history dependence. Setting INCREMENTATION=AGGRESSIVE also sets the value of the
NOHAF parameter.
INITIAL
By default, Abaqus/Standard will calculate or recalculate accelerations at the beginning of the step
if an IMPACT value other than NO is used. Set INITIAL=NO to bypass the calculation of initial
accelerations at the beginning of the step.
If INITIAL=NO, Abaqus/Standard assumes that the initial accelerations for the current step
are zero if the current step is the first *DYNAMIC step. If the immediately preceding step was also
a *DYNAMIC step, using INITIAL=NO causes Abaqus/Standard to use the accelerations from the
end of the previous step to continue the new step. This is appropriate only if the loading does not
change suddenly at the start of the new step.
NOHAF
Include this parameter to suppress calculation of the half-increment residuals and thus skip some
accuracy checking for the automatic time incrementation scheme. For fixed time incrementation
with the DIRECT parameter included, Abaqus/Standard calculates the half-increment residuals by
default; the NOHAF parameter switches off this calculation, saving some of the solution cost.
SINGULAR MASS
Use this parameter to control velocity and acceleration adjustments if a singular global mass matrix
is detected during initialization or during contact impact/release computations.
Set SINGULAR MASS=ERROR (default) to issue an error message and stop execution if a
singular global mass matrix is detected when calculating the velocity and acceleration adjustments.
Set SINGULAR MASS=WARNING to issue a warning message and avoid these velocity
and acceleration adjustments (i.e., continue time integration using the current velocities and
accelerations) if a singular global mass matrix is detected.
Set SINGULAR MASS=MAKE ADJUSTMENTS to adjust velocities and accelerations even
if a singular mass matrix is detected. This setting can result in large, non-physical velocity and/or
acceleration adjustments, which can, in turn, cause poor time integration solutions and artificial
convergence difficulties. This approach is not generally recommended; it should be used only in
special cases when the analyst has a thorough understanding of how to interpret results obtained
in this way.
TIME INTEGRATOR
Use this parameter to choose the time integration method.
Set TIME INTEGRATOR=BWE to choose the backward Euler time integrator.
Set TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-TF to choose the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor time integrator
with default parameter settings which provide slight numerical damping. This is the default for
APPLICATION=TRANSIENT FIDELITY.

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Set TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-MD to choose the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor time integrator

with default parameter settings that provide moderate numerical damping. This is the default for
APPLICATION=MODERATE DISSIPATION.

Data line for a transient dynamic analysis:

First (and only) line:

1. Suggested initial time increment. For implicit integration, this same time increment will
be used throughout the step unless contact impacts or releases occur or the automatic time
incrementation scheme is used. If the SUBSPACE parameter is included, the smaller of this
time increment or 80% of , where is the circular frequency of the highest mode
included in the dynamic response analysis, is used throughout the step.
2. Time period of the step.
3. Minimum time increment allowed. If a smaller time increment than this value is needed, the
analysis is terminated. If this entry is zero, a default value of the smaller of the suggested initial
time increment or 10−5 times the time period of the step is assumed.
4. Maximum time increment allowed. Only useful for automatic time incrementation.
If this value is zero, the default depends on the APPLICATION setting. If
APPLICATION=TRANSIENT FIDELITY, the maximum time increment allowed is the
time period of the step divided by 100. If APPLICATION=MODERATE DISSIPATION, it
is the time period of the step divided by 10. If APPLICATION=QUASI-STATIC, it is the
time period of the step.

Defining a dynamic analysis in Abaqus/Explicit

Required parameter:

EXPLICIT
Include this parameter to specify explicit time integration.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

DIRECT USER CONTROL

Include this parameter to specify that this step should use a fixed time increment that is specified
by the user.

ELEMENT BY ELEMENT
Include this parameter to indicate that variable, automatic time incrementation using the element-
by-element stable time increment estimates should be used. This method will generally require
more increments and more computational time than the global time estimator.

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FIXED TIME INCREMENTATION

Include this parameter to specify that this step should use a fixed time increment that will be
determined by Abaqus/Explicit at the beginning of the step using the element-by-element time
estimator.

Optional parameters:
ADIABATIC
Include this parameter to specify that an adiabatic stress analysis is to be performed. This parameter
is relevant only for metal plasticity (“Inelastic behavior,” Section 23.1.1 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide). The *INELASTIC HEAT FRACTION and *SPECIFIC HEAT options must be
specified in the appropriate material definitions.
IMPROVED DT METHOD
Set IMPROVED DT METHOD=YES (default) to use the “improved” method to estimate the
element stable time increment for three-dimensional continuum elements and elements with plane
stress formulations (shell, membrane, and two-dimensional plane stress elements).
Set IMPROVED DT METHOD=NO to use the conservative method to estimate the element
stable time increment for three-dimensional continuum elements and elements with plane stress
formulations.
SCALE FACTOR
Set this parameter equal to the factor that is used to scale the time increment computed by
Abaqus/Explicit. The default scaling factor is 1.0. This parameter can be used to scale the default
global time estimate, and it can be used in conjunction with the ELEMENT BY ELEMENT
and FIXED TIME INCREMENTATION parameters. It cannot be used in conjunction with the
DIRECT USER CONTROL parameter.

Data line for automatic time incrementation (global or ELEMENT BY ELEMENT estimation):

First (and only) line:

1. Enter a blank field.
2. T, time period of the step.
3. Enter a blank field.
4. , maximum time increment allowed. If this value is not specified, no upper limit is
imposed.

Data line for fixed time incrementation using DIRECT USER CONTROL:

First (and only) line:

1. , time increment to be used throughout the step.
2. T, time period of the step.

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Data line for fixed time incrementation using FIXED TIME INCREMENTATION:

First (and only) line:

1. Enter a blank field.
2. T, time period of the step.

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4.44 *DYNAMIC TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT: Dynamic coupled thermal-stress

analysis using explicit integration.

This option is used to indicate that a dynamic coupled thermal-stress analysis is to be performed using explicit
integration.

Products: Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:

• “Fully coupled thermal-stress analysis,” Section 6.5.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

EXPLICIT
Include this parameter to specify explicit time integration.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters:

DIRECT USER CONTROL

Include this parameter to specify that this step should use a fixed time increment that is specified
by the user.

ELEMENT BY ELEMENT
Include this parameter to indicate that variable, automatic time incrementation using the element-
by-element stable time increment estimates should be used. This method will generally require
more increments and more computational time than the global time estimator.

FIXED TIME INCREMENTATION

Include this parameter to specify that this step should use a fixed time increment that will be
determined by Abaqus/Explicit at the beginning of the step using the element-by-element time
estimator.

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Optional parameters:

IMPROVED DT METHOD
Set IMPROVED DT METHOD=YES (default) to use the “improved” method to estimate the
element stable time increment due to the mechanical response for three-dimensional continuum
elements and elements with plane stress formulations (shell, membrane, and two-dimensional
plane stress elements).
Set IMPROVED DT METHOD=NO to use the conservative method to estimate the element
stable time increment due to the mechanical response for three-dimensional continuum elements
and elements with plane stress formulations.

SCALE FACTOR
Set this parameter equal to the factor that is used to scale the time increment computed by
Abaqus/Explicit. The default scaling factor is 1.0. This parameter can be used to scale the default
global time estimate, and it can be used in conjunction with the ELEMENT BY ELEMENT
and FIXED TIME INCREMENTATION parameters. It cannot be used in conjunction with the
DIRECT USER CONTROL parameter.

Data line for automatic time incrementation (global or ELEMENT BY ELEMENT estimation):

First (and only) line:

1. Enter a blank field.
2. T, time period of the step.
3. Enter a blank field.
4. , maximum time increment allowed. If this value is not specified, no upper limit is
imposed.

Data line for fixed time incrementation using DIRECT USER CONTROL:

First (and only) line:

1. , time increment to be used throughout the step.
2. T, time period of the step.

Data line for fixed time incrementation using FIXED TIME INCREMENTATION:

First (and only) line:

1. Enter a blank field.
2. T, time period of the step.

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5. E

Abaqus ID:
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5.1 *EL FILE: Define results file requests for element variables.

This option is used to select the element variables that will be written to the results (.fil) file in an
Abaqus/Standard analysis or to the selected results (.sel) file in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis. In an
Abaqus/Explicit analysis it must be used in conjunction with the *FILE OUTPUT option.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Unsupported; Abaqus/CAE reads output from the output database file only.

References:
• “Output to the data and results files,” Section 4.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• *FILE OUTPUT

Optional parameters:

DIRECTIONS
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
This parameter is used to obtain the directions of local element or material coordinate systems
when component output is requested. The directions are written as a separate record for each point
at which a local coordinate system is used. See “Results file output format,” Section 5.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for a detailed description.
Set DIRECTIONS=NO (default) if the local coordinate directions should not be written.
Set DIRECTIONS=YES if the local coordinate directions should be written.
ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set for which this output request is being
made. If this parameter is omitted, the output will be written for all elements in the model. In
an Abaqus/Explicit analysis, output will also be written for all of the rebars in the model. The
REBAR parameter must be included in an Abaqus/Standard analysis to obtain rebar output.
FREQUENCY
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set this parameter equal to the output frequency, in increments. The output will always be
written to the results file at the last increment of each step unless FREQUENCY=0. The default is
FREQUENCY=1. Set FREQUENCY=0 to suppress the output.

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LAST MODE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
This parameter is useful only during eigenvalue extraction for natural frequencies (“Natural
frequency extraction,” Section 6.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) and for eigenvalue
buckling estimation (“Eigenvalue buckling prediction,” Section 6.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide). Set this parameter equal to the highest mode number for which output is required.
The default value is LAST MODE=N, where N is the number of modes extracted. If the
MODE parameter is used, the default value is LAST MODE=M, where M is the value of the MODE
parameter.
MODE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
This parameter is useful only during eigenvalue extraction for natural frequencies (“Natural
frequency extraction,” Section 6.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide) and for eigenvalue
buckling estimation (“Eigenvalue buckling prediction,” Section 6.2.3 of the Abaqus Analysis
User’s Guide). Set this parameter equal to the first mode number for which output is required. The
default is MODE=1. When performing a *FREQUENCY analysis, the normalization will follow
the format set by the NORMALIZATION parameter. Otherwise, the normalization is such that the
largest displacement component in the mode has a magnitude of 1.0.
POSITION
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
Set POSITION=AVERAGED AT NODES if the values being written are the averages of
values extrapolated to the nodes of the elements in the set. Since variables can be discontinuous
between elements with different properties, Abaqus/Standard breaks the output into separate tables
for different element property definitions within the element set specified. Abaqus/Standard will
also output elements of differing types separately. Thus, averaging will occur only over elements
that contribute to a node that have the same type.
Set POSITION=CENTROIDAL if values are being written at the centroid of the element (the
centroid of the reference surface of a shell element, the midpoint between the end nodes of a beam
element).
Set POSITION=INTEGRATION POINTS (default) if values are being written at the
integration points at which the variables are actually calculated.
Set POSITION=NODES if the values being written are extrapolated to the nodes of each
element in the set but not averaged at the nodes.
REBAR
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
This parameter can be used to obtain output only for the rebar in the element set specified;
output for the matrix material will not be given. It can be used with or without a value. If it is used
without a value, the output will be given for all rebar in the element set. Its value can be set to the
name assigned to the rebar on the *REBAR option to specify output for that particular rebar in the
element set.

5.1–2

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If this parameter is omitted in a model that includes rebar, the output requests govern the output
for the matrix material only (except for section forces, when the forces in the rebar are included in
the force calculation). Rebar output can be obtained only at the integration points in continuum and
beam elements. In shell and membrane elements rebar output can be obtained at the integration
points and at the centroid of the element.

Data lines to request element output in the results file in an Abaqus/Standard analysis:

First line (optional, and relevant only if integration point variables are being printed for shell, beam,
or layered solid elements):
1. Give a list of the section points in the beam, shell, or layered solid at which variables should
be written to the results file. If this data line is omitted, the variables are written at the
default output points defined in Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
A maximum number of 16 section points can be specified. Repeat the *EL FILE option as
often as needed if output at additional points is required. For section points on a meshed beam
cross-section, specify a list of user-defined section point labels. If this data line is omitted, all
available section points will be written.

Second line:
1. Give the identifying keys for the output variables to be written to the results (.fil) file. The
keys are defined in “Abaqus/Standard output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide.
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary to define the list of variables to be output to the results
file.

Data lines to request element output in the selected results file in an Abaqus/Explicit analysis:

First line:
1. Give the identifying keys for the output variables to be written to the selected results (.sel)
file. The keys are defined in “Abaqus/Explicit output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the list of variables to be output to the selected
results file.

5.1–3

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5.2 *EL PRINT: Define data file requests for element variables.

This option is used to provide tabular printed output of element variables (stresses, strains, etc.).

Product: Abaqus/Standard

Type: History data

Level: Step

Reference:
• “Output to the data and results files,” Section 4.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set for which this output request is being made.
If this parameter is omitted, the output will be printed for all elements in the model.
FREQUENCY
Set this parameter equal to the output frequency, in increments. The output will always be printed
at the last increment of each step unless FREQUENCY=0. The default is FREQUENCY=1. Set
FREQUENCY=0 to suppress the output.
LAST MODE
This parameter is useful only during eigenvalue extraction for natural frequencies (“Natural
frequency extraction,” Section 6.3.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide), complex eigenvalue
extraction (“Complex eigenvalue extraction,” Section 6.3.6 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide),
and for eigenvalue buckling estimation (“Eigenvalue buckling prediction,” Section 6.2.3 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). Set this parameter equal to the highest mode number for which
output is required.
The default value is LAST MODE=N, where N is the number of modes extracted. If the
MODE parameter is used, the default value is LAST MODE=M, where M is the value of the MODE
parameter.
MODE
This parameter is useful only during natural frequency extraction, complex eigenvalue extraction,
and eigenvalue buckling estimation. Set this parameter equal to the first mode number for which
output is required. The default is MODE=1. When performing a *FREQUENCY analysis, the
normalization will follow the format set by the NORMALIZATION parameter. Otherwise, the
normalization is such that the largest displacement component in the mode has a magnitude of 1.0.

5.2–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* EL PRINT

POSITION
Set POSITION=AVERAGED AT NODES if the values being printed are the averages of values
extrapolated to the nodes of the elements in the set. Since variables may be discontinuous between
elements with different properties, Abaqus/Standard breaks the output into separate tables for
different element property definitions within the element set specified. Abaqus/Standard will also
output elements of differing types separately. Thus, averaging will occur only over elements that
contribute to a node that have the same type.
Set POSITION=CENTROIDAL if values are being printed at the centroid of the element (the
centroid of the reference surface of a shell element, the midpoint between the end nodes of a beam
element).
Set POSITION=INTEGRATION POINTS (default) if values are being printed at the
integration points at which the variables are actually calculated.
Set POSITION=NODES if the values being written are extrapolated to the nodes of each
element in the set but not averaged at the nodes.
REBAR
This parameter can be used to obtain output only for the rebar in the element set specified; output
for the matrix material will not be given. It can be used with or without a value. If it is used without
a value, the output will be given for all rebar in the element set. Its value can be set to the name
assigned to the rebar on the *REBAR option to specify output for that particular rebar in the element
set.
If this parameter is omitted in a model that includes rebar, the output requests govern the output
for the matrix material only (except for section forces, when the forces in the rebar are included in
the force calculation).
Rebar output can be obtained only at the integration points in continuum and beam elements.
In shell and membrane elements rebar output can be obtained at the integration points and at the
centroid of the element.
SUMMARY
Set SUMMARY=YES (default) to obtain a summary and the locations of the maximum and
minimum values in each column of the table.
Set SUMMARY=NO to suppress this summary.
TOTALS
Set TOTALS=YES to print the total of each column in the table. This is useful, for example, to sum
the energies of a set of elements. The default is TOTALS=NO.

Data lines to request element output in the data file:

First line (optional, and relevant only if integration point variables are being printed for shell, beam,
or layered solid elements):
1. Give a list of the section points in the beam, shell, or layered solid at which variables should
be printed. If this line is omitted, the variables are printed at the default output points defined

5.2–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * EL PRINT

in Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide. For section points on a meshed
beam cross-section, specify a list of user-defined section point labels. If this data line is omitted,
all available section points will be printed. A maximum number of 16 section points can be
specified. Repeat the *EL PRINT option as often as needed if output at additional points is
required.

Second line:
1. Give the identifying keys for the variables to be printed in a table for this element set. The
keys are defined in “Abaqus/Standard output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide. All of the variables in each table must be of the same type (integration
point, section point, or whole element variables).
Repeat the second data line as often as necessary: each line defines a table. If this line is omitted, no
element output will be printed to the data file.

5.2–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELASTIC

5.3 *ELASTIC: Specify elastic material properties.

This option is used to define linear elastic moduli. In an Abaqus/Standard analysis spatially varying isotropic,
orthotropic (including engineering constants and lamina), or anisotropic linear elastic moduli can be defined
for solid continuum elements using a distribution (“Distribution definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide).

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

Reference:
• “Linear elastic behavior,” Section 22.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:
DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variable dependencies included in the definition
of the moduli. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the moduli are constant or depend
only on temperature. See “Specifying field variable dependence” in “Material data definition,”
Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information.
This parameter is not relevant in an Abaqus/Standard analysis if spatially varying elastic
moduli are defined using a distribution. See “Distribution definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide.
MODULI
This parameter is applicable only when the *ELASTIC option is used in conjunction with the
*VISCOELASTIC option.
Set MODULI=INSTANTANEOUS to indicate that the elastic material constants define the
instantaneous behavior. This parameter value is not available for frequency domain viscoelasticity
in an Abaqus/Standard analysis.
Set MODULI=LONG TERM (default) to indicate that the elastic material constants define the
long-term behavior.
TYPE
Set TYPE=ANISOTROPIC to define fully anisotropic behavior.
Set TYPE=COUPLED TRACTION to define coupled traction behavior for cohesive elements.

5.3–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ELASTIC

Set TYPE=ENGINEERING CONSTANTS to define orthotropic behavior by giving the

“engineering constants” (the generalized Young’s moduli, the Poisson’s ratios, and the shear
moduli in the principal directions).
Set TYPE=ISOTROPIC (default) to define isotropic behavior.
Set TYPE=LAMINA to define an orthotropic material in plane stress.
Set TYPE=ORTHOTROPIC to define orthotropic behavior by giving the elastic stiffness
matrix directly.
Set TYPE=SHEAR to define the (isotropic) shear elastic modulus. This parameter setting is
applicable only in conjunction with the *EOS option in Abaqus/Explicit.
Set TYPE=SHORT FIBER to define laminate material properties for each layer in each shell
element. This parameter setting is applicable only when using Abaqus/Standard in conjunction with
the Abaqus Interface for Moldflow. Any data lines given will be ignored. Material properties will
be read from the ASCII neutral file identified as jobid.shf. See the Abaqus Interface for Moldflow
User’s Guide for more information.
Set TYPE=TRACTION to define orthotropic shear behavior for warping elements or
uncoupled traction behavior for cohesive elements.
When using a distribution to define elastic moduli, the TYPE parameter must be used to
indicate the level of anisotropy in the elastic behavior. The level of anisotropy must be consistent
with that defined in the distribution. See “Distribution definition,” Section 2.8.1 of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide.

Data lines to define fully anisotropic elasticity directly (TYPE=ANISOTROPIC):

First line:
1. . (Units of FL−2 .)
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Second line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .

5.3–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELASTIC

7. .
8. .

Third line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. Temperature.
7. First field variable.
8. Second field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than two):
1. Third field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define coupled traction separation behavior for cohesive elements
(TYPE=COUPLED TRACTION):

First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

5.3–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ELASTIC

Data lines to define orthotropic elasticity with moduli (TYPE=ENGINEERING CONSTANTS):

First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Second line:
1. .
2. Temperature, .
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define isotropic elasticity (TYPE=ISOTROPIC):

First line:
1. Young’s modulus, E.
2. Poisson’s ratio, .
3. Temperature, .
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

5.3–4

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELASTIC

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define orthotropic elasticity in plane stress (TYPE=LAMINA):

First line:
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. . This shear modulus is needed to define transverse shear behavior in shells.
6. . This shear modulus is needed to define transverse shear behavior in shells.
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define orthotropic elasticity directly (TYPE=ORTHOTROPIC):

First line:
1. . (Units of FL−2 .)
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .

Second line:
1. .
2. Temperature.

5.3–5

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ELASTIC

3. First field variable.

4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.
Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define isotropic elastic shear behavior (TYPE=SHEAR):

First line:
1. Shear modulus, G. (Units of FL−2 .)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic shear modulus as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data lines to define orthotropic shear behavior for warping elements or uncoupled traction
behavior for cohesive elements (TYPE=TRACTION):

First line (only line for defining orthotropic shear behavior for warping elements; in this case the data
cannot be defined as functions of temperature and/or field variables):
1. E for warping elements; for cohesive elements.
2. for warping elements; for cohesive elements.
3. for warping elements; for cohesive elements.
4. Temperature.
5. First field variable.
6. Etc., up to four field variables per line.

5.3–6

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELASTIC

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four;
relevant only for defining uncoupled traction behavior of cohesive elements):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the elastic behavior as a function of
temperature and other predefined field variables.

Data line to define spatially varying elastic behavior for solid continuum elements in
an Abaqus/Standard analysis using a distribution. (Distributions are supported for
TYPE=ISOTROPIC, TYPE=ENGINEERING CONSTANTS, TYPE=LAMINA, TYPE=ORTHOTROPIC,
and TYPE=ANISOTROPIC):

First line:
1. Distribution name. The data defined in the distribution must be in units that are consistent with
the prescribed TYPE.

5.3–7

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELCOPY

5.4 *ELCOPY: Create elements by copying from an existing element set.

This option is used to copy an element set to create new elements.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance

Abaqus/CAE: Not applicable; copying portions of sketches and instancing of parts serve similar purposes.

Reference:
• “Element definition,” Section 2.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameters:
ELEMENT SHIFT
Set this parameter equal to an integer that will be added to each of the existing element numbers to
define the element numbers of the elements being created.
OLD SET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set being copied. The elements that are copied
are those that belong to this set at the time this option is encountered.
SHIFT NODES
Set this parameter equal to an integer that will be added to each of the node numbers of the existing
elements to define the node numbers of the elements being created.

Optional parameters:
NEW SET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set to which the elements created by the operation
will be assigned. If this parameter is omitted, the newly created elements are not assigned to an
element set.
REFLECT
Include this parameter to modify the node numbering sequence on the elements being created,
which is necessary in some cases to avoid creating elements that violate the Abaqus convention for
counterclockwise element numbering. This parameter can be used only with continuum elements
and usually is required only when the nodes have been generated using the *NCOPY option.

There are no data lines associated with this option.

5.4–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

5.5 *ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY: Specify electrical conductivity.

This option is used to define electrical conductivity for coupled thermal-electrical and coupled
thermal-electrical-structural elements in coupled thermal-electrical and coupled thermal-electrical-structural
analyses. This option is also used to define electrical conductivity for electromagnetic elements in eddy
current analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Model

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

• “Electrical conductivity,” Section 26.5.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

• “Coupled thermal-electrical analysis,” Section 6.7.3 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Fully coupled thermal-electrical-structural analysis,” Section 6.7.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Eddy current analysis,” Section 6.7.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Optional parameters:

DEPENDENCIES
Set this parameter equal to the number of field variables included in the definition of electrical
conductivity. If this parameter is omitted, the electrical conductivity is assumed not to depend on
any field variables but may still depend on temperature and frequency. See “Specifying field variable
dependence” in “Material data definition,” Section 21.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for
more information.

FREQUENCY
Include this parameter to specify electrical conductivity as a function of frequency in an eddy current
analysis.

TYPE
Set TYPE=ISO (default) to define isotropic electrical conductivity. Set TYPE=ORTHO to define
orthotropic electrical conductivity. Set TYPE=ANISO to define fully anisotropic electrical
conductivity.

5.5–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

Data lines to define isotropic electrical conductivity (TYPE=ISO) if the FREQUENCY parameter
is omitted:

First line:
1. Electrical conductivity. (Units of CT−1 L−1 −1
.)
2. Temperature.
3. First field variable.
4. Second field variable.
5. Etc., up to six field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than six):
1. Seventh field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define isotropic electrical conductivity as a function
of temperature and field variables.
Data lines to define isotropic electrical conductivity (TYPE=ISO) if the FREQUENCY parameter is
included:

First line:
1. Electrical conductivity. (Units of CT−1 L−1 −1
.)
2. Frequency, in cycles/time.
3. Temperature.
4. First field variable.
5. Second field variable.
6. Etc., up to five field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than five):
1. Sixth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define isotropic electrical conductivity as a function
of frequency, temperature, and field variables.
Data lines to define orthotropic electrical conductivity (TYPE=ORTHO) if the FREQUENCY
parameter is omitted:

First line:
1. . (Units of CT−1 L−1 −1
.)
2. .
3. .
4. Temperature.

5.5–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

5. First field variable.

6. Second field variable.
7. Etc., up to four field variables.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than four):
1. Fifth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define orthotropic electrical conductivity as a
function of temperature and field variables.
Data lines to define orthotropic electrical conductivity (TYPE=ORTHO) if the FREQUENCY
parameter is included:

First line:
1. . (Units of CT−1 L−1 −1 .)
2. .
3. .
4. Frequency, in cycles/time.
5. Temperature.
6. First field variable.
7. Second field variable.
8. Third field variable.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than three):
1. Fourth field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define orthotropic electrical conductivity as a
function of frequency, temperature, and field variables.
Data lines to define anisotropic electrical conductivity (TYPE=ANISO) if the FREQUENCY
parameter is omitted:

First line:
1. . (Units of CT−1 L−1 −1
.)
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. Temperature.
8. First field variable.

5.5–3

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value greater than one):
1. Second field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define anisotropic electrical conductivity as a
function of temperature and field variables.

Data lines to define anisotropic electrical conductivity (TYPE=ANISO) if the FREQUENCY

parameter is included:

First line:
1. . (Units of CT−1 L−1 −1
.)
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. Frequency in cycles/time.
8. Temperature.

Subsequent lines (only needed if the DEPENDENCIES parameter has a value equal to or greater
than one):
1. First field variable.
2. Etc., up to eight field variables per line.
Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define anisotropic electrical conductivity as a
function of frequency, temperature, and field variables.

5.5–4

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELECTROMAGNETIC

5.6 *ELECTROMAGNETIC: Electromagnetic response.

This option is used to calculate the low-frequency electromagnetic response of a system.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/CAE

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Step module

Reference:
• “Electromagnetic analysis procedures,” Section 6.7.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide
• “Eddy current analysis,” Section 6.7.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

LOW FREQUENCY
Include this parameter to specify that the electromagnetic response is calculated based on the
standard low-frequency assumption of neglecting the effects of displacement currents in Maxwell’s
equations.

One of the following mutually exclusive parameters is required:

TIME HARMONIC
Include this parameter to calculate the time harmonic linear electromagnetic response of the system
subjected to harmonic excitation.
TRANSIENT
Include this parameter to calculate the transient electromagnetic response of the system.

Optional parameters:

DIRECT
This parameter can be used only with the TRANSIENT parameter to select direct user control of the
incrementation through the step. If this parameter is used, constant increments of the size defined by
the first item on the data line are used. If this parameter is omitted, Abaqus/Standard will choose the
increments (after trying the user’s initial time increment for the first attempt at the first increment).

5.6–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ELECTROMAGNETIC

STABILIZATION
Include this parameter to activate the stabilization scheme that may be needed in some situations
to obtain an electromagnetic solution. It defines a factor that is used by Abaqus in the stabilization
computations. If this parameter is included without a value, the default value is assumed to be
1.0. The parameter may be set to a higher value to increase the stabilization or to a lower value to
decrease it.

Data lines to define an electromagnetic analysis if the TIME HARMONIC parameter is included:

First line:
1. Lower limit of frequency range or a single frequency, in cycles/time.
2. Upper limit of frequency range, in cycles/time. If this value is given as zero, it is assumed that
results are required at only one frequency and the remaining data items on the line are ignored.
3. Total number of points in the frequency range at which results should be given, including the
end points. The minimum value is 2. If the value given is less than 2 (or omitted), the default
value of 20 points is assumed.
Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define frequency ranges in which results are required.

Data lines to define an electromagnetic analysis if the TRANSIENT parameter is included:

First (and only) line:

1. Initial time increment. This value will be modified as required if the automatic time stepping
scheme is used or will be used as the constant time increment if the DIRECT parameter is used.
If this entry is zero or is not specified, a default value that is equal to the total time period of
the step is assumed.
2. Time period of the step.
3. Minimum time increment allowed. If a smaller time increment than this value is needed, the
analysis is terminated. If this entry is zero, a default value of the smaller of the suggested initial
time increment or 10−5 times the time period of the step is assumed.
4. Maximum time increment allowed. Only used for automatic time incrementation. If this value
is not specified, no upper limit is imposed.

5.6–2

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
 * ELEMENT

5.7 *ELEMENT: Define elements by giving their nodes.

This option is used to define an element directly by specifying its nodes.

Products: Abaqus/Standard Abaqus/Explicit Abaqus/CFD Abaqus/CAE

Type: Model data

Level: Part, Part instance, Assembly

Abaqus/CAE: Mesh module

Reference:
• “Element definition,” Section 2.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide

Required parameter:

TYPE
Set this parameter equal to the element type, as defined in Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus
Analysis User’s Guide.
For user elements specify the Un type identification (see “User-defined elements,”
Section 32.15.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide). The *USER ELEMENT option must also
appear in the same input file.
For substructures specify the Zn type identification (see “Using substructures,” Section 10.1.1
of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

Optional parameters:

ELSET
Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set to which these elements will be assigned.

FILE
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
This parameter is meaningful only for substructures. Set this parameter equal to the name
(with no extension) of the substructure library on which the substructure resides. See “Input syntax
rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax of such library names.
If no name is specified, the default name is used (see “Using substructures,” Section 10.1.1 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).

5.7–1

Abaqus ID:
Printed on:
* ELEMENT

INPUT
Set this parameter equal to the name of the alternate input file containing the data lines for this
option. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for the syntax
of such file names. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the data follow the keyword line.
OFFSET
When the *ELEMENT option is used to define the connectivity of axisymmetric elements with
asymmetric deformation in Abaqus/Standard, set this parameter equal to a positive offset number
for use in specifying the additional nodes needed in the connectivity (see “Element definition,”
Section 2.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, for more information). The default is
OFFSET=100000.
When the *ELEMENT option is used to define the connectivity of gasket elements in
Abaqus/Standard or cohesive elements, set the OFFSET parameter equal to a positive offset
number for use in defining the remaining nodes of the element when only part of the element nodes
are defined explicitly. If this parameter is omitted, the connectivity of the entire gasket or cohesive
element must be specified on the data lines (see “Defining the gasket element’s initial geometry,”
Section 32.6.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide, and “Defining the cohesive element’s initial
geometry,” Section 32.5.4 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide).
SOLID ELEMENT NUMBERING
This parameter applies only to Abaqus/Standard analyses.
This parameter can be used only when the *ELEMENT option is used to define gasket
elements. Use this parameter to specify the connectivity of gasket elements using the node ordering
of an equivalent solid element. Set it equal to the face number of the equivalent solid element
that corresponds to the first face (SNEG) of the gasket element. If no value is assigned to this
parameter, it is assumed that the first face (S1) of the solid element corresponds to the first face
of the gasket element.

Data lines to define the elements:

First line:
1. Element number.
2. First node number forming the element.
3. Second node number forming the element.
4. Etc., up to 15 node numbers on this line.

The