2. Specify Element Type and Material Properties
PREPROCESSOR -> Element Type
ELEMENT TYPE -> Add/Edit/Delete...
ELEMENT TYPES -> Add
LIBRARY OF ELEMENT TYPES -> Choose Structural Solid 8node and type in 1 for Element type reference number. Click OK. Close the ELEMENT TYPES box.
This defines element type 82 and assigns it to reference 1. Element type 82 is the plane stress/plane strain quadratic displacement 8-noded element.(Plane stress is the default, plane strain can be chosen via the Options menu). Generally, an element with an assumed quadratic distribution of displacements causes the strains in each element (which are derivatives of the displacements) to be linear at most (this comes from the strain-displacement field equations).
You should now specify what the beam is made out of. There are two ways of doing this. The second uses a file in which are the properties of steel. For our use, however, you can simply specify the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio via method 1. We use Young modulus of 3E7 and Poisson's ratio of 0.3.
Method 1
PREPROCESSOR -> Material Props
MATERIAL PROPS -> Material Models
Then, the window "Define Material Model Behavior" will appear. You should double click on each of the following:
Structural -> Linear -> Elastic -> Isotropic
After you double click on Isotropic, you will see this window.
Then
enter the value for Young Modulus and Poisson Ratio given in this problem.
Click OK
Note: In the cases where multiple materials are used, you can specify the
properties and assign them to other material numbers (2, 3, 4, etc.)
Method
2
PREPROCESSOR -> Material Props
