Special element types

Abaqus uses special element types to designate model features such as analytical rigid surfaces that are not part of the mesh. These element types appear in the output database. You may see them in the Visualization module while querying the model or creating display groups based on element type. Table 1 lists the element types generated by Abaqus.

Table 1. Special element types in the output database.
ARSC Analytic rigid surface (cylindrical)
ARSR Analytic rigid surface (rotational)
ARSSE Analytic rigid surface (extruded)
ARSSS Analytic rigid surface (segmented)
LSURF1 2-node line on two-dimensional surface
LSURF2 2-node line on axisymmetric surface
LSURF3 3-node line on three-dimensional surface
LSURF4 3-node line on two-dimensional surface
LSURF5 3-node line on axisymmetric surface
LSURF6 Quadratic triangular surface
PSURF1 Node (point) on two-dimensional surface
PSURF2 Node on axisymmetric surface
PSURF3 Node on three-dimensional surface
QSURF1 4-node facet on three-dimensional surface
QSURF2 8-node facet on three-dimensional surface
QSURF3 9-node facet on three-dimensional surface
RNODE2D Reference node (two-dimensional)
RNODE3D Reference node (three-dimensional)
TSURF1 3-node facet on three-dimensional surface
TSURF1 6-node facet on three-dimensional surface