Frame elements

Frame elements:

  • are 2-node, initially straight, slender beam elements intended for use in the elastic or elastic-plastic analysis of frame-like structures;

  • are available in two or three dimensions;

  • have elastic response that follows Euler-Bernoulli beam theory with fourth-order interpolation for the transverse displacements;

  • have plastic response that is concentrated at the element ends (plastic hinges) and is modeled with a lumped plasticity model that includes nonlinear kinematic hardening;

  • are implemented for small or large displacements (large rotations with small strains);

  • output forces and moments at the element ends and midpoint;

  • output elastic axial strain and curvatures at the element ends and midpoint and plastic displacements and rotations at the element ends only;

  • admit, optionally, a uniaxial “buckling strut” response where the axial response of the element is governed by a damaged elasticity model in compression and an isotropic hardening plasticity model in tension and where all transverse forces and moments are zero;

  • can switch to buckling strut response during the analysis (for pipe sections only); and

  • can be used in static, implicit dynamic, and eigenfrequency extraction analyses only.

The following topics are discussed:

Related Topics
About beam modeling
Frame section behavior
Frame element library
In Other Guides
*FRAME SECTION

ProductsAbaqus/Standard