Continuum particle element library

This section provides a reference to the particle elements available in Abaqus/Explicit.

Element types
Nodal coordinates required
Element property definition
Element-based loading
Element output
Nodes associated with the element

Element types

Stress/displacement element

PC3D: 1-node continuum particle

Active degrees of freedom

1, 2, 3

Nodal coordinates required

X, Y, Z

Element property definition

Input File Usage

SOLID SECTION

Element-based loading

Distributed loads

Gravity loads as described in Distributed loads are the only distributed loads that are available for particle elements. You define gravity loading in a specified direction, and the magnitude is input as acceleration.

Element output

Output is in global directions unless a local coordinate system is assigned to the element through the section definition (Orientations), in which case output is in the local coordinate system (which rotates with the motion in large-displacement analysis). See State storage for details.

Stress, strain, and other tensor components

Stress, strain, and other tensors are available. All tensors have the same components. For example, the stress components are as follows:

S11: $X X$ , direct stress.
S22: $Y Y$ , direct stress.
S33: $Z Z$ , direct stress.
S12: $X Y$ , shear stress.
S13: $X Z$ , shear stress.
S23: $Y Z$ , shear stress.

Note: the order shown above is not the same as that used in user subroutine VUMAT.

Nodes associated with the element

1 node.