Abaqus/CAE provides support for all Abaqus/CFD elements and most of the elements that are used by Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit. However, some elements are not supported and must be generated outside the Mesh module. The following list describes the elements that are not supported by Abaqus/CAE. If you want to assign these element types to a model, you must use a text editor to add them to the input file generated in the Job module. For information on generating the input file, see “Basic steps for analyzing a model,” Section 19.2.1.
Acoustic interface element (ASI1)
Axisymmetric elements with non-axisymmetric response (CAXA4N, CAXA8PN, etc.)
Coupled temperature–pore pressure elements (C3D8PT, C3D8RPT, etc.)
Coupled thermal-electrical-structural elements (Q3D4, Q3D6, etc.)
Distributing coupling elements (DCOUP2D and DCOUP3D)
Drag chain elements (DRAG2D and DRAG3D)
Elastic-plastic joint elements (JOINT2D and JOINT3D)
Frame elements (FRAME2D and FRAME3D)
Gap elements, coupled temperature-displacement and heat transfer (GAPUNIT and DGAP)
Infinite elements (CIN3D8, CINAX4, etc.)
Line spring elements (LS3S and LS6)
Membrane elements, 9-node quadrilateral (M3D9 and M3D9R)
Membrane elements, cylindrical (MCL6 and MCL9)
Particle element (PC3D)
Pipe-soil interaction elements (PSI24, PSI34, etc.)
Pore pressure cohesive elements (COH2D4P, COH3D6P, etc.)
Slide line elements (ISL21A and ISL22A)
Stress/displacement variable node elements (C3D15V, C3D27, etc.)
Note: After you submit the analysis for execution, Abaqus/Standard automatically converts any C3D20(R)(H) element that is adjacent to a slave surface in a contact pair into the corresponding C3D27(R)(H) element. (Neither element is available in Abaqus/Explicit.) Otherwise, there is no way to generate variable node hexahedra with Abaqus/CAE.
Surface elements, cylindrical (SFMCL6 and SFMCL9)
Thin shell element, 9-node doubly curved (S9R5)
Tube-to-tube contact elements (ITT21 and ITT31)
You cannot assign some elements, such as CONN2D2 and SPRING1 in the Mesh module; however, you can create equivalent connectors in the Interaction module or engineering features in the Property module or Interaction module as shown in Table 17–1:
Table 17–1 Abaqus/CAE support for connectors and engineering features.
| Elements | Abaqus/CAE support |
|---|---|
| CONN2D2, CONN3D2 | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| DASHPOTA, DASHPOT1, DASHPOT2 | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module (linear behavior independent of field variables) |
| Equivalent connector in Interaction module | |
| GAPCYL, GAPSPHER, GAPUNI | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| HEATCAP | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module |
| ITSCYL, ITSUNI | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| JOINTC | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| MASS | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module |
| ROTARYI | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module |
| SPRINGA, SPRING1, SPRING2 | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module (linear behavior independent of field variables) |
| Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
For more information, see “Understanding connectors,” Section 15.7; Chapter 33, “Inertia”; and Chapter 37, “Springs and dashpots.”