33.1.2 Discrete particle element library

Product: Abaqus/Explicit

References

Overview

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

Element type

Force/displacement element

PD3D 1-node discrete particle

Active degrees of freedom

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Nodal coordinates required

X, Y, Z

Element property definition

Input File Usage:

*DISCRETE SECTION

Element-based loading

Distributed loads

Gravity loads as described in “Distributed loads,” Section 34.4.3, are the most commonly applied distributed loads for discrete particle elements. You define gravity loading in a specified direction, and the magnitude is input as acceleration.

Element output

Discrete particle elements have no element output associated with them. Resultant of all contact normal force CNORMF and resultant of all frictional shear force CSHEARF acting on a discrete particle element are the only output variables of interest currently available for this element, see “Abaqus/Explicit output variable identifiers,” Section 4.2.2, for details.

Nodes associated with the element

1 node.