zerolength elements

enginbal · Post by **enginbal** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:56 am

Hi,

I use ElasticPPGap material assigned to zerolength elements. My quesiton is that, how a zerolength element can understand which direction is in tension and which one is in compression?

I have node 1 and 2 which have the same coordinates. 1 is totally fixed and 2 is moving under loading. If 2 moves to left it will create tension (since there is no physical length), and if it moves to right, again it will create tension. How the compression is integrated ?

node 1 node 2
left 0---------------0 right
zrlng element

Thanks,

enginbal · Post by **enginbal** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:06 am

......node 1...........node 2
left.. 0=========0 ..right
..........zrlng element

Let me clarify my question.

My assumption is this,

I define the element from node1 to node 2. Additionally, I define the orientation of the x axis as : 1 1 0 . So, I suppose that any displacement which causes node2 to move to right will create tenisoni and any movement which leads the node2 to move left which would create compression. Right ?

silvia · Post by **silvia** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:29 pm

i don't think so.
i think pulling away is tension, pushing in is compression, i don't think you can impose a compressive displacement....