How to define shell edge load

1

Hi,

I’m quite new to CalculiX but I know Abaqus so the general syntax is familiar to me. However, I don’t know how to define shell edge load described in the documentation. I use preprocessor where I can easily create node sets, element sets and surface and then edit CalculiX keywords to add options not yet available in this preprocessor (shell edge load is among them). The syntax is:
*DLOAD
element_number/elset_name, EDNORx, magnitude

For quad shell elements EDNOR can have the value of 1,2,3 or 4 (and it represents the edge number, if I understand it correctly). But how can I know which one to choose ? Is it necessary to examine each element’s connectivity in the input file to determine this ? I want to analyze a rectangular plate and apply shell edge load to each of its 4 edges but I don’t know whether all elements have the same edge number when they are aligned along this edge of the plate or not.

Thanks in advance for your help

2

@Calc_em take a look at Figure 85 of the manual (page 115 of version 2.17), it shows how the shell elements are expanded into 3D brick elements.

Yes, you (or the preprocessor) will need to know the connectivity of the local element to assign it to its correct edge/face. Another way is to create the mesh in a way that all the elements on that edge of your plate have their local edges equal to 1 (for example). You can take a look at something like this example.