Surface Spring Supports

Element Type
Assign the type of elements for which elastic spring supports or elastic link elements are to be created.

Frame: Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on the nodes of beam elements.

Width: Width of beam elements to calculate the support stiffness per unit length.

Planar: Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on the nodes of planar elements.

Solid (Face): Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on a face of solid elements.

Solid (Node): Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on the nodes of solid elements

Note
If the element type is selected as solid, a face of the elements must be specified.

Spring Type

Linear

Modulus of Subgrade Reaction: Subgrade stiffness

Kx: Stiffness per unit area in the node's local x- direction (GCS X-direction)

Ky: Stiffness per unit area in the node's local y- direction (GCS Y-direction)

Kz: Stiffness per unit area in the node's local z- direction (GCS Z-direction)

 Comp.-only / Tens.-only

Direction: Direction of the Point Spring

Normal(+): Normal (+ dir) to the surface (average normal direction of surfaces connected to the node defined with Point Spring)

Normal(-): Normal (- dir) to the surface (average normal direction of surfaces connected to the node defined with Point Spring)

Note

The normal direction of planar elements is defined by the right hand rule based on the node entry sequence. For solid elements, the normal direction (+) is oriented away from the surfaces of the elements.

UCS-x(+): UCS +x-direction (GCS +X-direction)

UCS-x(-): UCS -x-direction (GCS -X-direction)

UCS-y(+): UCS +y-direction (GCS +Y-direction)

UCS-y(-): UCS -y-direction (GCS -Y-direction)

UCS-z(+): UCS +z-direction (GCS +Z-direction)

UCS-z(-): UCS -z-direction (GCS -Z-direction)

Modulus of Subgrade Reaction: Subgrade stiffness

Element Type
Assign the type of elements for which elastic spring supports or elastic link elements are to be created.

Frame: Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on the nodes of beam elements.

Width: Width of beam elements to calculate the support stiffness per unit length.

Planar: Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on the nodes of planar elements.

Solid (Face): Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on a face of solid elements.

Solid (Node): Create elastic spring supports or elastic link elements on the nodes of solid elements

Note
If the element type is selected as solid, a face of the elements must be specified.

Direction: Direction of the elastic link

Normal(+): Normal direction of the surface (average normal direction of surfaces connected to the node defined with Elastic Link)

Normal(-): Normal direction of the surface (average normal direction of surfaces connected to the node defined with Elastic Link)

Note
The normal direction of planar elements is defined by the right hand rule based on the node entry sequence. For solid elements, the normal direction (+) is oriented away from the surfaces of the elements.

UCS-x(+): UCS +x-direction (GCS +X-direction)

UCS-x(-): UCS -x-direction (GCS -X-direction)

UCS-y(+): UCS +y-direction (GCS +Y-direction)

UCS-y(-): UCS -y-direction (GCS -Y-direction)

UCS-z(+): UCS +z-direction (GCS +Z-direction)

UCS-z(-): UCS -z-direction (GCS -Z-direction)

Modulus of Subgrade Reaction: Subgrade stiffness

Length of Elastic Link: Length of elastic link element. The length dose not affect the analysis. It is simply required to define a vector internally in the solver.

Tens. Only, Comp.-Only: Check in an option to assign elastic link with tension-only or compression-only elements

Element Type
Assign the type of elements for which elastic spring supports or elastic link elements are to be created.

Frame: Create distribute spring supports along the length of the beam element.

Selection

Local Axis: Direction of the distributed spring

Width: Width of beam elements to calculate the support stiffness per unit length.

Planar(Face) : Create distributed spring supports on the face of planer elements.

Planar(Edge) : Create distributed spring supports on the edge of Planer elements.

Solid (Face): Create distributed spring supports on the face of solid elements.

Note
If the element type is selected as solid or Planar(Edge) and the selection is selected as Element, a face of the elements must be specified.

Spring Properties

Type

Linear Type: Enter the stiffness of linear elastic spring.

Compression-only/Tension-only Type: Enter the compression-only/ tension-only type elastic spring.

Modulus of Subgrade Reaction: Subgrade stiffness

Convert to Nodal Spring

Distributed Spring (Winkler Spring)

Spring location

Nodes of elements

Distributed on the elements

Unit of reaction

kN

Beam: kN(kN/M)

Planar or Solid: kN(kN/M2)

Deformation

Concentrated at the nodes

As element stiffness increases, deformations are distributed throughout the elements.