how to simply get tension and compression displayed

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Permalink Reply by Michael Freytag on February 17, 2012 at 11:53am

Wiktor,

Use the Advanced view and display the Max. Principal Stress component.  Positive stresses are tensile, and negative stresses are compressive.  Note that Principal Stresses also have a direction component.  We are only displaying the magnitude, but I think generally the maximum principal stress will give you what you want.

To help visualize the regions that are under tension versus compression, adjust the limits of the legend so that zero falls in the middle of the scale (e.g. Max=5000, Min=-5000).  Then switch to one of the bi-colored legends to further highlight the regions of tension vs. compression.  Play around with different Max and Min values to adjust the display.

Does this help?

~Michael

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Permalink Reply by wiktor on February 17, 2012 at 2:37pm

That's great! thank you Michael this is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for :)

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Permalink Reply by Michael Freytag on February 17, 2012 at 4:28pm

You are welcome...

However, after some consideration, there is more to it than I wrote.  The principal stresses at any location in the model are ordered: Max, Mid, Min.

At locations where Max Principal Stress is POSITIVE the material is principally under tensile stress.

At locations where Max Principal Stress is NEGATIVE the material is under compressive stress.  HOWEVER, at the same location, there will be a Min. Principal Stress that will be even more negative, corresponding to an even more compressive stress. (and in a direction perpendicular to the other principal directions)

So, you really need to look at both Max Principal Stress and Min Principal Stress to get a true picture of the compressive and tensile regions.

Sorry for misleading you.  Please let me know if this does or does not make sense.

~Michael

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