Abaqus Static Analysis Workflow
Complete workflow for static structural analysis - stress, displacement, and reaction forces under constant loads.
When to Use This Skill
Route here when user mentions:
- "stress analysis", "structural analysis"
- "how much will it deflect", "displacement"
- "is this strong enough", "strength check"
- "factor of safety", "safety factor"
- "reaction forces", "support loads"
- "simulate a load on this part"
Route elsewhere:
- Time-varying loads, impact, vibration →
/abaqus-dynamic-analysis
- Natural frequencies, resonance →
/abaqus-modal-analysis
- Temperature effects, thermal stress →
/abaqus-coupled-analysis
- Heat transfer only →
/abaqus-thermal-analysis
- Parts touching, friction →
/abaqus-contact-analysis
Workflow Steps
Execute these skills in order:
| Step |
Skill |
Purpose |
| 1 |
/abaqus-geometry |
Create part and assembly |
| 2 |
/abaqus-material |
Define material properties |
| 3 |
/abaqus-mesh |
Generate finite element mesh |
| 4 |
/abaqus-bc |
Apply supports and constraints |
| 5 |
/abaqus-load |
Apply forces and pressures |
| 6 |
/abaqus-step |
Configure analysis step (optional - default is fine) |
| 7 |
/abaqus-job |
Run the analysis |
| 8 |
/abaqus-odb |
Extract results |
What to Ask User
Required Information
| Input |
What to Ask |
| Geometry |
"What are the dimensions? (e.g., 100x50x20 mm)" |
| Material |
"What material? (Steel, Aluminum, or custom E/v)" |
| Supports |
"How is it supported? (fixed face, pinned points, rollers)" |
| Loads |
"What loads? (force magnitude, location, direction)" |
Optional (Has Defaults)
| Input |
Default |
Ask If |
| Mesh size |
Auto-calculated |
Stress concentrations present |
| Element type |
C3D8R |
Complex curved geometry |
| Nonlinear |
OFF |
Large deformation expected |
Key Decisions
Linear vs Nonlinear Analysis
| Condition |
Setting |
When |
| Small deformation, linear material |
nlgeom=OFF |
Displacements < 1% of part size |
| Large deformation or rotation |
nlgeom=ON |
Thin structures, rubber, cables |
| Yielding expected |
nlgeom=ON + Plasticity |
Stress > yield strength |
Default: Start with linear. Switch to nonlinear if convergence issues or large deformation.
What Results to Extract
| User Goal |
Output Variables |
Acceptance Criteria |
| Strength assessment |
S (stress), MISES |
MISES < yield stress |
| Stiffness check |
U (displacement) |
Max deflection acceptable |
| Support sizing |
RF (reaction force) |
Reactions match applied loads |
Validation Checkpoints
After Each Step
| Step |
What to Verify |
| Geometry |
Part has cells, no error messages |
| Material |
Section assigned to all cells |
| Mesh |
Node count OK (Learning Edition: <=1000) |
| BCs |
At least one fixed constraint exists |
| Loads |
Applied to correct surface/point |
| Job |
Completes without errors in .sta file |
Results Sanity Checks
| Check |
Expected |
| Reaction force sum |
Approximately equals applied loads |
| Displacement magnitude |
Physically reasonable |
| Stress pattern |
Follows logical load path |
| Max stress location |
At expected concentration points |
Troubleshooting
| Error |
Cause |
Solution |
| "Zero pivot" |
Rigid body motion |
Add more BCs to constrain all 6 DOFs |
| "Negative eigenvalue" |
Buckling or instability |
Check BCs, may need stabilization |
| "Too many increments" |
Load too large |
Reduce load or use more increments |
| "Equilibrium not achieved" |
Convergence failure |
Try smaller initial increment |
| "Memory exceeded" |
Mesh too fine |
Increase element size |
Feedback Loops
- Mesh fails: Return to geometry, add partitions or simplify
- Zero pivot error: Return to BCs, ensure all rigid body modes constrained
- Unreasonable results: Verify material properties, check load direction/sign
- Stress too high: Either design issue (expected) or incorrect BC/load setup
Code Patterns
For API syntax and code examples, see:
- Common Patterns
- Troubleshooting Guide
1---2name: abaqus-static-analysis3description: Complete workflow for static structural analysis. Use when analyzing stress, displacement, or reaction forces under constant loads. For strength and stiffness evaluation.4---56# Abaqus Static Analysis Workflow78Complete workflow for static structural analysis - stress, displacement, and reaction forces under constant loads.910## When to Use This Skill1112**Route here when user mentions:**13- "stress analysis", "structural analysis"14- "how much will it deflect", "displacement"15- "is this strong enough", "strength check"16- "factor of safety", "safety factor"17- "reaction forces", "support loads"18- "simulate a load on this part"1920**Route elsewhere:**21- Time-varying loads, impact, vibration → `/abaqus-dynamic-analysis`22- Natural frequencies, resonance → `/abaqus-modal-analysis`23- Temperature effects, thermal stress → `/abaqus-coupled-analysis`24- Heat transfer only → `/abaqus-thermal-analysis`25- Parts touching, friction → `/abaqus-contact-analysis`2627## Workflow Steps2829Execute these skills in order:3031| Step | Skill | Purpose |32|------|-------|---------|33| 1 | `/abaqus-geometry` | Create part and assembly |34| 2 | `/abaqus-material` | Define material properties |35| 3 | `/abaqus-mesh` | Generate finite element mesh |36| 4 | `/abaqus-bc` | Apply supports and constraints |37| 5 | `/abaqus-load` | Apply forces and pressures |38| 6 | `/abaqus-step` | Configure analysis step (optional - default is fine) |39| 7 | `/abaqus-job` | Run the analysis |40| 8 | `/abaqus-odb` | Extract results |4142## What to Ask User4344### Required Information4546| Input | What to Ask |47|-------|-------------|48| Geometry | "What are the dimensions? (e.g., 100x50x20 mm)" |49| Material | "What material? (Steel, Aluminum, or custom E/v)" |50| Supports | "How is it supported? (fixed face, pinned points, rollers)" |51| Loads | "What loads? (force magnitude, location, direction)" |5253### Optional (Has Defaults)5455| Input | Default | Ask If |56|-------|---------|--------|57| Mesh size | Auto-calculated | Stress concentrations present |58| Element type | C3D8R | Complex curved geometry |59| Nonlinear | OFF | Large deformation expected |6061## Key Decisions6263### Linear vs Nonlinear Analysis6465| Condition | Setting | When |66|-----------|---------|------|67| Small deformation, linear material | nlgeom=OFF | Displacements < 1% of part size |68| Large deformation or rotation | nlgeom=ON | Thin structures, rubber, cables |69| Yielding expected | nlgeom=ON + Plasticity | Stress > yield strength |7071**Default:** Start with linear. Switch to nonlinear if convergence issues or large deformation.7273### What Results to Extract7475| User Goal | Output Variables | Acceptance Criteria |76|-----------|-----------------|---------------------|77| Strength assessment | S (stress), MISES | MISES < yield stress |78| Stiffness check | U (displacement) | Max deflection acceptable |79| Support sizing | RF (reaction force) | Reactions match applied loads |8081## Validation Checkpoints8283### After Each Step8485| Step | What to Verify |86|------|----------------|87| Geometry | Part has cells, no error messages |88| Material | Section assigned to all cells |89| Mesh | Node count OK (Learning Edition: <=1000) |90| BCs | At least one fixed constraint exists |91| Loads | Applied to correct surface/point |92| Job | Completes without errors in .sta file |9394### Results Sanity Checks9596| Check | Expected |97|-------|----------|98| Reaction force sum | Approximately equals applied loads |99| Displacement magnitude | Physically reasonable |100| Stress pattern | Follows logical load path |101| Max stress location | At expected concentration points |102103## Troubleshooting104105| Error | Cause | Solution |106|-------|-------|----------|107| "Zero pivot" | Rigid body motion | Add more BCs to constrain all 6 DOFs |108| "Negative eigenvalue" | Buckling or instability | Check BCs, may need stabilization |109| "Too many increments" | Load too large | Reduce load or use more increments |110| "Equilibrium not achieved" | Convergence failure | Try smaller initial increment |111| "Memory exceeded" | Mesh too fine | Increase element size |112113## Feedback Loops114115- **Mesh fails:** Return to geometry, add partitions or simplify116- **Zero pivot error:** Return to BCs, ensure all rigid body modes constrained117- **Unreasonable results:** Verify material properties, check load direction/sign118- **Stress too high:** Either design issue (expected) or incorrect BC/load setup119120## Code Patterns121122For API syntax and code examples, see:123- [Common Patterns](references/common-patterns.md)124- [Troubleshooting Guide](references/troubleshooting.md)
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