Three-dimensional gasket element library

This section provides a reference to the three-dimensional gasket elements available in Abaqus/Standard.

Element types
Nodal coordinates required
Element property definition
Element-based loading
Element output
Node ordering and face numbering on elements
Numbering of integration points for output

Element types

Link elements

GK3D2: 2-node, three-dimensional gasket element
GK3D2N: 2-node, three-dimensional gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only

Active degrees of freedom

1 for gasket elements with thickness-direction behavior only.

1, 2, 3 for other gasket elements.

Additional solution variables

None.

Line elements

GK3D4L: 4-node, three-dimensional line gasket element
GK3D4LN: 4-node, three-dimensional line gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only
GK3D6L: 6-node, three-dimensional line gasket element
GK3D6LN: 6-node, three-dimensional line gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only

Active degrees of freedom

1 for gasket elements with thickness-direction behavior only.

1, 2, 3 for other gasket elements.

Additional solution variables

None.

Area elements

GK3D6: 6-node, three-dimensional gasket element
GK3D6N: 6-node, three-dimensional gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only
GK3D8: 8-node, three-dimensional gasket element
GK3D8N: 8-node, three-dimensional gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only
GK3D12M: 12-node, three-dimensional gasket element
GK3D12MN: 12-node, three-dimensional gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only
GK3D18: 18-node, three-dimensional gasket element
GK3D18N: 18-node, three-dimensional gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only

Active degrees of freedom

1 for gasket elements with thickness-direction behavior only.

1, 2, 3 for other gasket elements.

Additional solution variables

None.

Coupled temperature-displacement area elements

GK3D6T: 6-node, three-dimensional displacement and temperature gasket element
GK3D6TN: 6-node, three-dimensional displacement and temperature gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only
GK3D8T: 8-node, three-dimensional displacement and temperature gasket element
GK3D8TN: 8-node, three-dimensional displacement and temperature gasket element with thickness-direction behavior only

Active degrees of freedom

1, 11 for gasket elements with thickness-direction behavior only.

1, 2, 3, 11 for other gasket elements.

Additional solution variables

None.

Nodal coordinates required

$X, Y, Z$

Element property definition

You must define the element's initial gap and initial void, as well as the cross-sectional area (for link elements) or width (for line elements).

You can specify the thickness direction as part of the gasket section definition or by specifying a normal direction at the nodes; you can specify the element thickness as part of the gasket section definition. Otherwise, Abaqus/Standard will calculate the thickness direction and the thickness. For link elements the thickness direction is the direction from the first to the second node and the thickness is the distance between the nodes. For line elements the thickness direction is the direction from the bottom node to the top node associated with the integration point and the thicknesses are the distances between these same bottom and top nodes. For area elements the thickness direction is based on the midsurface of the element and the thicknesses at the integration points are based on the nodal positions. See Defining the gasket element's initial geometry for more details.

Input File Usage

GASKET SECTION

Abaqus/CAE Usage

Property module: Create Section: select Other as the section Category and Gasket as the section Type

Element-based loading

None.

Element output

GK3D2 elements

S11: Pressure or thickness-direction force in the gasket element.
CS11: Contact pressure in the gasket element (only available if S11 is a force and the gasket response is not defined using a material model).
S12: Shear stress or shear force.
S13: Shear stress or shear force.
E11: Gasket closure if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
E12: Shear motion if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
E13: Shear motion if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
NE11: Effective thickness-direction strain in the gasket element.
NE12: Effective shear strain.
NE13: Effective shear strain.

GK3D2N elements

S11: Pressure or thickness-direction force in the gasket element.
CS11: Contact pressure in the gasket element (only available if S11 is a force and the gasket response is not defined using a material model.)
E11: Gasket closure if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
NE11: Effective thickness-direction strain in the gasket element.

Line elements with thickness-direction behavior only

S11: Pressure or thickness-direction force per unit length in the gasket element.
CS11: Contact pressure in the gasket element (only available if S11 is a force per unit length and the gasket response is not defined using a material model).
E11: Gasket closure if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
NE11: Effective thickness-direction strain in the gasket element.

Other line elements

S11: Pressure or thickness-direction force per unit length in the gasket element.
CS11: Contact pressure in the gasket element (only available if S11 is a force per unit length and the gasket response is not defined using a material model).
S22: Direct membrane stress.
S12: Shear stress or shear force per unit length.
S13: Shear stress or shear force per unit length.
E11: Gasket closure if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
E22: Direct membrane strain.
E12: Shear motion if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
E13: Shear motion if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
NE11: Effective thickness-direction strain in the gasket element.
NE22: Direct membrane strain.
NE12: Effective shear strain.
NE13: Effective shear strain.

Area elements with thickness-direction behavior only

S11: Pressure in the gasket element.
E11: Gasket closure if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
NE11: Effective thickness-direction strain in the gasket element.

Other area elements

S11: Pressure in the gasket element.
S22: Direct membrane stress.
S33: Direct membrane stress.
S12: Transverse shear stress.
S13: Transverse shear stress.
S23: Membrane shear stress.
E11: Gasket closure if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
E22: Direct membrane strain.
E33: Direct membrane strain.
E12: Transverse shear motion if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
E13: Transverse shear motion if the gasket response is defined directly using a gasket behavior model; strain if the gasket response is defined using a material model.
E23: Membrane shear strain.
NE11: Effective thickness-direction strain in the gasket element.
NE22: Direct membrane strain.
NE33: Direct membrane strain.
NE12: Effective shear strain.
NE13: Effective shear strain.
NE12: Membrane shear strain.

Node ordering and face numbering on elements

Link elements

Line elements

Area elements

Table 1. 6-node element
Face 1 (SPOS)	4 – 6 – 5 face
Face 2 (SNEG)	1 – 2 – 3 face

Table 2. 8-node element
Face 1 (SPOS)	5 – 8 – 7 – 6 face
Face 2 (SNEG)	1 – 2 – 3 – 4 face

Table 3. 12-node element
Face 1 (SPOS)	7 – 12 – 9 – 11 – 8 – 10 face
Face 2 (SNEG)	1 – 4 – 2 – 5 – 3 – 6 face

Table 4. 18-node element
Face 1 (SPOS)	9 – 16 – 12 – 15 – 11 – 14 – 10 – 13 face
Face 2 (SNEG)	1 – 5 – 2 – 6 – 3 – 7 – 4 – 8 face

Numbering of integration points for output

Link elements

Line elements

Area elements

Integration points are indicated with an X and have the same numbers as the bottom face nodes, except that the point between nodes 17 and 18 in the 18-node gasket element is integration point number 9.