Reply To: Comparing FEM simulation with mechanical shear tests

[peteroznewman]

In Mechanical, right click on Model in the Outline and Insert > Fracture.

Yes, you can get a similar Force vs Displacement graph.

Solving the model will be much simpler if you use 1/4 symmetry.  In Figure 2 above, draw a vertical line through the center of the left view and a vertical line through the center of the right view. These are the two symmetry planes. That means you can apply a fixed support to the bottom face of the lower 1/2 leg, and you can apply a displacement to the top face of the center 1/4 leg.  Use a Probe, Reaction Force to extract the force applied by that displacement. Multiply the force by 4 to recover the equivalent full model result.