Learning Forum

[JanRWTH]

Hello,

i am facing some difficulties with beam to beam contact using Ansys explicit dynamics. My task is to simulate an arc (beam) pushing down (7 mm) on to a beam (straight) which is simply supported on both ends. See picture below:

[Chris Quan]

Yes, it is true that cross-section is not taken into account in contact analysis for beam elements.
If the beam cross-section plays an important role in contact analysis of your model, you need to model the cross-section with solid elements so the beam cross-section can be accurately represented.
Alternatively, if the cross-section has a regular shape like circular or square, you may create shell elements around the beam elements to represent the external faces of beam cross- section for contact analysis. The shell thickness should be very small so their contribution to the beam stiffness is very small. These shell elements are bonded to the beam elements via Body Interactions with sufficient large Offset so the contact force can be transferred from the shell elements to the beam elements.