Cable Element Property
Description: Defines the properties of the cable element (CCABLE entry).
Format:
Example:
| Field | Definition | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| PID | Property identification number. | Integer > 0 | Required |
| MID | Material identification number. | Integer > 0 | Required |
| U0 | Initial cable slack. See Remark 1. | Real or blank | 0.0 |
| T0 | Initial cable tension. See Remark 2. | Real ≥ 0.0 or blank | 0.0 |
| A | Area of cable cross-section. | Real > 0.0 | Required |
| I | Area moment of inertia. | Real ≥ 0.0 or blank | See Remark 3 |
| ST | Allowable tensile stress. See Remark 4. | Real ≥ 0.0 or blank | 0.0 |
| PTYPE | Preload option. If PTYPE = INIT, T0 is the initial tensile preload in the cable. If PTYPE = CONT, T0 is the actual cable tensile load and remains constant. See Remark 5. | Character or blank | INIT |
Remarks:
- The initial cable slack, U0, is the distance the cable must stretch before it will carry load.
- The initial cable tension, T0, is the tensile preload in units of force that exists in the cable at the start of the nonlinear analysis. U0 and T0 should not be specified at the same time.
- The default area moment of inertia is calculated using, A, and the formula for area moment of inertia for a circular cross-section,
- The allowable tensile stress, ST, is the stress above which the cable will no longer carry load.
- The INIT setting will treat the T0 value as the initial tensile preload. This value will be continuously added to the element internal axial load generated from the displacement of the end nodes. The CONT setting will force the cable internal load to always be T0 regardless of the element nodal displacements. Use of the CONT setting may result in slower than normal nonlinear iteration convergence.
- This element will default to a circular bar in linear solutions. A nonlinear solution must be selected for tension-only behavior.