FAQs on contact output variables

CNORMF, CSTRESS, CNAREA, CAREA,

and CFN in Abaqus/Standard

ANSWER 1. Why is CPRESS inconsistent with the ratio of

CNORMF to CNAREA in my model?
In most cases, CPRESS will be close to the ratio
of CNORMF to CNAREA. However,
at boundaries of contact regions, corner nodes
with wrapped-around surfaces, or on quadratic
facets, you may see that CPRESS is
inconsistent with the ratio of CNORMF to
CNAREA. The reason for the inconsistency in
these special cases is that the area used to
compute CPRESS is different from CNAREA.
Another source of inconsistency comes from the
additional smoothing done before CPRESS
values are written to the output database. The
difference due to smoothing is significant when
there are CPRESS hotspots due to coarse
meshes or when CPRESS varies rapidly
compared to how well the underlying mesh can
resolve the CPRESS variation.

2. How do different contact discretization methods

(node-to-surface versus surface-to-surface)
affect the calculation of contact nodal area
(CNAREA) and contact pressure (CPRESS) of
slave nodes?
For node-to-surface discretization, each slave
node has a single associated constraint. In this
case, the CNAREA at a slave node is simply the
area associated with the constraint. For element-
based slave surfaces, it is calculated in terms of
the tributary area of the faces (in 3-D) or
segments (in 2-D) connected to the slave node.
For node-based slave surfaces, the CNAREA is
what is specified under the *SURFACE,
TYPE=NODE or *SURFACE INTERACTION
keywords and defaults to a value of 1.0 if nothing
is specified. The CPRESS value at a slave node
is simply the constraint value at the slave node.
Additional post-processing to smooth out
CPRESS contours is done before values are
written to the output database
For the finite sliding surface-to-surface
discretization, contact constrains are enforced in
an average sense over a region of a slave node
and its adjacent slave nodes, and the calculation
of CNAREA is more complicated. Each slave
node may be associated with multiple constraints
centered at it. In this case, the CNAREA of a
slave node involves the contributions from its
 adjacent slave nodes, and is calculated as the
weighted sum of areas associated with individual
constraints centered at the slave node. The
CPRESS values are similarly computed as a
weighted sum of constraint values of all the
constraints that this slave node participates in.
The sum rule is chosen as a means to combine
output variables associated with multiple
constraints at a slave node into a single nodal
value at the slave node. Additional post-
processing to smooth out CPRESS contours is
done before values are written to the output
database

3. Why are the CPRESS values shown in

Abaqus/Viewer different from those printed in the
data file for the surface-to-surface contact?
As explained above, for finite sliding surface-to-
surface contact discretization each slave node
may be associated with multiple constraints
centered at it. Each constraint has a computed
constraint value. The CPRESS value at a slave
node reported in the .odb is a weighted sum of
constraint values of all the constraints that this
slave node participates in. Additional smoothing
is done before values are written to the .odb. On
the other hand, the CPRESS values printed in
the .dat file using *CONTACT PRINT are the
constraint values at individual slave nodes
before weighted averaging and smoothing. It is
not recommended to look at CPRESS values in
the .dat file.

4. Why is the sum of CNAREA greater than

CAREA in surface-to-surface contact involving
second-order elements?
The calculation of CNAREA in surface-to-surface
contact involves the use of element shape
functions. For second-order elements, there are
negative weights in the element shape functions
at corner nodes, which result in negative area
contributions to its adjacent slave nodes. To
avoid negative CNAREA, Abaqus takes absolute
values of the negative area contributions when
calculating CNAREA. Consequently, the sum of
CNAREA of all the slave nodes on the quadratic
facets may become greater than the total contact
area CAREA.

5. How is the output variable CFN (total force due

to contact pressure) calculated in Abaqus?
The output variable CFN is calculated over the
slave surface. Abaqus computes CFN as the
sum of pAn over all the constraints on the slave
surface, where n is the normal vector for a
constraint, A is the area associated with a
constraint (A is different in general from
CNAREA at a node which is the weighted
contribution of the constraint areas A of various
constraints at a node), and p is the constraint
pressure which is different from CPRESS in
general. Note that the CFN values written to to
.dat file should be consistent with the CFN
values written to the .odb file.
The direction of CFN is determined by the
normal vector n, which is computed for each
slave node (or a constraint) by simply taking the
cross product of the tangent directions on the
slave surface at the slave node.