17.6.3.10. Elastic Support

Allows one or more faces (3D) or edges (2D) to move or deform according to a spring behavior. Elastic Support is based on a Foundation Stiffness set in the Details pane, which is defined as the pressure required to produce a unit normal deflection of the foundation.

This page includes the following sections:

Analysis Types

Elastic Support is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types

The supported dimensional types for the Elastic Support boundary condition include:

  • 3D Simulation

  • 2D Simulation

Geometry Types

The supported geometry types for the Elastic Support boundary condition include:

  • Solid

  • Surface/Shell

Topology Selection Options

The supported topology selection options for Elastic Support include:

  • Face

  • Edge: Supported for 2D only.

Applying an Elastic Support Boundary Condition

To apply an Elastic Support:

  1. On the Environment Context tab, click Supports>Elastic Support. Alternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Elastic Support.

  2. Specify Scoping Method and Geometry or Named Selection.

Details Pane Properties

The selections available in the Details pane are described below.

CategoryProperty/Options/Description
Scope

Scoping Method: Options include:

  • Geometry Selection - Default setting, indicating that the boundary condition is applied to a geometry or geometries, which are chosen using a graphical selection tool.

    • Geometry - Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) and the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges) to which the boundary has been applied using the selection tools.

  • Named Selection - Indicates that the geometry selection is defined by a Named Selection.

    • Named Selection - Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available user–defined Named Selections.

Definition

Type - Read-only field that describes the object - Elastic Support.

Suppressed - Include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the boundary condition.

Foundation Stiffness

API Reference

For specific scripting information, see the Elastic Support section of the ACT API Reference Guide.