Connector - Elastic Support

An Elastic Support defines an elastic foundation between the selected faces of a part or assembly and the ground. This connector resists tension and compression.

Type

Faces for Elastic Support Planar or nonplanar faces.

Stiffness

Units  
  Distributed The value of the stiffness per unit area. The equivalent total stiffness equals the common area of projection multiplied by the distributed stiffness.
  Total The value of the total stiffness. The total stiffness is distributed uniformly on all selected faces.
normalstiffness.png Normal Stiffness normal to the faces.
tangentialstiffness.png Shear Stiffness in the plane of the faces.

Symbol Settings

  Edit Color Select a color for the symbols.
Symbol size Set the size of the symbols.
  Show preview Toggles the display of the connector symbols in the graphics area.

Notes

  • Available for static, frequency, and buckling studies. Not available for composite shells.
  • A distributed stiffness at a point on the face represents the stiffness density associated with an infinitely small area around the point. The tangential stiffness at a location is assumed to be equal in all directions tangential to the face at a point.
  • Use elastic springs to simulate elastic foundations and shock absorbers.