Problem Specification

Learning Goal: This ANSYS tutorial focuses on the interpretation and verification of FEA results (rather than on obtaining an FEA solution from scratch). The ANSYS solution files are provided as a download. We read the solution into ANSYS Mechanical and then move directly to reviewing the results critically. We are particularly interested in the comparison of FEA results with hand calculations.

Problem Specification: A steel bar is mounted in a rigid wall and axially loaded at the end by a force P = 2 kN as shown in the figure below. The bar dimensions are indicated in the figure. The bar is so thin that there is no significant stress variation through the thickness. Neglect gravity.

In this exercise, you are presented with the numerical solution to the above problem obtained from finite-element analysis (FEA) using ANSYS software. Compare FEA results for the stress distribution presented to you with the corresponding analytical solution. Justify agreements and discrepancies between the two approaches (FEA vs. Analytical).

Note that you will be using the ANSYS solution presented to you to explore the physics of the problem. You will be downloading the ANSYS solution prepared for you. The objective is to help you learn important fundamentals of mechanics through the interactive, visual interface provided by ANSYS. You will not be obtaining the FEA solution using ANSYS; there are other tutorials to help you learn this.

Go to Step 1: Pre-Analysis & Start-Up

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