GENERAL ANALYSIS PROCEDURES

11. Multiple Step Analysis

The general goal of an Abaqus simulation is to determine the response of the model to the applied
loads. Recall that in a general sense the term load in Abaqus refers to anything that induces a change
in the response of a structure from its initial state; for example, nonzero boundary conditions or applied
displacements, point forces, pressures, fields, etc. In some cases loads are relatively simple, such as a
single set of point loads on a structure. In other problems the loads applied to a structure can be very
complex. For example, different loads may be applied to different portions of the model in a particular
sequence over some period of time, or the magnitude of the loads may vary as a function of time. The
term load history is used to refer to such complex loading of a model.
In Abaqus the user divides the complete load history of the simulation into a number of steps. Each
step is a period of “time,” specified by the user, for which Abaqus calculates the response of the model
to a particular set of loads and boundary conditions. The user must specify the type of response, known
as the analysis procedure, during each step and may change analysis procedures from step to step. For
example, static dead loads, perhaps gravitational loads, could be applied to a structure in one step; and
the dynamic response of the loaded structure to earthquake accelerations could be calculated in the next
step. Both implicit and explicit analyses can contain multiple steps; however, implicit and explicit steps
cannot be combined in the same analysis job. To combine a series of implicit and explicit steps, the
results transfer (or import) capability can be used. This feature is discussed in “Transferring results
between Abaqus/Explicit and Abaqus/Standard,” Section 9.2.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User’s Manual,
and is not discussed further here.
Abaqus divides all of its analysis procedures into two main groups: linear perturbation and general.
General analysis steps can be included in an Abaqus/Standard or an Abaqus/Explicit analysis; linear
perturbation steps are available only in Abaqus/Standard. Loading conditions and “time” are defined
differently for the two cases. Furthermore, the results from each type of procedure should be interpreted
differently.
The response of the model during a general analysis procedure, known as a general step, may be
either nonlinear or linear. In a step that uses a perturbation procedure, which is called a perturbation
step, the response can only be linear. Abaqus/Standard treats such steps as a linear perturbation about the
preloaded, predeformed state (known as the base state) created by any previous general steps; therefore,
its capability for doing linear simulations is rather more general than that of a purely linear analysis
program.

11.1 General analysis procedures

The starting point for each general step is the deformed state at the end of the last general step. Therefore,
the state of the model evolves in a sequence of general steps as it responds to the loads defined in each
step. Any initial conditions define the starting point for the first general step in the simulation.

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Abaqus ID:
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LINEAR PERTURBATION ANALYSIS

All general analysis procedures share the same concepts for applying loads and defining “time.”

11.1.1 Time in general analysis steps

Abaqus has two measures of time in a simulation. The total time increases throughout all general steps
and is the accumulation of the total step time from each general step. Each step also has its own time
scale (known as the step time), which begins at zero for each step. Time varying loads and boundary
conditions can be specified in terms of either time scale. The time scales for an analysis whose history
is divided into three steps, each 100 seconds long, are shown in Figure 11–1.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Total
time 0s 100s 200s 300s

Step 0s 100s 0s 100s 0s 100s

time

Figure 11–1 Step and total time for a simulation.

11.1.2 Specifying loads in general steps

In general steps the loads must be specified as total values, not incremental values. For example, if a
concentrated load has a value of 1000 N in the first step and it is increased to 3000 N in the second general
step, the magnitude given for the load in the two steps should be 1000 N and 3000 N, not 1000 N and
2000 N.
By default, all previously defined loads are propagated to the current step. In the current step you can
define additional loads as well as modify any previously defined load (for example, change its magnitude
or deactivate it). Any previously defined load that is not specifically modified in the current step continues
to follow its associated amplitude definition, provided that the amplitude curve is defined in terms of total
time; otherwise, the load is maintained at the magnitude it had at the end of the last general step.

11.2 Linear perturbation analysis

Linear perturbation analysis steps are available only in Abaqus/Standard.

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 LINEAR PERTURBATION ANALYSIS

The starting point for a linear perturbation step is called the base state of the model. If the first step
in a simulation is a linear perturbation step, the base state is the state of the model specified using initial
conditions. Otherwise, the base state is the state of the simulation at the end of the last general step prior
to the linear perturbation step. Although the response of the structure during the perturbation step is by
definition linear, the model may have a nonlinear response in previous general steps. For models with
a nonlinear response in the prior general steps, Abaqus/Standard uses the current elastic modulus as the
linear stiffness for perturbation procedures. This modulus is the initial elastic modulus for elastic-plastic
materials and the tangent modulus for hyperelastic materials (see Figure 11–2); the moduli used for
other material models are described in “General and linear perturbation procedures,” Section 6.1.2 of the
Abaqus Analysis User’s Manual.

tangent
modulus
Force

Base state

Displacement

Figure 11–2 For hyperelastic materials the tangent modulus is used as the stiffness in linear
perturbation steps that occur after general, nonlinear steps.

The loads in the perturbation step should be sufficiently small that the model’s response would
not deviate much from that predicted with the tangent modulus. If the simulation includes contact, the
contact state between two surfaces does not change during a perturbation step: points that were closed
in the base state remain closed, and points that were open remain open.

11.2.1 Time in linear perturbation steps

If another general step follows a perturbation step, it uses the state of the model at the end of the last
general step as its starting point, not the state of the model at the end of the perturbation step. Thus,
the response from a linear perturbation step has no permanent effect on the simulation. Therefore,
Abaqus/Standard does not include the step time of linear perturbation steps in the total time for the
analysis. In fact, what Abaqus/Standard actually does is to define the step time of a perturbation step to

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LINEAR PERTURBATION ANALYSIS

be very small (10−36 ) so that it has no effect when it is added to the total accumulated time. The exception
to this rule is the modal dynamics procedure.

11.2.2 Specifying loads in linear perturbation steps

Loads and prescribed boundary conditions given in linear perturbation steps are always local to that step.
The load magnitudes (including the magnitudes of prescribed boundary conditions) given in a linear
perturbation step are always the perturbation (increment) of the load, not the total magnitude. Likewise,
the value of any solution variable is output as the perturbation value only—the value of the variable in
the base state is not included.
As an example of a simple load history that includes a mixture of general and perturbation steps,
consider the bow and arrow shown in Figure 11–3.

0.0254 m 0.0025 m
(1.0 in) (0.1 in)

1.27 m
(50.0 in) Bow String

Bow String
SECTION A _ A
A A
F

Step 1 = Pretension Step 2 = Pull Back Step 4 = Dynamic Release

Figure 11–3 Simple bow and arrow.

Step 1 might be to string the bow—to pretension the bowstring. Step 2 would then follow this by pulling
back the string with an arrow, thus storing more strain energy in the system. Step 3 might then be a linear

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