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ShellForces/StressesForm
ImportantNote:Theinternalshellelementforcesareforcesperunitlengthactingalongthemidsurfaceofthe
shellelement(areaobject).Theinternalshellelementstressesarestressesactingontheedges(notpositive
3axisfaceandnegative3axisface)oftheshellelement(areaobject).

Note:ClicktheApplybuttontoupdatetheactivewindowusingtheparametersspecifiedontheform.Whenthe
Applybuttonisused,theShellForces/StressesformwillremainopenuntiltheClosebuttonisclicked.This
allowsanotherselectiontobemadeontheformtoreviewmultipledisplayswithoutusingthecommandtorecall
theform.TheOKbuttoncanbeusedtobothupdatetheactivewindowandclosetheformifonlyoneviewis
needed.
TheShellForces/Stressesformhasthefollowingoptions:
LoadCase,LoadCombination,ModalCaseoptions.Choosetheloadcasetobedisplayed.Notethat
shellelementforcesorstressescanbeplottedforanystaticloadcase,responsespectrumcase,time
historycase,staticnonlinearcase,orloadcombination.Fortimehistorycases,alsospecifyatimefor
displayoftheforcesorstresses.Forstaticnonlinearcases,alsospecifyastepfordisplayoftheforces
orstresses.
ComponentTypeoptions.Choosetodisplayshellelementinternalforcesorinternalstresses.When
stressesareselected,alsoselectthefaceoftheshellobjectvisible,top,orbottomforwhich
stressesaretobedisplayed,orchoosethatthemaximum,minimumorabsolutemaximumstress
valuesaretobedisplayed.
Componentoptions.Specifythecomponentofforceorstresstobedisplayed.
Forshellelementinternalforces,thepossiblecomponentsareasfollows:
F11:Directforceperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositiveand
negative1facesinthe1axisdirection.
F22:Directforceperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositiveand
negative2facesinthe2axisdirection.
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F12:Shearingforceperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositiveand
negative1facesinthe2axisdirection,andactingonthepositiveandnegative2facesinthe1
axisdirection.
FMax:Maximumprincipalforceperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelement.Notethat
bydefinitionprincipalforcesareorientedsuchthattheassociatedshearingforceperunitlengthis
zero.
FMin:Minimumprincipalforceperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelement.Notethat
bydefinitionprincipalforcesareorientedsuchthattheassociatedshearingforceperunitlengthis
zero.
FVM:VonMisesprincipalforceperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelement.
V13:Outofplaneshearperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositive
andnegative1facesinthe3axisdirection.
V23:Outofplaneshearperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositive
andnegative2facesinthe3axisdirection.
VMax:Maximumprincipalshearperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelement.Note
thatbydefinitionprincipalshearsareorientedonfacesoftheelementsuchthattheassociated
shearsperunitlengthonperpendicularfacesarezero.
M11:Directmomentperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositiveand
negative1facesaboutthe2axis.
M22:Directmomentperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositiveand
negative2facesaboutthe1axis.
M12:Twistingmomentperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelementonthepositiveand
negative1facesaboutthe1axis,andactingonthepositiveandnegative2facesaboutthe2
axis.
MMax:Maximumprincipalmomentperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelement.Note
thatbydefinitionprincipalmomentsareorientedsuchthattheassociatedtwistingmomentper
unitlengthiszero.
MMin:Minimumprincipalmomentperunitlengthactingatthemidsurfaceoftheelement.Note
thatbydefinitionprincipalmomentsareorientedsuchthattheassociatedtwistingmomentper
unitlengthiszero.
Forshellelementinternalstresses,thepossiblecomponentsareasfollows:
S11:Directstress(forceperunitarea)actingonthepositiveandnegative1facesinthe1axis
direction.
S22:Directstress(forceperunitarea)actingonthepositiveandnegative2facesinthe2axis
direction.
S12:Shearingstress(forceperunitarea)actingonthepositiveandnegative1facesinthe2axis
directionandactingonthepositiveandnegative2facesinthe1axisdirection.
SMax:Maximumprincipalstress(forceperunitarea).Notethatbydefinitionprincipalstresses
areorientedsuchthattheassociatedshearingstressiszero.
SMin:Minimumprincipalstress(forceperunitarea).Notethatbydefinitionprincipalstressesare
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orientedsuchthattheassociatedshearingstressiszero.
SVM:VonMisesprincipalstress(forceperunitarea).
S13:Outofplaneshearingstress(forceperunitarea)actingonthepositiveandnegative1faces
inthe3axisdirection.
S23:Outofplaneshearingstress(forceperunitarea)actingonthepositiveandnegative2faces
inthe3axisdirection.
SMaxV:Maximumprincipalshearingstress(forceperunitarea).Notethatbydefinitionprincipal
shearingstressesareorientedonfacesoftheelementsuchthattheassociatedshearsperunit
lengthonperpendicularfacesarezero.
ContourAppearanceoptions.Usetheseoptionstochooseiftheforcesandstresseswilldisplayon
anUndeformedShape,aDeformedShape,oradisplayofanExtrudedContourbyselectingan
optionfromthedropdownlist.AlsousetheShowLines,ShowFill,ShowValues,andShowArrows
checkboxestospecifyhowtheforcesandstresseswillbeillustrated.Theoptionsareassumedtobe
selfexplanatory.
ContourValuesTheshellelementinternalforcesandstressesaredisplayedonscreenascolored
contours.Specifyminimumandmaximumvalues:
Mineditbox:Anyelementwithaforceorstresslessthanthevaluespecifiedinthiseditboxis
displayedinthecolorassociatedwithMinintheContoursareaoftheAssignDisplayColors
form.NotethatthecolorassociatedwithMinisthetopcolorintheform.
Maxeditbox:Anyelementwithaforceorstressgreaterthanorequaltothevaluespecifiedin
thiseditboxisdisplayedinthecolorassociatedwithMaxintheContoursareaoftheAssign
DisplayColorsform.NotethatthecolorassociatedwithMaxisthebottomcolorintheform.
WiththeMinandtheMaxvaluesspecified,ETABSspacestheintermediaterangevalues
equallybetweenthespecifiedMinandMaxvalues.IftheMinandtheMaxvaluesarebothset
tozero,ETABScreatesitsownrange.Inthatcase,ETABScreatesastressrangewith
rounded(even)valuesthattheactualmaximumandminimumstressesfitwithin.Notethat
settingMinandMaxtozeroisthedefault.
ContourAveragingatNodes.Specifyifstressaveragingistobeusedwhendisplayingthe
shellelementforcesorstresses.ETABSoffersthefollowingoptions:
Nonenostressaveraging
ByObjectsstressaveragingatallobjects
BySelectedGroupsstressaveragingatspecificpointsselectedjustbeforeplottingthe
shellforcesorstressesclicktheGroupsbuttontoaccesstheSelectGroupsformand
selectobjectsbyGroupnames.
ExplanationofContourAveraging.ConsiderthefourshellelementslabeledA,B,CandD
showninthesketchbelow.Thesefourshellelementsallhaveacommonpoint,labeled1,in
thesketch.

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Eachoftheshellelementshasanassociatedinternalforceorstressatjoint1.Typicallythe
forcesorstressesatcommonpointsinthevariousshellelementsaredifferent.Thefinerthe
mesh,thecloserthevaluesbecome.
Iftheforceorstresscontoursareplottedwithnostressaveragingatthecommonpoints,
typicallythechangesinforceorstressfromelementtoelementwillbeabrupt.Stress
averagingtendstoeliminatetheabruptchangesintheplotandsmoothsthecontours.
ETABSaveragesthestressesatapointbyaveragingthestressesfromallshellelementsthat
bothconnecttothepointandarevisibleintheactivewindow.ThenwhenETABSplotsthe
stressforaparticularshellelement,itplotsthataveragestressatthepointconsideredinstead
oftheactualstresscalculatedforthatshellelementatthepoint.
Donotoverlooktheimplicationsoftheunderlinedportionofthepreviousparagraph.For
example,assumetheactivewindowisdisplayingstressesinalocationwhereawallintersects
afloor.Furtherassumethatthedisplayshowsaveragedstressesinthefloor.Iftheaveraged
stressesintheflooraredisplayedina2Dplanviewofthefloor,onlytheshellelementsthatare
inthefloor,andthusvisibleinthewindow,areincludedinthestressaveraging.
Ifthesameaveragedstressesaredisplayedina3Dview,whereboththewallandthefloorare
visible,theshellelementsfromboththefloorandthewallareincludedinthestressaveraging.
Thustheaveragedstressesinthefloorattheintersectionofthefloorandthewallwillappear
differentlyina2Dplanviewversusa3Dview.
Scalingoptions.ThescalingoptionswillbeavailableonlyifDisplayonDeformedShapeorDisplay
ExtrudedContourshasbeenselectedfortheContourOption.Whenavailable,thescalefactorcanbe
usedtoexaggeratethedisplacements/extrusionsrelativetothegeometryofthestructure.Choose
AutomaticscalingorspecifyaUserScaleFactortoscalethedeformedshapeortheextrudedresults.

MiscellaneousNotesaboutShellElementForcesandStressesNotethatshellelementstresses(not
forces)actuallyhavedifferentvaluesatthetopandbottomoftheshellelements(areaobjects).Thus,
dependingonwhichsideoftheobjectisdisplayed,differentstressesmaybeshown.Twodimensionalviews
alwaysdisplayareaobjectsfromthesameside.Todisplaystressesontheothersideoftheareaobject,view
themina3Dview.
Finally,whenshellelementforcesandstressesareplottedformultivaluedloadcombinations,ETABSdisplays
themaximumorminimumvaluethathasthelargestabsolutevalue.

AccesstheShellForces/Stressesformasfollows:
1.Runananalysis.
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2.ClicktheDisplaymenu>Force/StressDiagrams>ShellStresses/Forcescommand.

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