a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; }

Hi everyone,
I’m working on a simulation in Abaqus Standard (with NLGEOM = ON) and I need some advice on how to properly model the contact between the bolt shank and the hole.

In my case, the hole is modeled with the nominal diameter of 14 mm, but the bolt shank (non-threaded region) is not modeled with the nominal diameter of 12 mm.
Instead, I’m using the root diameter (about 11 mm) because this gives me the global stiffness I need for the model.

However, from a contact standpoint, I want the hole edge to behave as if it touches the nominal bolt diameter (12 mm) — even though the geometry I’m using is smaller (11 mm).

I cannot use small sliding; the contact must remain as finite sliding.

My question is:

What is the best way to represent contact so that the hole “feels” the nominal 12 mm diameter, while keeping the root diameter for the actual bolt stiffness?

Possible solutions I considered, but I’m not sure which is correct or recommended:

• Using a dummy cylindrical surface (analytical rigid surface with 12 mm diameter) tied to the bolt root geometry.
• Using offset contact or adjust surfaces during contact initialization.
• Applying an effective clearance via surface-to-surface contact parameters.
• Any other standard approach for representing nominal contact in bolt shank regions?

Any guidance or recommended modeling practice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!