Hi SolidWorks Simulation Forum,

I am having a problem getting a load to transfer/be shared between two components, no matter what contact conditions I use.

The components are two steel blocks, and a steel c-channel (modeled as a shell) with concentric holes for bolts that will be used to anchor the assembly to the ground.  This assembly acts like a railroad tie to support an assembly sitting on top of it which has various load cases.  One of the ends of this structure is shown in the attached photos.

I have already solved the first problem of attaching the two components; before, the first component was dropping through the second despite having bonded contacts defined between the faces of the components.

Here are the current bonds and fixtures on the assembly:

Fixture (fixed) on cylindrical face of bolt hole in steel block

Component contacts (bonded) between blocks and c-channel

Contact sets (bonded) on coincident faces of blocks and c-channel

Contact sets (bonded) between edge of bolt hole on c-channel and cylindrical face of bolt hole in steel block.

When I use a solid tie, rather than the block and c-channel assembly, with the cylindrical face of each bolt hole fixed, the results show the stress distributed throughout the solid tie.  With the block and c-channel assembly, all of the stress is distributed only in the c-channel, resulting in unrealistically high stresses, while there is very little stress in the block.

I know that the stresses will be higher in the block and c-channel assembly than in the solid tie, since less material is resisting the same load.  It's the distribution between the block and the c-channel that doesn't seem right.  The block is supporting the weight of the assembly, but not the additional load applied to the assembly.  The entirety of the additional load is being resisted by the c-channel.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

I have already tried defining a bolt at each hole, which was ineffective.

Thanks,

Kathryn