Static General
Nonlinear geometry, material nonlinearity, contact, and large deformations.
Choosing the wrong analysis type in Abaqus is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make in finite element analysis — and I’ve seen it happen more times than I’d like to admit.
You set up your model, define your boundary conditions, run the simulation overnight, come back in the morning, and realize you used Dynamic Explicit when you should have used Static General. Hours wasted. Or worse, you get results that look reasonable but are completely wrong because you didn’t account for the actual physics of your problem.
Abaqus, developed by Dassault Systèmes under the SIMULIA brand, is one of the most powerful FEA software packages available. It provides two main solvers — Abaqus/Standard for implicit analysis and Abaqus/Explicit for explicit dynamics — along with Abaqus/CFD for computational fluid dynamics. Together, these solvers offer over 25 different analysis procedures based on the finite element method.
This FEA analysis guide exists because I got tired of digging through documentation every time I needed to remember the difference between SSD Modal and SSD Direct, or when exactly I should switch from implicit to explicit dynamics. Whether you’re learning FEA or need a quick reference, this FEA analysis guide has you covered.
Key Takeaways
- Abaqus offers 28+ analysis types across 8 categories
- Static General handles 70% of typical FEA workloads
- Always run Frequency Extraction before modal-based analyses
- Use Dynamic Explicit for crash/impact, Dynamic Implicit for slower transients
- SSD Modal is the industry standard for harmonic response (90% usage)
- Damping is the most uncertain parameter — use conservative (lower) values when unknown
This FEA analysis guide covers all 28+ Abaqus procedures with practical recommendations for each.
What Are Abaqus fea Analysis guide?
Abaqus analysis types are the different simulation procedures available in Abaqus FEA software for solving structural, thermal, and multi-physics problems. Each analysis type uses a specific mathematical approach to solve the governing differential equations, and selecting the right one depends on your loading conditions, material behavior, and the physics you need to capture.
The 8 main Abaqus analysis categories are:
- Static Analysis (General, Linear Perturbation, Riks)
- Buckling Analysis (Linear, Nonlinear)
- Dynamic Analysis (Implicit, Explicit, Modal Dynamics)
- Frequency/Vibration Analysis (7 procedures including SSD Modal, Random Response, Response Spectrum)
- Heat Transfer Analysis (Steady, Transient, Coupled)
- Coupled Multi-physics (Acoustic, Piezoelectric, CFD, CEL, Electromagnetic)
- Special Purpose (Substructure, Transport, Mass Diffusion)
- Geotechnical (Geostatic, Soils Consolidation)
FEA Analysis Guide: Quick Decision Reference
The interactive FEA analysis guide below lets you filter by category and find the exact procedure you need.
Abaqus Analysis Types Guide (clickable)
Complete visual reference for all FEA analysis procedures in Abaqus/Standard, Abaqus/Explicit, and Abaqus/CFD.
🎯 Quick Decision Guide
Linear steady load
→
Static Linear Perturbation
Nonlinear steady
→
Static General
Natural frequencies
→
Frequency Extraction
Harmonic response
→
SSD Modal
Transient linear
→
Modal Dynamics
Transient nonlinear
→
Dynamic Implicit
Impact / Crash
→
Dynamic Explicit
⚡ Static Analysis
Static Linear Perturbation
Small displacements, linear material. Base for modal analysis.
Static Riks
Arc-length method for snap-through and snap-back instabilities.
📐 Buckling Analysis
Linear Buckling
Eigenvalue buckling for critical load factors and imperfection shapes.
Nonlinear Buckling
Uses Static Riks with geometric imperfections for post-buckling path.
🔄 Dynamic (Time Domain)
Dynamic Implicit
Nonlinear transient with unconditionally stable time stepping. Matrix solve each step.
Car suspension
Machinery dynamics
Dynamic Explicit
Extreme nonlinearity with conditionally stable tiny time steps. No matrix solve.
Crash, impact, blast
Transient Modal Dynamics
Linear transient using modal superposition. Very fast.
Earthquake response
Pulse loads
🎵 Frequency / Vibration
Frequency Extraction
Natural frequencies and mode shapes. Required for all modal-based methods.
Steady-State Dynamics Modal
Harmonic response with decoupled modes. User specifies ξ per mode.
Industry Standard
90% of harmonic analysis uses this method.
Steady-State Dynamics Subspace
Projected modal solve. Non-diagonal damping OK. Middle ground approach.
Steady-State Dynamics Direct
Full system solve for frequency-dependent materials and high damping. Slowest but most general.
Random Response
PSD input → PSD output. Statistical vibration analysis. Requires modes.
Response Spectrum
Seismic/shock spectrum with modal combination rules for peak response estimate.
Complex Frequency
Damped eigenvalues for stability analysis.
Brake squeal
Flutter analysis
🔥 Heat Transfer
Heat Transfer (Steady)
Temperature distribution via conduction, convection, radiation. No time dependence.
Heat Transfer (Transient)
Time-varying temperature with thermal mass effects. Cooling/heating cycles.
Coupled Temp-Displacement
Combined thermal and structural. Thermal expansion, friction heat generation.
Forming processes
🔗 Coupled / Multi-Physics
Acoustic
Sound propagation and structural-acoustic coupling for NVH analysis.
Piezoelectric
Electro-mechanical coupling for sensors, actuators, energy harvesting.
Abaqus/CFD
Fluid flow with FSI co-simulation and thermal-fluid coupling.
Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian
Extreme deformation problems with fluid-structure interaction.
Sloshing, bird strike
Electromagnetic
Eddy currents, induction heating, and Lorentz forces.
🔧 Special Purpose
Substructure Generation
Reduce DOFs via component mode synthesis for large assembly efficiency.
Steady-State Transport
Rolling/sliding contact analysis. Tire analysis, axisymmetric spinning.
Mass Diffusion
Concentration gradients for hydrogen embrittlement and moisture absorption.
🌍 Geotechnical
Geostatic
Initial stress equilibrium under gravity. Run before excavation/loading.
Soils (Consolidation)
Pore pressure dissipation, time-dependent settlement, coupled pore fluid-stress.
⚠️ Modal Prerequisites
These procedures require Frequency Extraction first:
- Modal Dynamics
- SSD Modal
- SSD Subspace
- Random Response
- Response Spectrum
Workflow Tip:
Always run frequency extraction first when planning modal-based analyses. The extracted modes become the basis for efficient dynamic solutions.
Conclusion: Selecting the Right FEA Analysis Type
The finite element method gives you tremendous power to simulate structural behavior — but that power requires choosing the right analysis procedure for your problem physics. This FEA analysis guide covered the 8 main categories and 28+ procedures available in Abaqus. Bookmark this finite element analysis guide for quick reference during your simulation work.. For more on automating repetitive FEA tasks once you’ve mastered analysis selection, see our guide on FEA automation and Sine Sweep.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Is the Difference Between Abaqus Standard and Explicit?
Abaqus/Standard uses implicit time integration with large time steps and requires matrix solving at each increment — ideal for static and low-speed dynamic problems. Abaqus/Explicit uses explicit integration with very small time steps and no matrix inversion — best for high-speed impacts, crash simulations, and extreme nonlinearity.
When Should I Use Dynamic Explicit vs Dynamic Implicit?
Use Dynamic Explicit for crash, impact, blast, and problems with extreme nonlinearity where events happen in milliseconds. Use Dynamic Implicit for slower transient events like machinery vibration or car suspension dynamics where larger time steps are acceptable and computational stability is preferred.
What Is Frequency Extraction in Abaqus?
Frequency Extraction is an Abaqus analysis procedure that calculates the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a structure. It uses eigenvalue solvers (Lanczos or Subspace) and is a required prerequisite for all modal-based dynamic analyses including Modal Dynamics, Steady-State Dynamics, Random Response, and Response Spectrum.
What Is SSD Modal Analysis?
SSD Modal (Steady-State Dynamics Modal) is a harmonic response analysis in Abaqus that calculates how a structure responds to sinusoidal loading at various frequencies. It uses pre-computed mode shapes from Frequency Extraction and is the fastest harmonic analysis method, used in approximately 90% of industry NVH applications.
How Do I Choose the Right FEA Analysis Type?
Choose your FEA analysis type based on: (1) loading type — static or time-varying, (2) material behavior — linear or nonlinear, (3) deformation magnitude — small or large, (4) time scale — quasi-static, transient, or impact. For most problems, start with Static General. For vibration, use Frequency Extraction followed by the appropriate dynamic procedure.
Hamid Rastan, MSc
I am a senior CAE and Automation Engineer at Scania with over 8 years of hands-on experience in Finite Element Analysis (FEA). My daily work involves advanced simulations focusing on strength and durability analysis, helping design more reliable and efficient products.
Before joining Scania, I conducted research at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where I focused on the additive manufacturing of heat exchangers. My work has been recognized internationally and published in peer-reviewed journals. You can find my publications on Google Scholar.
Hamid Rastan, MSc
I am a senior CAE and Automation Engineer at Scania with over 8 years of hands-on experience in Finite Element Analysis (FEA). My daily work involves advanced simulations focusing on strength and durability analysis, helping design more reliable and efficient products.
Before joining Scania, I conducted research at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where I focused on the additive manufacturing of heat exchangers. My work has been recognized internationally and published in peer-reviewed journals. You can find my publications on Google Scholar.
In June 2019, I managed to secure the funding for continuation of my PhD by receiving a grant of 3.7 MSEK from the Swedish Energy Agency on development of 3Dprineted air-PCM heat exchangers.