How do I apply the pre-tension option to a solid body in Abaqus FEA software?

[deadstar33]

In all the Abaqus manuals I have read, it only tells me what the pre-tension option DOES, or a little bit about how it works, but what I want to know is literally which buttons to press to get to that option and how to apply it. I can't find the option anywhere in the software.

Details of specific problem: I need to apply pre-tension to a simulated guitar string so I can calculate its fundamental frequency. In order to accurately simulate it, I need to apply the true-to-life boundary conditions at each end of the string and apply the pre-tension that arises when the string is tuned up and made taut (i.e. the frequency increases as the tension increases). I have modeled the string with the correct Young's modulus, density and Poisson's ratio and have applied the boundary conditions correctly. I am treating it as a 3D deformable wire with linear beam elements and a circular profile.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[NateD]

The pre-tension option in Abaqus is found in the Loads tab of the Step module. To apply pre-tension to your simulated guitar string, select the "Force/Moment" option from the Load Type dropdown menu, then select the "Pre-tension" option from the Force/Moment sub-menu. You can then define the magnitude of the pre-tension force that you want to apply to the simulated string. Once you have defined the magnitude of the pre-tension force, click the "Apply" button and the pre-tension will be applied to the string.