Why do I get the warning Quality (shape ratio) on one or more segments of shell "#" is too low. There may be nodes that are too close on its edge?

Ram Elements can automatically mesh complex slabs into quadrilateral elements. In order to accommodate the various user specified node locations, the resulting mesh can become highly skewed and when the shape of the elements diverge far enough from square a warning will be given.

One common cause for the problem is to model a shell with an edge from point A to point C. Another node, B, falls nearly along the line between A and C but not quite. The program tries to include node B in the finite element mesh for the shell and it also tries to maintain the original edge from A-C. When B is far enough from the edge, then the program will mesh without warning. If node B is only a tiny fraction on an inch from line A-C, then the edge will just be adjusted to connect to point B, but when the node is off by more than the merge nodes tolerance, then the warning will occur and you can visualize the problematic mesh:

See Also

Ram Elements Shells FAQ

Structural Product TechNotes And FAQs