How to get loads applied at nodes

[AdrianCrowder]

I have begun developing a new bearing element, based on a stiffness matrix which is dependent on the axial load, but I'm having issues getting the axial load.

I was attempting to use getUnbalancedLoad() during ::setDomain() in order to get the initial axial load to be used to return the initial stiffness, and then later on getting the current axial load to determine the tangent stiffness.

Checking the value returned from getUnbalancedLoad() is a vector of zeros though, which results in a stiffness matrix full of zeros.

Are there other methods for getting this information?

Best regards,
Adrian

[fmk]

have you looked at exsiting bearing elements?

typically they have a uniaxial material for handling vertical direction, the stress in the material is the axial load. some initial estimate may be needed of what load is as initially this stress is going to be 0.