Modeling bolt connection with preloaded beam element

*CLOAD should be applied to the reference node of the pre-tension section. Maybe there’s an issue with the way those beam elements are attached to the solid model. CalculiX documentation suggests distributing coupling and equation constraints for that. There’s a simple example that you can try first:

**
**   Structure: bolt-like structure.
**   Test objective: pre-tension force with beam element.
**
*NODE, NSET=Nall
       1,0.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
       2,0.000000000000e+00,1.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
       3,2.000000000000e-01,1.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
       4,2.000000000000e-01,0.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
       5,1.414213562373e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-1.414213562373e-01
       6,1.414213562373e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-1.414213562373e-01
       7,1.000000000000e+00,1.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
       8,1.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
       9,7.071067811865e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-7.071067811865e-01
      10,7.071067811865e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-7.071067811865e-01
      11,2.000000000000e-01,5.000000000000e-01,0.000000000000e+00
      12,1.847759065023e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-7.653668647302e-02
      13,1.414213562373e-01,5.000000000000e-01,-1.414213562373e-01
      14,1.847759065023e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-7.653668647302e-02
      15,6.000000000000e-01,1.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
      16,6.000000000000e-01,0.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00
      17,4.242640687119e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-4.242640687119e-01
      18,4.242640687119e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-4.242640687119e-01
      19,1.000000000000e+00,5.000000000000e-01,0.000000000000e+00
      20,9.238795325113e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-3.826834323651e-01
      21,7.071067811865e-01,5.000000000000e-01,-7.071067811865e-01
      22,9.238795325113e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-3.826834323651e-01
      23,2.775557561563e-17,0.000000000000e+00,-2.000000000000e-01
      24,2.775557561563e-17,1.000000000000e+00,-2.000000000000e-01
      25,2.220446049250e-16,0.000000000000e+00,-1.000000000000e+00
      26,2.220446049250e-16,1.000000000000e+00,-1.000000000000e+00
      27,7.653668647302e-02,0.000000000000e+00,-1.847759065023e-01
      28,2.775557561563e-17,5.000000000000e-01,-2.000000000000e-01
      29,7.653668647302e-02,1.000000000000e+00,-1.847759065023e-01
      30,1.249000902703e-16,0.000000000000e+00,-6.000000000000e-01
      31,1.249000902703e-16,1.000000000000e+00,-6.000000000000e-01
      32,3.826834323651e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-9.238795325113e-01
      33,2.220446049250e-16,5.000000000000e-01,-1.000000000000e+00
      34,3.826834323651e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-9.238795325113e-01
      35,-1.414213562373e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-1.414213562373e-01
      36,-1.414213562373e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-1.414213562373e-01
      37,-7.071067811865e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-7.071067811865e-01
      38,-7.071067811865e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-7.071067811865e-01
      39,-7.653668647302e-02,0.000000000000e+00,-1.847759065023e-01
      40,-1.414213562373e-01,5.000000000000e-01,-1.414213562373e-01
      41,-7.653668647302e-02,1.000000000000e+00,-1.847759065023e-01
      42,-4.242640687119e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-4.242640687119e-01
      43,-4.242640687119e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-4.242640687119e-01
      44,-3.826834323651e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-9.238795325113e-01
      45,-7.071067811865e-01,5.000000000000e-01,-7.071067811865e-01
      46,-3.826834323651e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-9.238795325113e-01
      47,-2.000000000000e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-8.326672684689e-17
      48,-2.000000000000e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-8.326672684689e-17
      49,-1.000000000000e+00,0.000000000000e+00,-2.775557561563e-16
      50,-1.000000000000e+00,1.000000000000e+00,-2.775557561563e-16
      51,-1.847759065023e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-7.653668647302e-02
      52,-2.000000000000e-01,5.000000000000e-01,-8.326672684689e-17
      53,-1.847759065023e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-7.653668647302e-02
      54,-6.000000000000e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-1.804112415016e-16
      55,-6.000000000000e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-1.804112415016e-16
      56,-9.238795325113e-01,0.000000000000e+00,-3.826834323651e-01
      57,-1.000000000000e+00,5.000000000000e-01,-2.775557561563e-16
      58,-9.238795325113e-01,1.000000000000e+00,-3.826834323651e-01
      59,-1.414213562373e-01,0.000000000000e+00,1.414213562373e-01
      60,-1.414213562373e-01,1.000000000000e+00,1.414213562373e-01
      61,-7.071067811865e-01,0.000000000000e+00,7.071067811865e-01
      62,-7.071067811865e-01,1.000000000000e+00,7.071067811865e-01
      63,-1.847759065023e-01,0.000000000000e+00,7.653668647302e-02
      64,-1.414213562373e-01,5.000000000000e-01,1.414213562373e-01
      65,-1.847759065023e-01,1.000000000000e+00,7.653668647302e-02
      66,-4.242640687119e-01,0.000000000000e+00,4.242640687119e-01
      67,-4.242640687119e-01,1.000000000000e+00,4.242640687119e-01
      68,-9.238795325113e-01,0.000000000000e+00,3.826834323651e-01
      69,-7.071067811865e-01,5.000000000000e-01,7.071067811865e-01
      70,-9.238795325113e-01,1.000000000000e+00,3.826834323651e-01
      71,-1.110223024625e-16,0.000000000000e+00,2.000000000000e-01
      72,-1.110223024625e-16,1.000000000000e+00,2.000000000000e-01
      73,-4.440892098501e-16,0.000000000000e+00,1.000000000000e+00
      74,-4.440892098501e-16,1.000000000000e+00,1.000000000000e+00
      75,-7.653668647302e-02,0.000000000000e+00,1.847759065023e-01
      76,-1.110223024625e-16,5.000000000000e-01,2.000000000000e-01
      77,-7.653668647302e-02,1.000000000000e+00,1.847759065023e-01
      78,-2.775557561563e-16,0.000000000000e+00,6.000000000000e-01
      79,-2.775557561563e-16,1.000000000000e+00,6.000000000000e-01
      80,-3.826834323651e-01,0.000000000000e+00,9.238795325113e-01
      81,-4.440892098501e-16,5.000000000000e-01,1.000000000000e+00
      82,-3.826834323651e-01,1.000000000000e+00,9.238795325113e-01
      83,1.414213562373e-01,0.000000000000e+00,1.414213562373e-01
      84,1.414213562373e-01,1.000000000000e+00,1.414213562373e-01
      85,7.071067811865e-01,0.000000000000e+00,7.071067811865e-01
      86,7.071067811865e-01,1.000000000000e+00,7.071067811865e-01
      87,7.653668647302e-02,0.000000000000e+00,1.847759065023e-01
      88,1.414213562373e-01,5.000000000000e-01,1.414213562373e-01
      89,7.653668647302e-02,1.000000000000e+00,1.847759065023e-01
      90,4.242640687119e-01,0.000000000000e+00,4.242640687119e-01
      91,4.242640687119e-01,1.000000000000e+00,4.242640687119e-01
      92,3.826834323651e-01,0.000000000000e+00,9.238795325113e-01
      93,7.071067811865e-01,5.000000000000e-01,7.071067811865e-01
      94,3.826834323651e-01,1.000000000000e+00,9.238795325113e-01
      95,1.847759065023e-01,0.000000000000e+00,7.653668647302e-02
      96,1.847759065023e-01,1.000000000000e+00,7.653668647302e-02
      97,9.238795325113e-01,0.000000000000e+00,3.826834323651e-01
      98,9.238795325113e-01,1.000000000000e+00,3.826834323651e-01
99,0.,0.,0.
100,0.,0.,0.
101,0.,0.,0.
*ELEMENT, TYPE=B31, ELSET=Ebeam
     1,      1,      2
*ELEMENT, TYPE=C3D20R, ELSET=Evol
     2,     3,     4,     5,     6,     7,     8,     9,    10,    11,    12,
          13,    14,    19,    20,    21,    22,    15,    16,    17,    18
     3,     6,     5,    23,    24,    10,     9,    25,    26,    13,    27,
          28,    29,    21,    32,    33,    34,    18,    17,    30,    31
     4,    24,    23,    35,    36,    26,    25,    37,    38,    28,    39,
          40,    41,    33,    44,    45,    46,    31,    30,    42,    43
     5,    36,    35,    47,    48,    38,    37,    49,    50,    40,    51,
          52,    53,    45,    56,    57,    58,    43,    42,    54,    55
     6,    48,    47,    59,    60,    50,    49,    61,    62,    52,    63,
          64,    65,    57,    68,    69,    70,    55,    54,    66,    67
     7,    60,    59,    71,    72,    62,    61,    73,    74,    64,    75,
          76,    77,    69,    80,    81,    82,    67,    66,    78,    79
     8,    72,    71,    83,    84,    74,    73,    85,    86,    76,    87,
          88,    89,    81,    92,    93,    94,    79,    78,    90,    91
     9,    84,    83,     4,     3,    86,    85,     8,     7,    88,    95,
          11,    96,    93,    97,    19,    98,    91,    90,    16,    15
*ELEMENT,TYPE=DCOUP3D,ELSET=Ecoup1
10,100
*ELEMENT,TYPE=DCOUP3D,ELSET=Ecoup2
11,101
*MATERIAL,NAME=EL
*ELASTIC
210000.,.3
*SOLID SECTION,ELSET=Evol,MATERIAL=EL
*BEAM SECTION,ELSET=Ebeam,MATERIAL=EL,SECTION=RECT
0.001,0.001
0.,0.,1.
*PRE-TENSION SECTION,ELEMENT=1,NODE=99
0.,1.,0.
*NSET,NSET=FIX
49,68,61,80,73,92,85,97,8,20,9,32,25,44,37,56
*NSET,NSET=Ncoup1
5,12,4,95,83,87,71,75,59,63,47,51,35,39,23,27
*NSET,NSET=Ncoup2
6,14,3,96,84,89,72,77,60,65,48,53,36,41,24,29
*BOUNDARY
FIX,1,3
*DISTRIBUTING COUPLING,ELSET=Ecoup1
Ncoup1,1.
*DISTRIBUTING COUPLING,ELSET=Ecoup2
Ncoup2,1.
*EQUATION
2
100,1,1.,1,1,-1.
2
100,2,1.,1,2,-1.
2
100,3,1.,1,3,-1.
*EQUATION
2
101,1,1.,2,1,-1.
2
101,2,1.,2,2,-1.
2
101,3,1.,2,3,-1.
*STEP
*STATIC
*CLOAD
99,1,1.
*NODE PRINT,NSET=Nall
U
*NODE PRINT,NSET=Ncoup1,TOTALS=YES
RF
*NODE PRINT,NSET=Ncoup2,TOTALS=YES
RF
*END STEP