Sorry for cross posting. 

Dear all,
	I am simulating a fibre reinforced thermoplastic tube(half
circular cross-section) which can be taken from one stable configuration
(extended like a hollow pipe) to second stable configuration(coiled up
like a measuring tape but stable).

	In the STEP:1, I apply the moment with follower option(*CLOAD,
FOLLOWER) on the edges of the tube of half circular cross-section to take
it to coiled-up configuration. Once reached to the coiled-up
configuration, now I would like to release the external moment on the
edges previously applied in STEP:2. For this I am using *CLOAD,
OP=NEW(without giving any magnitude of load) which is supposed to remove
all the load previously applied. I have noticed that if I remove the load
in STEP:2 and then again restart the analysis(in STEP:3) from the end of
STEP:2 to remove the load of the tube which is already unloaded, it gives
me different results. Actually every time I restart the analysis from the
previous step by giving this option(OP=NEW), I get slightly different
configuration of cross-section(i.e. radius of curvature) than in previous
STEP. Ideally one would expect a constant radius of curvature once the
tube is unloaded, no matter how many time we remove the load in different
steps. Could any one tell me what procedure ABAQUS adopts to remove these
loads, does it apply the same load, equal in magnitude and oppposite in
direction or does it do something different. 
	
	Also please e-mail me if someone is using Abaqus to model the
fibre reinforced laminated composite so that I can discuss some other
things with him/her.

Thanks a lot.
Regards
Khuram Iqbal
Cambridge University, UK 
WWW: http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~ki206/bistable.html

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  Khuram Iqbal  
  Structures Room                                          
  Engineering Department, Cambridge University,                                  Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK.                                   ....................................................................... 
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