Question:
Does the nonlinearity that can be activated for a surface support in the z‑direction refer to the entire supported surface, or only to the areas that correspond to the nonlinearity?
Answer:
The nonlinearity of surface supports - that is, "Failure if positive/negative contact stress in z"; see Image 01 - only refers to the relevant area.
In the remaining area, the surface support acts accordingly; see Image 02.