Abaqus 中提供了两种方式来模拟界面问题：1. cohesive element；2. surface-based cohesive behavior。其中后一种是在界面的两侧的两个表面之间定义一个相互作用（interaction）来模拟界面特性。
根据 Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide 的说明，从功能上来讲，cohesive element 和 surface-based cohesive behavior 两者是非常相似的，但是 surface-based cohesive behavior 用起来更简单，因为它不需要创建额外的 elements 来代表界面这种实体，而且可以应用在很广泛的相互作用的接触分析中。
Surface-based cohesive behavior 主要用于界面厚度可忽略不计的情况下。如果界面层是有限厚度，且微观属性（如刚度和强度）已知，使用传统的 cohesive elements 来模拟界面行为可能更合适。
Cohesive surfaces versus cohesive elements
As described above, the formulation used for surface-based cohesive behavior is very similar to that for cohesive elements with traction-separation response. However, certain differences exist.
Interface thickness effects are never considered for cohesive surfaces; in cohesive elements with traction-separation response, thickness effects can be incorporated by either specifying a nonzero thickness for the interface or by requiring the initial constitutive thickness to be determined from the nodal coordinates of the cohesive elements. Since thickness effects are not considered for cohesive surfaces, material properties used to describe the constitutive response for traction-separation cohesive elements with thickness effects may not be directly reusable for cohesive surfaces.
For cohesive surfaces the cohesive constraint is enforced at each slave node; in cohesive elements the cohesive constraints are calculated at the material points (for the locations of material points in cohesive elements, see “Two-dimensional cohesive element library,” Section 32.5.8, and “Three-dimensional cohesive element library,” Section 32.5.9). Hence for cohesive surfaces, refining the slave surface as compared to the master surface will likely lead to improved constraint satisfaction and more accurate results.
参考 [Abaqus Analysis User’s Guide v6.13]：
- Cohesive Element: Section 32.5
- Surface-based cohesive behavior: Section 37.1.10
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