What's the sign convention for the stresses in solid elements. How it is assigned as positive or negative. Is positive direction assigned to a particular stress because it acts in the corresponding Global direction(positive side). How do I make out whether it is Tensile or compressive by it's sign.
I modeled a cantilever beam using solid elements with concentrated point load at the free end, I got for Sxx, negative values at the bottom and positive at top, means that negative stress (in this case Sxx) is compressive and positive stress is tensile?