Steel anchor in concrete - contact

[Anonymous]

Hello. I am trying to model a concrete block with cast-in steel anchors However, I wanted to "remove contact" between the steel bars and surrounding concrete. To do this, I followed the following steps:

1. Model concrete blocks around the anchor (objects---70x70mm rectangle--extrude to appropriate height)

2. Model bigger concrete block in which all anchors will be cast in (contour --panel (face) -- extrude)

3. Removed (1) from (2) by object combinations to create voids in the concrete (edit solids and faces - object combinations - subtraction (A-B)

4. Mesh generation

5. Creating bars (64mm diameter) within each void

6. Adding loads and analysing the structure.

However, I keep getting error messages "Separate structure. Do you want to continue?" and "Distorted element".

Please see attached model. I would be grateful for any advice on how to model this steel-concrete interface. I understand that robot doesn't have contact elements but is there any workaround for that?

[Rafal.Gaweda]

Sorry for getting to you so late.

Two example files attached. 

Movie how to create it properly "with contact" : 

http://screencast.com/t/MaXqMlkGc

Movie how to create it properly "without contact" (in this example top nodes of bars will be connected to solid): 

http://screencast.com/t/l1R4stQI6YR