diff --git a/src/JuliaFEM.jl b/src/JuliaFEM.jl
index d228326..f5dfae6 100644
--- a/src/JuliaFEM.jl
+++ b/src/JuliaFEM.jl
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ module Preprocess
 include("preprocess.jl")
 export create_elements, Mesh, add_node!, add_nodes!, add_element!,
        add_elements!, add_element_to_element_set!, add_node_to_node_set!,
-       find_nearest_nodes, reorder_element_connectivity!, create_surface_elements
+       find_nearest_nodes, reorder_element_connectivity!
 include("preprocess_abaqus_reader.jl")
 export parse_abaqus, parse_section, parse_element_section,
        abaqus_read_mesh, abaqus_read_model
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ export Postprocessor
 
 module Abaqus
 include("abaqus.jl")
-export abaqus_read_model, abaqus_run_model, abaqus_open_results
+export abaqus_read_model, abaqus_run_model, abaqus_open_results, create_surface_elements
 end
 
 end #
diff --git a/src/abaqus.jl b/src/abaqus.jl
index c95aabb..8c586f9 100644
--- a/src/abaqus.jl
+++ b/src/abaqus.jl
@@ -733,3 +733,27 @@ function abaqus_run_model(name; fetch=false, verbose=false)
     return status
 end
 
+
+""" 
+This function gerates surface elements from solid elements
+
+slave = create_surface_elements(mesh, :slave_surf) 
+master = create_surface_elements(mesh, :master_surf) 
+"""
+function create_surface_elements(mesh::Mesh, surface_name::Symbol)
+   elements = []
+   for (parent_element_id, parent_element_side) in mesh.surfaces[surface_name]
+       parent_element_type = mesh.element_types[parent_element_id]
+       parent_element_connectivity = mesh.elements[parent_element_id]
+
+       child_element_type, child_element_lconn, child_element_connectivity =
+           get_child_element(parent_element_type, parent_element_side,
+           parent_element_connectivity)
+
+       child_element = Element(JuliaFEM.(child_element_type), child_element_connectivity)
+       push!(elements, child_element)
+   end
+   update!(elements, "geometry", mesh.nodes)
+   return elements
+end
+
diff --git a/src/preprocess.jl b/src/preprocess.jl
index 9a05208..ede66bb 100644
--- a/src/preprocess.jl
+++ b/src/preprocess.jl
@@ -132,28 +132,6 @@ function create_elements(mesh::Mesh, element_sets::AbstractString...; element_ty
     return create_elements(mesh, element_sets...; element_type=element_type)
 end
 
-""" 
-This function gerates surface elements from solid elements
-
-slave = create_surface_elements(mesh, :slave_surf) 
-master = create_surface_elements(mesh, :master_surf) 
-"""
-function create_surface_elements(mesh::Mesh, surface_name::Symbol)
-   elements = []
-   for (parent_element_id, parent_element_side) in mesh.surfaces[surface_name]
-       parent_element_type = mesh.element_types[parent_element_id]
-       parent_element_connectivity = mesh.elements[parent_element_id]
-
-       child_element_type, child_element_lconn, child_element_connectivity =
-           get_child_element(parent_element_type, parent_element_side,
-           parent_element_connectivity)
-
-       child_element = Element(JuliaFEM.(child_element_type), child_element_connectivity)
-       push!(elements, child_element)
-   end
-   update!(elements, "geometry", mesh.nodes)
-   return elements
-end
 
 """ find npts nearest nodes from mesh and return id numbers as list. """
 function find_nearest_nodes(mesh::Mesh, coords::Vector, npts=1)
diff --git a/test/test_preprocess_abaqus_reader.jl b/test/test_preprocess_abaqus_reader.jl
index 6e94e2a..9af3074 100644
--- a/test/test_preprocess_abaqus_reader.jl
+++ b/test/test_preprocess_abaqus_reader.jl
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 using JuliaFEM
 using JuliaFEM.Preprocess
+using JuliaFEM.Abaqus
 using JuliaFEM.Testing
 
 @testset "read inp file" begin
@@ -51,4 +52,6 @@ end
     @test mesh.surfaces[:LOAD][1] == (16, :S1)
     @test mesh.surface_types[:LOAD] == :ELEMENT
     @test length(Set(map(size, values(mesh.nodes)))) == 1
+    elements = create_surface_elements(mesh,:LOAD)
+    @test get_connectivity(elements[1]) == [8,9,10]
 end