Commercial Packages

Question 1

Abaqus

Answer 1

FEM-geo, structures, fluids, mechanical, aviation
Can perform: Static and dynamic stress/displacement
huge library of elements
Produces constitutive models:
-Allows material excavation and construction
-Models cracks
-Can deal with large strain and deformations
Very expensive

Question 2

Sage CRISP

Answer 2

“proper” geotechnical FEM-couples equilibrium and continuity
Can do static stress/displacement
Allows material excavation/construction
can deal with large strain and deformations
elements - 1d 2d and 3d continium, beam and interface elements

Question 3

Plaxis

Answer 3

“Proper” FEM
can do 1D and 2D Static stress/displacement
Elements - 1D and 2D Continium, beam, spring and interface
Allows material excavation and construction
Large strain/deformations
Can model phreatic surfaces and capillary effects
Can calculate safety factors

Question 4

zsoil

Answer 4

“Proper” FEM
Not as powerful as Plaxis
static stress/displacement
Elements 1D, 2D continium, beam, spring, shells, cables, interface
material excavation/construction
Phreatic surfaces and capillary effects
Creep
Model partially saturated flow problems

Question 5

Flac

Answer 5

“Proper” FDM
1D, 2D, 3D problems
Static and Dynamic Stress/displacement
user defined materials
Material excavation/construction
Large strain/deformations
Phreatic surfaces and capillary effects
Creep

Question 6

Modelling top tips

Answer 6

-Avoid curved elements
-Avoid large element size jumps
-Use symmetry and axisymmetry where possible as saves time and effort
-Use a higher order where possible
-For quatratic, locate interior node in the centre
-4th order for axisymmetric undrained situations