Introduction to Plaxis

Dennis Waterman
Plaxis BV

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

General modelling aspects

Defining a project:
Define geometry Generate mesh Define initial conditions Define calculation phases Calculate Inspect results

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

General modelling aspects

The geometry is the representation of the physical problem
Consists of points, lines and clusters Definition of soil layers, structural elements and loads

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

General modelling aspects

Points
Start and end of lines. Positioning of anchors Point forces, Point fixities Local refinements of the finite element mesh.

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

General modelling aspects

Lines
Define the physical boundaries of the geometry Define discontinuities in the geometry:
Sheet pile walls, distributed loads Separations of distinct soil layers or construction stages.

A line can have several functions or properties

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

General modelling aspects

Clusters
Automatically generated enclosed areas Homogeneous soil properties.

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

General modelling aspects

Mesh
6-noded or 15-noded triangular elements Displacements calculate in nodes Stresses calculated in Gaussian integration points
stress points

nodes (a) 6-noded triangle (b) 15-noded triangle

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Input program

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

Input
Composing a geometry model Creating and assigning data sets Generating a finite element mesh Generating initial conditions

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Composing a geometry model

Graphical input of geometry contour, soillayers, construction stages, plates, geogrids, interfaces, anchors Designer for circular or non-circular tunnels Input of loads and boundary conditions
PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

 Geometry lines (between soil layers, etc.) Plates (Walls, Plates & Shells) Hinges (free rotation between beams) Geogrids Interface elements (soil-structure interaction) Anchors (node-to-node, fixed end)
PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Creating and assigning material data sets

Enter model parameters as data sets in a material data base Assigning data sets to geometry components by means of drag and drop

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

Generating a finite element mesh

Fully automatic mesh generation based on geometry model Global and local refinement options

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Generating initial conditions

Generating initial pore pressures by means of phreatic line or groundwater flow calculation
Flip switch - gives: Initial stresses and geometry mode

Setting initial geometry configuration Generating initial stresses (K0 procedure)

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

Calculation program

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Defining calculation phases

Plastic calculation, Consolidation, Phi/c reduction and Dynamic analysis. Updated mesh. Loading input: Multipliers or Staged Construction. Changing water conditions Multiple calculation phases can be pre-defined and executed at once.

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

Output program

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

View results
Graphical and tabulated output of displacements, stresses and structural forces Output in cross sections Multiple output windows can be opened simultaneously (comparison of results)

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

First Exercise
Resume of input steps

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Input geometry

Draw geometry

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

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Input boundary conditions

Default fixities

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Input loads

Point force A & B

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

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Input material properties

General properties, model parameters

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

Mesh generation

Full automatic mesh generator

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

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Initial conditions

Water pressures, Initial stresses

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

See course manual

PLAXIS FINITE ELEMENT CODE FOR SOIL AND ROCK ANALYSES

CG1 Chile May 15-18, 2006: Introduction to Plaxis

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