A dynamic large deformation finite element method based on mesh regeneration

In this paper, a large deformation finite element (LDFE) approach termed ‘remeshing and interpolation technique with small strain (RITSS)’ is extended from static to dynamic soil-structure interaction applications. In addition, a technique termed ‘element addition’ is developed to improve the computational efficiency of both static and dynamic LDFE analyses that involve moving boundaries. The RITSS approach is based on frequent mesh generation to avoid element distortion. In dynamic RITSS, the field variables mapped from the old to the new mesh involve not only the stresses and material properties, but also the nodal velocities and accelerations. Using the element addition technique, new soil elements are attached to the domain boundaries periodically when the soil near the boundaries becomes affected by large displacements of the structure. The procedures of this Abaqus-based dynamic LDFE analysis and element addition technique are detailed, and the robustness of the techniques is validated and assessed through three example analyses: penetration of a flat footing into a half-space and movement of rigid and deformable landslides down slopes.     

An ALE method for penetration into sand utilizing optimization-based mesh motion

The numerical simulation of penetration into sand is one of the most challenging problems in computational geomechanics. The paper presents an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) finite element method for plane and axisymmetric quasi-static penetration into sand which overcomes the problems associated with the classical approaches. An operator-split is applied which breaks up solution of the governing equations over a time step into a Lagrangian step, a mesh motion step, and a transport step. A unique feature of the ALE method is an advanced hypoplastic rate constitutive equation to realistically predict stress and density changes within the material even at large deformations. In addition, an efficient optimization-based algorithm has been implemented to smooth out the non-convexly distorted mesh regions that occur below a penetrator. Applications to shallow penetration and pile penetration are given which make use of the developments.     

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of laterally loaded bridge caisson foundations in gravelly soil

Acta Geotechnica - In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional finite element model that can simulate the caisson foundation behavior in gravelly soil. The soil model adopts a combination of the...     

Three-dimensional finite element analysis for soil slopes stabilisation using piles

This paper presents the analytical methods of slope-stabilising piles using the three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) analysis with the strength reduction method (SRM). This 3-D FE model is employed to overcome the limitations observed in two-dimensional (2-D) FE analysis. The solutions obtained from 3-D FE analyses are verified to be less conservative in this paper. The 3-D analysis is considered to be of particular importance to pile-slope problems. The soil that flows between piles cannot be taken account properly in the 2-D FE analysis. The method adopted in this paper can avoid the assumption of soil movement and the pressure distribution along the piles subjected to soil movement. The numerical analysis employs the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion with the strength reduction technique for soil and an elastic member for piles. The spacing effect of the pile is considered in the 3-D model, the S/D (S: centre to centre, D: diameter of pile) ratio, equal to 4.0, is found to be equivalent to the single pile stabilisation. The middle portion of the slope is identified as the optimal location to place the piles. The proper length of the pile, which can be used to stabilise the slope, is also examined using 3-D FE analyses. It is concluded that L/H greater or equal 0.70 is recommended (L: pile length, H: slope height). The numerical analyses are conducted based on a coupled analysis, which simultaneously considers both the slope stability and the pile response. The failure mechanisms of the pile-slope system subjected to the pile locations, pile head conditions and pile length are each discussed. The contact pressure, shear force and moment along the piles are presented to illustrate the pile stabilising mechanism herein.     

Reliability analysis for bearing capacity of surface strip footing using fuzzy finite element method

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the reliability analysis on the basis of the foundation failure against bearing capacity using the concept of fuzzy set theory. A surface strip footing is considered for the analysis and the bearing capacity is estimated using the conventional Finite Element Method (FEM). The spatial variability of the variables is taken into consideration to capture the physical randomness of the soil parameters for an isotropic field. A variation of the probability of failure (P_f) against a varying limiting applied pressure (q) is presented for different Coefficient of Variation (COV) of the variables and different scale of fluctuation (θ). The results reveal that the friction angle of soil (?) is the most influencing parameter among the other variables. Further, the influence of the scale of fluctuation (θ) on the probability of failure (P_f) is also examined. It is observed that for a particular COV of ?, higher value of θ predicts higher P_f whereas, P_f increases as COV of ? increases for a particular θ value. Later, a comparison study is accomplished to verify the viability of the present method and it can be noticed that the present method compares well with the other reliability method (First Order Reliability Method) to a reasonably good extent.     

有限元强度折减法中边坡失稳位移突变判据的改进

采用有限元强度折减法分析边坡稳定性时,计算所得安全系数依赖于所采用的失稳评判标准。目前边坡失稳判据的多样性及其不确定性,使得计算所得安全系数的合理性及其唯一性受到了质疑,因此如何选择或改进一种既能满足工程需要又易于操作的失稳判定准则显得尤为重要。针对某一典型边坡算例分别按计算收敛性、特征部位位移突变性和塑性区贯通性等3 个失稳判据考查判据的合理性及其适用性,对比研究三维与二维数值所得边坡稳定安全系数的差异,然后对位移突变失稳判据进行了一种改进,通过绘制位移突变倍率(当前分析步位移与上一分析步位移之比)跟折减系数的关系曲线来确定边坡安全系数,并通过简化的实例模型证明了其适用性。     

离散元计算的位移控制方法

基于离散单元的动态松弛法,提出了由每循环步允许块体最大位移增量控制每步块体求解的方法--位移控制法。该方法通过对块体的位移试算来决定时步的大小,不仅解决了离散元计算中的如叠合过大等问题,还可以提高计算的精度和效率。编制了相应的程序和程序流程图,并给出了算例分析。     

Elasto-viscoplastic finite element study of the effect of degradation on bearing capacity of footing on clay ground

The bearing capacity of footing has been studied by both conventional and numerical methods by many researchers. However, degradation of the microstructure of material, that is, a change in the microstructure of the soil, has not been adequately taken into account. Degradation of microstructure causes strain softening of materials and it leads to strain localization such as shear bands and slip bands. From an engineering point of view the strain localization is crucial because it is a precursor of failure. In the present study, finite element analyses of the bearing capacity of a shallow foundation on homogeneous and inhomogeneous saturated clay strata have been conducted using an elasto-viscoplastic soil constitutive model of microstructure change. A series of analyses of footing on clay deposit with different microstructure parameters have been carried out. Numerical results show that strain localization can be predicted during the loading of rigid footing on highly structured soil and strain localization affects the footing–soil interaction. The effects of footing roughness on the failure mechanism are also discussed in the study.     

Three-dimensional numerical analysis of the keying of vertically installed plate anchors in clay

Plate anchors, such as suction embedded plate anchors and vertically driven plate anchors, offer economically attractive anchoring solutions for deep/ultra-deep water offshore developments. The rotation/keying processes of plate anchors will cause embedment losses, which lead to decreases of the uplift resistances of the anchors in normally consolidated soil. In the present paper, the keying processes of vertically installed strip and square plate anchors are simulated using the 3-D large deformation finite element method. The effects of loading eccentricity and pullout angle on the embedment loss during keying are investigated. Both the development of the uplift resistance and the soil flow mechanisms are presented. The numerical results show that the loading eccentricity e/B has a much larger effect on the embedment loss than the pullout angle does. The anchor shape has a minimal effect on the loss in anchor embedment. The shape factors (square/strip) are 1.05–1.09 for loss of embedment and 1.10–1.19 for capacity.     

极限分析有限元法讲座—— Ⅰ岩土工程极限分析有限元法

经典岩土工程极限分析方法一般采用解析方法，有些还要对滑动面作假设，且不适用于非均质材料，尤其是强度不均的岩石工程，从而使极限分析法的应用受到限制。随着计算技术的发展，极限分析有限元法应运而生，它能通过强度降低或者荷载增加直接算得岩土工程的安全系数和滑动面，十分贴近工程设计。为此，探讨了极限分析有限元法及其在边坡、地基、隧道稳定性计算中的应用，算例表明了此法的可行性，拓宽了该方法的应用范围。随着计算机技术与计算力学的发展，岩土工程极限分析有限元法正在成为一门新的学问，而且有着良好的发展前景。     

Particle finite element analysis of large deformation and granular flow problems

A version of the Particle Finite Element Method applicable to geomechanics applications is presented. A simple rigid-plastic material model is adopted and the governing equations are cast in terms of a variational principle which facilitates a straightforward solution via mathematical programming techniques. In addition, frictional contact between rigid and deformable solids is accounted for using an approach previously developed for discrete element simulations. The capabilities of the scheme is demonstrated on a range of quasi-static and dynamic problems involving very large deformations.     

糯扎渡水电站1#导流隧洞三维非线性有限元开挖模拟分析

糯扎渡水电站1#导流隧洞开挖经过F3断层,开挖过程中,F3断层影响带附近的岩体力学参数直接控制着围岩的变形和应力分布。为了评判后续Ⅱ,Ⅲ层开挖围岩的稳定性,首先利用隧洞第Ⅰ层开挖的位移监测数据反演出F3断层附近围岩的岩体力学参数和初始地应力场;然后,利用反演得到的初始地应力场和岩体力学参数进行Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ层开挖模拟分析,得到了F3断层附近围岩的应力变形情况。计算结果表明：随着开挖的不断进行,隧洞F3断层周围岩体的约束逐渐解除,围岩的应力逐渐增大,隧洞周边的位移也不断增大,并且隧洞周围应力变形在F3断层中心区域有明显的错动现象,说明F3断层对隧洞的开挖影响比较大,有必要对此区域后期变形加强观测和分析。     

浅基础沉降可靠性的摄动随机有限元法

将二阶非线性摄动随机有限元理论和土性参数随机场的离散技术相结合,可以处理岩土工程中由多种不确定因素带来的结果的不确定性。与一阶摄动随机有限元相比,二阶摄动随机有限元具有较高的计算精度。笔者探讨了这一方法,考虑土性分布参数和荷载变异性,用二阶摄动随机有限元法进行了浅地基沉降的概率分析。     

考虑地基土自重影响的地基承载力系数

由于地基材料的非线性,采用传统的叠加法计算地基承载力会带来误差。基于无重土地基破坏模式的承载力系数不适用于考虑地基土重的情况,这是采用叠加法计算地基承载力会产生误差的主要原因。基于滑移线法,分析了由叠加法所带来误差的变化规律,并计算了能有效减小或完全消除该误差的承载力系数。研究表明：采用传统的叠加法计算得出的地基承载力是偏低的,且误差随地基土内摩擦角的增加而增加,随黏聚力的增加而减小。采用考虑土重影响的承载力系数计算地基承载力,能有效减小或完全消除叠加法所带来的误差。     

Three-dimensional slope reliability and risk assessment using auxiliary random finite element method

This paper aims to propose an auxiliary random finite element method (ARFEM) for efficient three-dimensional (3-D) slope reliability analysis and risk assessment considering spatial variability of soil properties. The ARFEM mainly consists of two steps: (1) preliminary analysis using a relatively coarse finite-element model and Subset Simulation, and (2) target analysis using a detailed finite-element model and response conditioning method. The 3-D spatial variability of soil properties is explicitly modeled using the expansion optimal linear estimation approach. A 3-D soil slope example is presented to demonstrate the validity of ARFEM. Finally, a sensitivity study is carried out to explore the effect of horizontal spatial variability. The results indicate that the proposed ARFEM not only provides reasonably accurate estimates of slope failure probability and risk, but also significantly reduces the computational effort at small probability levels. 3-D slope probabilistic analysis (including both 3-D slope stability analysis and 3-D spatial variability modeling) can reflect slope failure mechanism more realistically in terms of the shape, location and length of slip surface. Horizontal spatial variability can significantly influence the failure mode, reliability and risk of 3-D slopes, especially for long slopes with relatively strong horizontal spatial variability. These effects can be properly incorporated into 3-D slope reliability analysis and risk assessment using ARFEM.     

考虑K0固结的软土基坑工程三维非线性有限元分析

为考虑基坑工程的空间效应,土体分别采用K0固结和正常固结试样固结不排水(CU)试验得到的Duncan-Chang非线性弹性模型和Mohr-Coulomb理想弹塑性模型,运用ABAQUS软件按照三维实体单元、壳单元、梁单元考虑接触相互作用的耦合有限元法,建立了福州市一典型软土基坑工程整体三维有限元分析模型,对基坑施工的各工况下整个体系的响应进行了数值模拟"目标试验",并与实测结果和二维数值模拟结果进行了比较,结果表明,采用K0固结试样CU试验参数的Duncan-Chang模型对该基坑进行的三维非线性数值模拟分析方法是较为可靠的,较之Mohr-Coulomb理想弹塑性模型和二维有限元分析,其结果的优势是明显的,是值得推崇和具有较好应用价值的方法。     

土钉支护结构优化设计的有限元分析

考虑土钉-土体的相互作用,建立三维有限元模型,分析计算土钉支护结构的内力和位移,提出了变形控制和应力控制相结合的优化设计方法。采用遗传算法,以应力和位移为约束条件,以工程造价为目标函数,建立了土钉支护结构的优化设计数学模型,并编制了相应的计算程序,通过算例分析,并基于规范法的优化设计结果相比较,得出本文的设计方法更为合理的参考结论。     

A stress and displacement discontinuity element method for elastic transversely anisotropic rock

The paper presents closed‐form solutions for stress and displacement influence functions for stress discontinuity (SD) and displacement discontinuity (DD) elements, for a two‐dimensional plane‐strain elastic, transversely anisotropic medium. The solutions for SD elements are based on Kelvin's problem and for DD elements on the concept of dipoles. Stress and displacement influence functions are derived for the following elements: constant SD, linear SD, constant DD, linear DD, square root DD, parabolic DD, constant DD surface, and linear DD surface elements. The formulations are incorporated into FROCK, a hybridized boundary element method code, and are validated by providing comparisons between the results from FROCK and the finite element code ABAQUS. A limited parametric analysis shows the effects of slight anisotropy on the stress field around the tip of a crack and of the orientation of the crack with respect to the axes of elastic symmetry. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

模拟三维裂纹问题的扩展有限元法

扩展有限元法是一种在常规有限元框架内求解强和弱不连续问题的新型数值方法,其计算网格与不连续面相互独立,因此模拟移动不连续面时无需对网格进行重新剖分。给出了模拟三维裂纹问题的扩展有限元法。在常规有限元位移模式中,基于单位分解的思想加进一个阶跃函数和二维渐近裂尖位移场,反映裂纹处位移的不连续性。用两个水平集函数表示裂纹。采用线性互补法求解裂纹面非线性接触条件,不需要迭代,提高了计算效率。采用两点位移外推法计算裂纹前缘应力强度因子。给出了3个三维弹性静力问题算例,其结果显示了所提方法能获得高精度的应力强度因子,并能有效地处理裂纹面间的接触问题,同时表明扩展有限元结合线性互补法求解不连续问题具有较好的前景。