The design of geotechnical structures using numerical methods

Abstract

The use of numerical simulations in geotechnical engineering today is often limited to the investigation of the serviceability limit state (SLS). Therefore, the main focus up to now was more on the deformation prognosis for geotechnical constructions than the geotechnical design itself. Nevertheless, numerical methods like the Finite-Element-Method (FEM) for example can be a valuable tool to investigate the bearing capacity of geotechnical structures as well. E.g. existing structures which cannot be calculated using classical analytical approaches can be investigated with numerical simulations to estimate the remaining bearing capacity. In the present paper, the use of numerical methods for the design of geotechnical structures will be discussed. First, the approved ϕ - c reduction method is recalculated and verified with the help of a script based on the Python programming language. Afterwards, the Python script is extended so that the diameter of an Embedded Beam Row element can be successively reduced automatically similar to the ϕ - c reduction. Finally, a short outlook is given in which direction the research project should proceed.

Applying a Python script to predict the geotechnical properties of the Nasiriyah soil

“…Python package can simulate soil with a single python script, saving you effort and money and providing reliable results [13] [14]. The statistical model is implemented using a highly accurate, reliable, and easy-to-use python script for soil simulation [10].…”