Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (OpenSees) is a finite element program developed by McKenna and Fenves (2001) at University of California, Berkeley. The software is not commercialized yet, and it is still an open-source program to date, it has mostly been used in academia by several research teams around the world. OpenSees employs… Read More
ABAQUS is a finite element computer program that can be used for two-dimensional and three-dimensional analyses of complex geotechnical engineering systems. The program is powerful and robust however it may not be an appropriate tool for analysis of liquefaction. The software was originally released in 1978 by a company called Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc.,… Read More
FLAC, Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua, is numerical modeling software for advanced geotechnical analysis of soil, rock, groundwater, and ground support in both two- and three-dimensions. FLAC is used for analysis, testing, and design by geotechnical, civil, and mining engineers. It is designed to accommodate any kind of geotechnical engineering project that requires continuum analysis. The software was first developed in 1986 by… Read More
PLAXIS bv is based on the finite element method and intended for 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional engineering, design and analysis of soil and rock deformation and stability, soil-structure interaction, groundwater, and heat flow. The software is capable of computing static and seismic response of complex engineering problem such as tunnels, piles foundations, bridge piers, etc. The… Read More
OpenSees implementation of a single pile embedded in a continuum soil domain is described here. The codes are generic and can be modified for various soil domain dimensions, pile depth and soil layers. The file is capable of analyzing seismic response of a single pile system both in dry and saturated soils where liquefaction can… Read More
The Tcl files below perform site response analysis for level ground condition by applying ground motion to a stack of three-dimensional nonlinear soil elements (see Figure 1). I have uploaded two separate codes for dry soil and saturated soil conditions. The code for latter is capable of simulating liquefaction. Please also read the article about base… Read More
Sometimes you need to plot a graph that does not show data when a specific condition applies. For instance, in the process of liquefaction triggering analysis you may want to plot a graph that shows the variation of fines content for depths with Ic less than 2.6. You may try the options below without using… Read More
ASCE 7-10 – Section 20.3.1 requires performing site response analysis when site class is F and fundamental vibration period of structure is greater than 0.5 seconds. In this article we want to achieve a clear understanding of this important requirement of the Code. Building Codes of almost all countries, including ASCE 7-10, provide site amplification… Read More
Structural engineers often ask geotechnical engineers if the insitu liquefiable soil (site class F) in a project site can be improved so that the foundation soil is classified as E or D. In order to answer this question, the geotechnical engineer should evaluate the soil condition and find a method to mitigate liquefaction. There are… Read More