GeoStudio, the Future of Limit Equilibrium Analysis
By Louis Henry Prates
Integrated geotechnical workflow
Seequent’s vision is to provide a suite of underground solutions that seamlessly integrate into every stage of infrastructure development. Starting with field data collection and management with OpenGround, moving on to subsurface characterization and geological modeling with LeapFrog Works, and culminating in advanced Geotechnical Analysis with PLAXIS and Geo,
Geotechnical Analysis
Considering this workflow, a key step in the development of an infrastructure project is Geotechnical Analysis. This is aided by numerical analysis, where changes in stresses and deformations in existing and planned structures are examined. Establishing a comprehensive terrain model with accurate design parameters prior to analysis is crucial to reflect expected ground conditions. Insights from this analysis guide the selection, design and specification of solutions.
Geotechnical analysis solutions available in the Seequent workflow are GeoStudio and PLAXIS, both reliable tools for complex engineering problems that can be used for 2D and 3D geometry analysis.
Farewell to PLAXIS LE (SOILVISION)
PLAXIS LE (formerly SOILVISION) was part of this workflow, however, in June 2023, Seequent made the difficult decision to end support for (and retire) PLAXIS LE and PLAXIS Designer. This decision is part of Seequent’s vision to streamline the geotechnical workflow and focus on developing a single Limit Equilibrium solution to improve the user experience.
What’s next in Limit Equilibrium?
Seequent is confident that using GeoStudio as a replacement for PLAXIS LE will help users achieve the best results and designs as much as with PLAXIS LE/SOILVISION.
GeoStudio has been widely used for geotechnical analysis for over 30 years. GeoStudio has several unique features that make it a stronger and more reliable long-term solution for geotechnical analysis than PLAXIS LE, and it interoperates with a wide range of cloud-based applications.
GeoStudio offers superior functionality and interoperability with Seequent products such as Leapfrog, PLAXIS (FEM), and other cloud-based applications. This makes GeoStudio an excellent choice for the growing number of users who are building more connected workflows and embarking on their digital twin journeys.
GeoStudio, a unique solution
GeoStudio is the only solution in the world that offers the ability to perform general limit equilibrium analyses, finite element stress-based stability analyses, and automated strength reduction stability analyses in the same modeling environment. Users do not need to import results from different modules; GeoStudio enables seamless integration for any type of stability analysis. GeoStudio also allows users to perform rapid drawdown analyses, complex infiltration analyses, evaluate dewatering and settlement, and organize complex construction sequences using the analysis tree.
GeoStudio has a long history in slope stability limit equilibrium analysis for civil and mining engineering projects, which has made it a robust and reliable solution for slope stability, groundwater flow and environmental challenges.
Common uses for GeoStudio
Civil
- Embankments & Dams: Analyze the geotechnical structure and subsurface to design safe and reliable embankments, dikes and dams.
- Excavations: Understand how soil conditions and stresses impact excavations and accurately predict soil settlement and structural displacement.
- Ground freezing and climate change: Model phase-changing heat transfer due to conduction and convection.
Mining
- Stability in the open air: Evaluate the safety factor and failure mechanisms on the pit slope and analyze failures in high walls in the open air.
- Open-pit hydrographic drawdown: Understanding the time-dependent response of the hydrogeological system to pumping and drawdown efforts and remediation strategies.
- Tailings dams: Analyze the construction and operation of the tailings dam to mitigate the risk of rupture.
Environmental
- Environmental protection: Address issues from the pre-construction and construction phases, as well as long-term performance analyses.
- Groundwater: Improve the management of groundwater resources through understanding the hydrogeological behavior of natural and artificial systems.
GeoStudio New Feature Highlights
GeoStudio 3D, containing SLOPE3D (the 3D version of SLOPE/W), is the replacement for PLAXIS 3D LE and offers a practical and sophisticated approach to capturing 3D slope failure mechanisms in soil and rock, given a variety of slip surface shapes, pore water pressure conditions and soil properties. Improvements in capturing planar and non-planar geological discontinuities in 2D and 3D stability analyses, optimization search for 3D slip surface shape and 2D/3D global search are just a few examples of the latest developments.
More details available here .
Case study comparing PLAXIS LE vs GeoStudio
A detailed stability analysis of the Ripley Landslide in central British Columbia, Canada, was originally developed in PLAXIS LE as part of a graduate research project. This model evaluates the limit equilibrium stability analysis and investigates the influence of changes in pore water pressure conditions at this site. GeoStudio was used to verify the results and the observed failure mechanism of the Ripley Landslide . The integral features used in GeoStudio for this analysis were:
- The ability to easily combine 3D infiltration and stability analyses;
- The use of weak layers to define a discontinuity;
- The available search methods – Cuckoo search to investigate the critical failure area, as well as fully-specified to replicate the PLAXIS LE results.
Why should someone use GeoStudio?
GeoStudio can save 70-80% of design time and provide a deeper understanding of your project. For a slope stability problem, the user can create a rapid model, perform direct slope stability and sensitivity analysis (multiple at the same time), and powerful visualization tools to interpret the model results.
GeoStudio is a unique solution that offers the ability to solve multiple analysis types across multiple geometries in a single file, increasing confidence and reducing risk. In addition to GeoStudio’s forty years (!) of development, GeoStudio’s position in the Seequent product portfolio enables extended interoperability with solutions such as Leapfrog, for additional workflow benefits and an unparalleled modeling experience.
Join our webinar to learn more about how GeoStudio will help your geotechnical workflow.
Please contact us for more information.