Software Tutorials
Plotting Borehole Core Data using Geometry and FISH
In this example, you will see how to create your own custom plot of drill core data containing location, orientation, depth, and geotechnical data (lithography. fracture count, rock strength, weathering, and RMR).
Working with Building Blocks in FLAC3D 6 (Part 1)
This video demonstrates using a library set of Building Blocks as a starting point for creating a new model. In this example, cylindrical blocks are snapped together to represent a tunnel and intersected with other blocks representing a nearby wall.
Converting Plots to Data Files
Any model plot that you create interactively by adding plot-items and adjusting settings can be represented by an equivalent set of commands. This is useful should you want to include command-driven plotting in your modeling run.
Technical Papers
Formulation and Application of a Constitutive Model for Multijointed Material to Rock Mass Engineering
This paper presents the formulation of a constitutive model to simulate the behavior of foliated rock mass. The 3D elastoplastic constitutive model, called Comba, accounts for the presence of arbitrary orientations of weakness in a nonisotropic elastoplastic matrix.
Tunnelling and reinforcement in heterogeneous ground – A case study
Abstract
A case study of tunnelling in heterogeneous ground conditions has been analysed. The case involves a tunnel excavated in mixed-face conditions, where the main host material was rock, but for a distance of about 30 m, the tunnel had to be driven through a thick layer of soil, primarily moraine and sandy soil materials.During tunnel drifting, a "chimney" cave developed through the soil layer, resulting in a surface sinkhole.This case was analysed using a three-dimensional numerical model with the FLAC3D software code, in which the soil stratigraphy and tunnel advance were modelled in detail. Tunnel and soil reinforcement in the form of jet grouting of the soil, pipe umbrella arch system, bolting, and shotcreting, was explicitly simulated in the model. The studyaimed at comparing model results with observations and measurements of ground behaviour, and to replicate the major deformation pattern observed. The modelling work was based on a previous generic study in which various factors influencing tunnel and ground surface deformations were analysed for different cases of heterogeneous ground conditions.Model calibration was performed through adjusting the soil shear strength. The calibration provided a qualitatively good agreement with observed behaviour. Calculated deformations on the ground surface were in line with measured deformations, and the location of the tunnel collapse predicted by the model. The installed tunnel reinforcement proved to be critical to match with observed behaviour. Without installed pipe umbrella arch system, calculated deformations were overestimated, and exclusion of jet grouting caused collapse of the tunnel. These findings prove that, in particular, jet grouting of the soil layer was necessary for the successful tunnel advance through the soil layer.
Simulation of Three-Dimensional Pore-Pressure Distribution for Slope-Stability Analysis
A 3D groundwater flow model was constructed using MINEDW [1] to simulate pore pressure at the Chuquicamata open pit mine slope in Chile.
