Concrete model


ApplicationPLAXIS 2D
PLAXIS 3D
VersionPLAXIS 2D
PLAXIS 3D
Date created09 October 2018
Date modified09 October 2018

The Concrete model was initially developed as a user defined soil model (called Shotcrete model) in cooperation with Graz University of Technology. The model allows users to take into account time dependent strength and stiffness of concrete, strain hardening/ softening in compression and tension as well as creep and shrinkage. Most of the input parameters for the shotcrete model can be derived from standard uniaxial tension and compression tests. While the model was mainly developed to model the behaviour of shotcrete, it has also proven useful in applications related to soil improvements, for example jet grout columns.

Since the release of PLAXIS 2D 2018 and PLAXIS 3D 2018 the Concrete model is now part of the standard material library for Bentley Geotechnical SELECT Entitlement [GSE] (former PLAXIS-VIP) subscribers. More information is found in the Material Models manuals.

Model history


Update October 2018

Available as standard material model since PLAXIS 3D 2018.00 for users with Geotechnical SELECT Entitlement [GSE] enabled (formerly known as Bentley Geotechnical SELECT Entitlement [GSE] (former PLAXIS-VIP)).

Update March 2018 

Available as standard material model since PLAXIS 2D 2018.00 for users with Bentley Geotechnical SELECT Entitlement [GSE] (former PLAXIS-VIP)

Update August 2017

Remarks on the usage of the Shotcrete UDSM dll in PLAXIS 3D
In principle, the Shotcrete UDSM model model should also work in 3D conditions. We did not extensively test this model in PLAXIS 3D, at least not as extensively as in PLAXIS 2D.
We have seen a particular 3D case (similar to this one) in which we noticed that the results suffer from some mesh dependency. It appears that the techniques used in the user defined soil model to overcome mesh size differences (regularization techniques) do not work as expected for 3D. But we found this only for this specific example and currently investigating why it goes wrong and what we can do to improve this.
When using the Shotcrete UDSM, please be critical of the results and do a sensitivity study on the mesh coarseness of the volumes using the shotcrete model.

See also