PLAXIS 3D 2024.2 (24.2.1144) contains the following improvements and updates compared to PLAXIS 3D 2024.1:
Compatibility notes: Due to the major changes in the material database and the unit system, PLAXIS 3D 2024.2 will be installed alongside Version 21, instead of overwriting it. When opening PLAXIS 3D V21 projects with PLAXIS 3D 2024.2, projects will automatically be saved as a converted copy with the
_converted suffix and will require recalculation. When using non-SI-units, the mesh also needs to be regenerated.
The PLAXIS 3D CONNECT Edition V21 projects will remain unchanged.
Earlier versions of PLAXIS
will not be able to open files saved in PLAXIS 3D 2024.2.
Enhanced capabilities UDSM: Swelling rock
The Swelling rock model was originally implemented by Prof. Thomas Benz of NTNU and further developed by Bert Schädlich of TUGraz for PLAXIS 2D a User-Defined Soil Model (UDSM) several years ago. The model is based on previous work by Wittke-Gattermann & Wittke (2004), Anagnostou (1993), and Heidkamp & Katz (2002) and can account for the stress and time dependency of swelling deformations. Recent advancements have further refined the Swelling rock model, enhancing its capabilities to accurately simulate swelling behaviour. A novel swelling model has been developed based on the work of Hawlader et al. (2003) and Carvalho (2015), offering an alternative representation of swelling behaviour over time (linear in log(t) scale). This enhancement provides improved prediction for coupled swelling behaviour, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of swelling phenomena. The user can now select between the original formulation and the log(t) version of the Swelling rock model during the material creation. Using this UDSM requires the Advanced or Ultimate licence tier and a valid Geotechnical SELECT Entitlement.
New UDSM: Clay And Sand Model (CASM)
The Clay And Sand Model (CASM) has been developed by Yu (1998) in the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics (Schofield and Wroth, 1968) as a versatile constitutive model able to simulate the behaviour of both clays and sands. CASM can simulate static liquefaction, for example tailings dams, and has been successfully employed to analyse the Brumadinho (Arroyo and Gens, 2021) and Merriespruit dam failures (Mánica et al., 2022). CASM has been implemented as a User-Defined Soil Model (UDSM) in PLAXIS. Compared to the original formulation, this version of CASM includes Lode's angle dependency, an alternative plastic potential equation (Arroyo and Gens, 2021) and the possibility to use it as either a rate-independent plastic model or as an elasto-viscoplastic model accounting for time-dependency (Manica et al., 2021). Using this UDSM requires the Advanced or Ultimate licence tier and a valid Geotechnical SELECT Entitlement.
Improved convergence for Fully coupled flow-deformation calculations
For the Fully coupled flow-deformation calculation type, a new setting called Include reference flow analysis is introduced. By default, this setting is unchecked and automatically excludes the calculation of a steady-state reference solution as was normally done in previous releases. In some cases, the calculation of this steady-state reference solution would not reach convergence and therefore the entire fully coupled flow-deformation analysis fails, this is now automatically averted. The excess pore pressures are also no longer calculated under this new default setting. By enabling the checkmark for Include reference flow analysis, users will be able to reproduce the behaviour as seen in previous releases where the steady-state reference solution was still calculated. The Fully coupled flow-deformation calculation type is only available for the Ultimate license tier.
PLAXIS Python environment update
The PLAXIS Python Environment that is installed alongside the PLAXIS software has been upgraded from Python 3.8 to use Python 3.12.