Identifying changes between staged construction phases can be challenging, particularly in models with many phases and construction activities.

This article presents a simple Input-based workflow in PLAXIS for comparing staged construction configurations, between a reference and target phase, and highlighting differences in the activation state of model objects. The method helps users quickly verify construction sequencing, detect unintended staging changes, and validate model setups without reviewing each phase individually. It is important to note that this approach compares only staged construction settings and does not evaluate calculated Output results such as displacements, stresses, strains, pore pressures, or structural forces.

When using the reference–target phase comparison with geometry hidden, PLAXIS displays only the elements whose activation status has changed between the two phases, while all unchanged objects are intentionally not shown. This means that any soil clusters (polygons or volumes), structural elements, loads, or groundwater conditions that remain identical in both the reference and target phases will not appear in the canvas, as PLAXIS filters them out to highlight only the differences.  

The resulting view in the canvas is a visibility-filtered representation of selected staging differences in which unchanged geometry is not shown to reduce visual clutter and allow you to quickly focus on what has been activated, deactivated, or modified; therefore, the absence of an object does not indicate it has been removed or deactivated, but simply that no change has occurred relative to the reference phase.

 

Quickly navigate to:

• Reference - Target phase
• Types of changes displayed
• The workflow
• Limitations

 

Reference - Target phase

In this article, the terms "reference phase" and "target phase" are used to describe the comparison workflow.

The reference phase refers to the user-selected phase used as the visual baseline, while the target phase is the phase whose staged-construction configuration is being examined relative to that baseline. 
Note that the reference phase and target phase do not need to be sequential phases but can be any two phases from the PLAXIS project.

PLAXIS tracks these differences internally, enabling a simplified comparison between phases.

 

Types of changes displayed

The following objects may be shown when switching to the target phase:

• Soil clusters (polygons or volumes)
• Structural elements
• Loads
• Groundwater conditions

 

The workflow

The procedure below illustrates how to use the reference-phase and target-phase concept described in this article to visualize staged-construction configuration changes.

1. Switch to Staged Construction mode.
2. Select the phase that will serve as the reference phase.
3. Hide all geometry in the Model Explorer.
4. Switch to the target phase.
5. Inspect the objects that become visible.
6. Verify the activation status of the identified objects in the Selection or Model Explorer.

 

Limitations

This workflow is intended as a visual aid for identifying staged construction configuration changes in PLAXIS Input. It primarily highlights differences in object activation and deactivation states between phases. Objects that remain in the same activation state, whether active in both phases or inactive in both phases, are not shown.

This workflow should not be used as a substitute for direct phase comparison. Changes to load magnitudes, prescribed displacement values, material assignments, groundwater conditions, interface properties, or other phase-specific settings may not be highlighted if the associated objects remain active in both phases. Such changes should be verified separately using the appropriate Input views, object properties in Model or Selection Explorer, or calculation results.