by Eva Gunneriusson 14 Mar 2012

by Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies Eva Gunneriusson, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering 11 Jan 2019

The objective with the course is that you should be able to utilise the commercial finite element program PLAXIS for two dimensional analyses of soil structures.

How to use the finite element program PLAXIS. Main fields of application for the software. Lectures about chosen parts of the mathematical background to the program; with emphasis on the constitutive models included. Field and laboratory methods to determine the values of the parameters included in the constitutive models. General advises about potential restrictions and pitfalls involved in finite element analysis. When should finite element analyses be performed and when is analytical calculation tools good enough? After a finite element simulation is finished, the results should be critically evaluated, hereby, you get an opportunity to use your knowledge from previous courses in geotechnical engineering. The course also includes training in scientific writing and oral presentation.

The major part of the course is carried out by practical exercises with the software on your own or in groups. Teachers will be available for guidance. Lectures are given on the theoretical parts of the course. Assignments are handed in to the teacher that correct them and gives feedback. In addition, a larger modelling project is carried out in groups and is presented in writing as a seminar paper. The seminar papers are also presented orally at a seminar specially arranged for this. Each group should act as an opponent group on another group’s paper and oral presentation.

The examination is based upon the written seminar paper and its oral presentation as well as the assignments.

Hans Mattsson

Will be announced at the start of the course.

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Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering

Study guidance for the course is to be found in our learning platform Canvas before the course starts. Students applying for single subject courses get more information in the Welcome letter. You will find the learning platform via My LTU.