Validating Numerical Modelling In Geotechnical Engineering

Since the 1990s five books on ‘Applications of Computational Mechanics in Geotechnical Engineering’ have been published. Innovative Numerical Modelling in Geomechanics is the 6th and final book in this series, and contains papers written by leading experts on computational mechanics. The book treats highly relevant topics in the field of geotechnics, such as environmental geotechnics, open and underground excavations, foundations, embankments and rockfill dams, computational systems and oil geomechanics. Special attention is paid to risk in geotechnical engineering, and to recent developments in applying Bayesian networks and Data Mining techniques. Innovative Numerical Modelling in Geomechanics will be of interest to civil, mining and environmental engineers, as well as to engineering geologists. The book will also be useful for academics and researchers involved in geotechnics.

In this fully up-to-date volume, important new developments and applications of discrete element modelling are highlighted and brought together for presentation at the First International UDEC/3DEC Symposium. Papers covered the following key areas: * behaviour of masonry structures (walls, bridges, towers, columns) * stability and deformation of tunnels and caverns in fractured rock masses * geomechanical modelling for mining and waste repositories * rock reinforcement design (anchors, shotcrete, bolts) * mechanical and hydro-mechanical behaviour of dams and foundations * rock slope stability, deformation and failure mechanisms * modelling of fundamental rock mechanical problems * modelling of geological processes * constitutive laws for fractured rock masses and masonry structures * dynamic behaviour of discrete structures. Numerical Modelling of Discrete Materials in Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Earth Sciences provides an ultra-modern, in-depth analysis of discrete element modelling in a range of different fields, thus proving valuable reading for civil, mining, and geotechnical engineers, as well as other interested professionals.

It has become increasingly important, particularly in an urban environment, to predict soil behaviour and to confine the settlement or deformation of buildings adjacent to construction sites. One important factor is the choice of construction procedure for the installation of piles, sheet pile walls, anchors or for soil improvement techniques, ground freezing and tunnelling methods. The modelling of construction processes, which are frequently associated with large deformations of the soil and with strong changes in the structure of the soil around the construction plant, in the case of, for example, a drill, a bit, a vibrator, or an excavation tool, requires sophisticated and new methods in numerical modelling. Often the simulation of the construction procedure is neglected in the calculations. Such methods are described and discussed in this book, as are examples of the methods applied to geotechnical practice, field and laboratory testing as well as case studies. This volume provides a valuable source of reference for scientists in geotechnical engineering and numerical modelling, geotechnical engineers, post graduate students, construction companies and consultants, manufacturers of geotechnical construction plants and software suppliers and developers of geotechnical construction methods.

The key to successful solution of problems by the finite element method lies in the choice of appropriate numerical models & their associated parameters for geological media. 16 invited contributions on: Basic concepts; Numerical modelling of selected engineering problems; Specific numerical models & parameters evaluation.

In geomechanics, existing design methods are very much dependent upon sophisticated on-site techniques to assess ground conditions. This book describes numerical analysis, computer simulation and modelling that can be used to answer some highly complex questions associated with geomechanics. The contributors, who are all international experts in th

Modelling forms an implicit part of all engineering design but many engineers engage in modelling without consciously considering the nature, validity and consequences of the supporting assumptions. Derived from courses given to postgraduate and final year undergraduate MEng students, this book presents some of the models that form a part of the typical undergraduate geotechnical curriculum and describes some of the aspects of soil behaviour which contribute to the challenge of geotechnical modelling. Assuming a familiarity with basic soil mechanics and traditional methods of geotechnical design, this book is a valuable tool for students of geotechnical and structural and civil engineering as well as also being useful to practising engineers involved in the specification of numerical or physical geotechnical modelling.