Updates

This update can be used for PLAXIS 3D Foundation Version 2 only.
All changes made in previous Updates have been incorporated in PLAXIS 3D Foundation Version 2.2
This Update Pack is a self-extracting and installing package. After downloading, please run it and follow instructions.

New Features

New features in Plaxis 3D Foundation Version 2.2

• A grid designer for direct input of pile groups, point loads and other point-related input
• Curved (isoparametric) volume elements and curved plate elements based on Mindlin's theory.

For more details, please read the //3D Foundation Version 2.2 Manual Addendum//

New features in Plaxis 3D Foundation Version 2.1

• Embedded piles: embedded beam elements with predefined bearing capacity. This embedded pile can be placed arbitrary in the geometry
• Ground anchors: A Combination of embedded beam elements and node-to-node anchors
• The use of the Soil Tests application: Easy simulation of soil lab tests for Plaxis Soil models (V.I.Plaxis service program)
• A new Soil Model: Hardening Soil with Small Strain Stiffness models (V.I.Plaxis service program)
• Vertical mesh refinement
• User defined boundary conditions for consolidation analysis

Another great improvement for the Plaxis 3D Foundation program is the introduction of multi-select and grouping. With these groups, it is possible to change the materials and to switch these items on or off per group.

Calculation kernel

The calculation kernel in Plaxis 3D Foundation Version 2.1 now supports:

• Combination of staged construction with consolidation analysis
• Phi/c reduction for safety analysis
• User defined soil models

Post-processing (output and curves)

With Plaxis 3D Foundation 2.1 the Post Processing program has been completely renewed:

• It now includes both the “Curves” program. This means that it is no longer necessary to save in order to generate curves and that the curve points do not have to be selected before the calculation.
• This new post processing program uses OpenGL for enhanced and faster 3D result display: navigation in the 3D model and its rotation has been improved tremendously.
• A new item for the Plaxis 3D products is the creation of animations of the 3D results.

Manuals

Since the release of Plaxis 3D Foundation 2.1, the manuals have been completely revised. These manuals are available in a digital format (PDF) on the official Plaxis 3D Foundation 2.1 CDROM or on the Plaxis website.

V.I.Plaxis service program

With Plaxis 3D Foundation Version 2, the Plaxis V.I. service program has also been introduced, just like the Plaxis 2D Version 8 program. With this V.I.Plaxis service program, users have now access to:

• The Soil Tests application: Easy simulation of soil lab tests for Plaxis Soil models, and
• A new Soil Model: Hardening Soil with Small Strain Stiffness

New hardware key

3DFoundation version 2.1 uses a new hardware key: the WIBU/CodeMeter key. Users with an existing license and the old hardlock, who want to use the new version, can contact the Plaxis sales department in order to obtain the new key.

Fixes in Plaxis 3D Foundation Version 2.2

Pre-processing

• When changing the water weight after already defining boreholes, the water weight was not changed in the borehole dialogues to calculate the hydrostatic water pressures. The program calculated the water pressures correctly in the final results. In the latest version, the water weight is now also adjusted in the borehole dialogues for the hydrostatic water pressure values.
• In the previous version, groups were not stored. In Version 2.2, when loading a 3D Foundation project, the previously used groups are also loaded.
  The consolidation boundaries were not always saved correctly after changing these boundary conditions. In Version 2.2, the boundaries are stored correctly after each change.
• Units for permeability were always shown with the standard units, not with the project units, although the calculation kernel calculated it with the project units. In Version 2.2, the correct (project) units are shown.
• Storing the K0, OCR and POP values sometimes got mixed up. In Version 2.2 the K0 values can now be set in the drawing mode boreholes, and in the parameters tab of the initial phase when K0-procedure is selected.
• OCR and POP values could not be set for the HS small model. In Version 2.2 this can be done.
• Beam data sets: when using a value for I23, larger than I2 or I3, the calculation kernel reported that there were 'negative pivots'. In Version 2.2, I23 is limited to the maximum of I2 and I3. However, care must be taken with I23 > 0.
• The non-linear diagrams for beams, walls and floors where not copied correctly from the global database. Since Version 2.2, these datasets are copied correctly to the project database and vice versa.
• When directly using the layer dependent skin resistance for the embedded pile, the calculation kernel could show a "severe divergence" error message. This severe divergence does not occur any more when using the embedded pile with a layer dependent skin resistance.
• Due to the internal accuracy of embedded pile point locations, the embedded pile could not be added to a work plane with more than four digits. In previous versions, when one tries to add an embedded pile to a work plane at  e.g. y = 190.84 m, the pile was added to workplane y = 190.80 m. This lead to problems if this work plane did not exist. In Version 2.2, the pile is added to the correct workplane.
• When trying to close the program while zoomed in, the program seemed to crash. In Version 2.2, the program closes now without problems.
• Selecting the "Set as default" did not work for gravity acceleration and water density. Since Version 2.2, these values can also be stored as default.
• Water density and gravity acceleration were restricted, which would lead to problems when using unit combinations of e.g. kN and mm. In Version 2.2, these restrictions have been removed.
• In Version 2.1, the text reference in the warning text for phi/c reduction just below the calculation type selection box does not always refer to the correct phase title. The actual calculation order using during the calculation was correct though. In Version 2.2, this reference for the phase title in the phi/c reduction warning text has been corrected.
• Borehole settings were not always copied correctly to the next phase. In Version 2.2, these settings are now copied correctly when adding a new phase and when using the 'Reset staged construction' option.
• Sometimes, after loading a project, the program gave a message that some previously calculated step does not exist. In Version 2.2, the correct data is copied when opening (partly) calculated projects, if these are saved correctly.

SoilTest

A revised soiltest application is included in which:
the triaxial test is improved: users can now perform:

• a drained or an undrained test,
• compression or extension test
• specify starting conditions: isotropic or K0

for advanced soil models:

• isotropic preconsolidation pressure is now an absolute value
• the initial mobilised relative shear strength is now an input parameter for the Hardening Soil Model and the Hardening Soil Model with Small Strain Stiffness

Mesh Generation

• Internal tolerances during the triangulated mesh generation could lead to strange jumps and dents in the generated surfaces. In Version 2.2, the internal tolerance has been redesigned in order to fix this. This also fixes the sometimes strange layer configurations near crossings of workplanes and soil layer boundaries.
• Cluster refinement with the triangulation option did not always work as expected. When refining clusters in 3D Foundation Version 2.2, the entire cluster will be refined, even when triangulation lines are added between the boreholes.
• The mesh generation showed a memory leak for some cases with grouped elements and inclined soil layers. When the program tried to allocate memory and exceeded the maximum available memory, the mesh generation failed. In Version 2.2, this memory leak has been fixed.
• When using a lot of volume piles, sometimes the results did not show all the internal volume pile results for all volume piles. This was due to an internal numbering error. In Version 2.2, this internal numbering is corrected and all (internal) volume pile results are shown in the Output program.
• When a project contained a lot of points due to volume piles, the number of points exceeded the maximum number of points allowed in the mesh generation process (5000). In Version 2.2, all points will be filtered and renumbered. This will prevent that the number of points will exceed the maximum allowed points under normal circumstances.

Calculation kernel

• When loading volume pile with lateral loads, the pile bearing capacity was over-estimated. In Version 2.2 this has been improved by introducing curved Finite Elements and plate elements based on Mindlin's theory. For more details, please read the Version 2.2 Manuals Addendum. Please note that the bearing capacity can still be over-estimated.
• When a point load is acting on the same point as a deactivated embedded pile, the point load was still transferred to this inactive embedded pile. In Versions 2.2, the point load will be transferred to the active embedded pile, or to the surrounding soil or floor when the embedded pile is switched off.

Post-processing (output and curves)

• In Version 2.2, the state parameter plots show their values. In Version 2.1 the plots did not show any values; the tables contained the correct values though.
• The Hardening Soil Model with Small Strain Stiffness (HS small) shows the p_eq and OCR values.

The logarithmic scale along axes of the curves are shown correctly.

Known issues

Grouping and stage settings. For each group, you can switch things on and off, and you can change the settings per item. Switching things on and off works for all group members, but unfortunately, changing the settings does not work for the entire group, but only for the clicked item:

• Example 1: Volumetric strain settings. For a group of selected clusters, you can switch the entire group on or off. If you want to change the soil's volumetric strain, this should be done per cluster.
• Example 2: Water settings. you can set the complete group of volumes to dry by deselecting e.g. the water below option. Unfortunately, changing the cluster defined pore pressures for this group (e.g. to interpolate, or a specific head) does not work for the group, but only for the individual clicked cluster.
• Example 3: Ground anchor prestress. This should be done per ground anchor.