FLAC3D Version 4.0

ITASCA
ITASCA
FLAC 3D VERSION 4.0
Advanced, Three Dimensional Continuum Modeling
for Geotechnical Analysis of Rock, Soil, and Structural Support
FLAC 3D VERSION 4.0
Advanced, Three Dimensional Continuum Modeling
for Geotechnical Analysis of Rock, Soil, and Structural Support
SUMMARY
Suggested System Minimums
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7;
1 GB free space on hard drive; 512 MB RAM;
Graphics card with OpenGL 1.3 or higher;
1GHz or better processor
Standard License Includes
FLAC3D
Version 4.0; installation CD; softbound
book and PDF copies of the FLAC3D
Manual:
User’s Guide, Command Reference,
FISH in
FLAC3D, Theory and Background,
Optional
Features, Verification Problems,
Example
Applications, Structural Elements, and Fluid-
Mechanical Interaction; FLAC3D
code security
via USB hardware lock
Separate Options Available*
Creep, Dynamic, Thermal, User-Defined
Constitutive Models
*These options are included at an additional cost
Support
Free: code updates and support information
via web site; free direct support for code
installation and general code operation.
Fee-based: Engineering/problem-solving
support.
Sales
Varies with Location: Locations of Itasca offices
and agents throughout the world, including a
locator to determine the user’s FLAC 3D sales
office/agent, are available from the Itasca web
site: www.itascacg.com/software/sales.php
Distributor for Italy
Viale Richard,1 20143 Milano - Italy -
Tel +39 02 891741 Fax +39 02 89151600
info@harpaceas.it • www.harpaceas.it
For more information, visit our site:
www.itascacg.com
(612) 371-4711
software@itascacg.com

FLAC 3D 4.0
ABOUT FLAC 3D
CONTENTS
About FLAC 3D . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
New in 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
FLAC 3D is a numerical modeling code for advanced
geotechnical analysis of soil, rock, and structural support in
three dimensions.
FLAC3D
is used in analysis, testing, and design by
geotechnical, civil, and mining engineers. It is designed to
accommodate any kind of geotechnical engineering project
where continuum analysis is necessary.
FLAC3D
utilizes an explicit finite difference formulation that
can model complex behaviors not readily suited to FEM codes,
such as: problems that consist of several stages, large
displacements and strains, non-linear material behavior and
unstable systems (even cases of yield/failure over large areas,
or total collapse).
Oblique view of tunnels and pillar
View of pillar from within cavern looking
south
Stress distribution in an underground nuclear waste disposal site
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FLAC 4.0
OPTIONS
FLAC 3D FACTS
In addition to the extensive
documentation that appears in
the manual provided with the
program, FLAC3D
is supported
through Itasca’s web site in a
number of ways, including:
free program updates,
demonstration versions,
movies illustrating code
features, alerts for known
issues in the code, and more.
Visit the FLAC3D
section of the
web site:
www.itascacg.com/flac3d
Options in FLAC3D
are sold separately from the code license,
allowing users to augment the program’s functionality
according to their analysis needs. Modules available as
options for FLAC3D
include: Dynamic, Thermal, Creep, User-
Defined C++. These options provide rich, extensive additions
to the base code, but do have limitations as well. Full
presentation of each is available online at:
www.itascacg.com/software/options.php.
Users who anticipate the need to produce models requiring
elobarate and complicated 3D geometries are also advised to
examine KUBRIX ( www.itascacg.com/software/kubrix.php), a
third-party tool that can seamlessly generate 3D grids ready
for import into FLAC3D.
Detail of the vertical
displacement field computed
at the entrance to a highway
tunnel
Detail of the computed
displacement field in an
underground subway system
FLAC 3D model geometry
showing two mainline
tunnels and cross passage
Displacement contours within cavern looking south
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3

FLAC 3D 4.0
FEATURES
FLAC 3D FACTS
FLAC3D
and it’s 2D
counterpart FLAC have been
the subject of four international
symposia. There are also more
than 640 publications that
describe the application of
FLAC and FLAC3D
to problems
in the mining, civil, mineral,
process, waste isolation, and
petroleum engineering
industries. A complete
bibliography, references for the
symposia, and more are
available at this location on the
Itasca web site:
www.itascacg.com/
flac_pubs.html
Large strain simulation of coninua
Interfaces that simulate faults, joints, or boundaries
Explicit solution scheme can model unstable physical
processes
Thirteen built-in material models, with the optional ability to
add user-defined models
Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions
Optional modules extend the base program to suit the
user’s analysis requirements
Continuous gradient or statistical distribution of any
property
Automatic 3D grid generator using pre-defined shapes
Easy specification of boundary and initial conditions
Water table for effective stress calculations
Contour plot of
displacement with a Clip
Box applied to it
Stability analysis of an underground crushed
ore storage facility
Displacement contours along a retaining wall
using the embedded liner structural element
Contour plot with the
lighting attribute activated.
Contour plot of
displacement with scalebox
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9

FLAC 4.0
NEW IN 7.0 (cont.)
FLAC 3D FACTS
Itasca is a global firm
dedicated to providing its
clients better insight into the
behavior of the engineered
earth environments where they
operate. FLAC 3D is developed
by engineers, for engineers, to
solve real world engineering
problems. We know what those
problems are, because we
tackle them every day.
Improved Performance
Many commands, some calculations, and ALL graphics are
faster in FLAC3D. A summary of performance improvements
(comparing version 4.0 to 3.1) follows:
Calculations
Up to 2x faster for mechanical calculations on a mixeddiscretized
grid using a quad-core i7.
Mechanical calculations using Nodal Mixed Discretization
(up to 3x faster).
Commands/Operations
GEN ZONE (more than 10x faster)
GEN COPY (more than 10x faster)
GEN REFLECT (more than 10x faster)
GEN MERGE (more than 10x faster)
APPLY REMOVE gp conditions
Clearing a model (NEW—up to 100x faster)
Saving & Restoring a model (up to 3x faster)
Importing a grid file (up 3X faster)
Spatial searching using FISH functions (gp_near, z_near,
z_containing) (up to 100x faster)
Stability analysis of vertical mine fill exposure
(deformed grid and displacement magnitude
contours)
Displacement contours around concrete
caisson wall supported by soldier piles and
pretensioned tiebacks (quarter-section view)
Groundwater flow fully coupled to mechanical calculation
Multiple structural elements types available
Built-in programming language provides dramatic usercontrolled
extensibility every aspect of the program
Graphical output in a range of formats
Geometry import functions from leading CAD tools
Graphical interface provides intuitive controls for pre- and
post-processing output operations
All program options easily available through a single user
dialog
Built-in editor provides command syntax error checking
Interactive mouse provides point-and-click manipulation of
model views as well as the ability to measure and query the
model view.
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5

FLAC 4.0
NEW IN 7.0
FLAC 3D FACTS
FLAC3D
has been available for
over 12 years and is used by
engineers, consultants, and in
university teaching and
research. FLAC3D
is currently
licensed to more than 901
users in over 54 coutries —
making it one of the most
widely used three-dimensional
numerical modeling tools for
geotechnical analysis in the
world.
New user interface provides a complete modeling IDE
Built-in editor with syntax checking
Project management
Rapid model view generation, manipulation, and filtering
Fully pluggable for user-developed functionality
New CY Soil constitutive model
Customizable and multiple window layouts for userpreferred
operation
Many improvements to FISH (built-in programming
language) including addition of a debug mode
FASTER (see next page for details)
Built-in Layout
Custom Layout
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