This training is an introduction to continuous modeling with FLAC2D and FLAC3D. At the end of the course, participants will master the graphical interface, documentation and the main modeling steps. Concepts are illustrated using a tunnel excavation example, from building the model geometry to results analysis. This introductory course provides the foundation for more advanced use of the software, which can be covered in more specific training modules.
Latest Version: 9.20.18 (Description) Released On: 星期四, 10月 17, 2024
The latest updates to Itasca software products such as FLAC3D, FLAC2D, 3DEC, PFC, and MassFlow now introduce point releases (e.g., 9.1, 9.2) between major versions (e.g., 9.0, 10.0). These point releases bring significant benefits, especially for subscription license holders.
Subscription license holders enjoy seamless access to point releases at no additional cost. These point releases are packed with new features and capabilities developed in response to user feedback and industry advancements. By staying current with point releases, subscribers can leverage the latest tools and functionalities, enhancing their productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness.
Perpetual license holders also benefit from continuous support within their software version's support period. While they may not receive point releases, they still qualify for bug fix updates and minor improvements, maintaining stability and reliability in their software environment.
As of Version 9.0, the Itasca Software Windows MSI will install 3DEC, FLAC2D, FLAC3D, MassFlow, PFC2D, and PFC3D on your computer by default. During installation, you can choose which programs to install. If you have installed a program but you do not have a valid license for one of these programs, it will run in demonstration mode. Please note that this installer may contain both BETA or RELEASE software:
ITASCA software owners with subscription licenses now have access to the following new features and capacities.
Applies to FLAC3D
PARALLEL MODELING
With the advent of ITASCA software web licenses, cloud computing became possible, allowing for many versions of a model to be run for parametric or sensitivity analyses. With v9.2, a new Cluster option allows FLAC3D subscription licenses to greatly speed up their numerical modeling solutions by launching multiple connected model instances in cluster computing environments.
The Cluster option in FLAC3D utilizes a leader-follower architecture. Each node in the cluster network runs a FLAC3D instance, and all the FLAC3D instances are connected through Message Passing Interface (MPI) for data communication and management. Typically, the Console version of FLAC3D is used to streamline cluster computing, but the GUI version of FLAC3D may also be used to view the local model partials on every node during cycling.
CURRENTLY SUPPORTED FLAC3D FEATURES
THREE TIERS
The Cluster option is being sold as a new FLAC3D option with three available tiers to choose from:
SPEEDUP
For large models with millions of zones, a significant reduction in solution time can be achieved. The following chart demonstrates considerable scalability when solving a FLAC3D model with 8 million zones across multiple nodes using the Cluster option (performed on Amazon Web Services (AWS), node type m5a.4xlarge with 16 CPU Cores and 64 GB RAM per node).
ACCURACY
The Cluster option in FLAC3D does not affect the results. FLAC3D generates results identical to normal runs with the same level of accuracy and determinism. The save files are also cross-compatible between FLAC3D on your computer and the Cluster option.
HOW DO I USE THE CLUSTER OPTION?
The Cluster option can be used with your organization's own local cluster computing system {add link to cluster computing FAQ}, using any cloud provider like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. Of course, not all organizations have such systems inhouse and implementing a solution using a cloud provider can be daunting. For a straightforward, easy-to-use cloud-based solution, ITASCA has been working with Rescale to provide a pre-configured cluster computing environment that lets you select the number of nodes, hardware required, and apply your ITASCA software web license. Pricing is clearly shown and includes both Rescale's fees and hardware utilized. Rescale will automatically configure your cluster environment, install the latest ITASCA software version, and manage your model run(s). This approach also provides advantages in reducing capital costs since you do not need to invest money in purchasing many computers to perform these sorts of analyses.
LEARN MORE about using Rescale for cluster computing.
Applies to FLAC3D and FLAC2D
WORK FASTER with VERY LARGE MODELS
Applies to 3DEC
FLOW FASTER
Applies to FLAC3D, FLAC2D, and 3DEC
CURVED MOHR-COULOMB MODEL
The traditional Mohr-Coulomb model assumes that a linear shear failure develops, which is just a simplification by linear extrapolation of the experimental data over a limited stress range. However, experimental data covering low stresses clearly show a curved failure envelope for a wide range of geomaterials from clay to rockfill. As such, this simplification could significantly overestimate safety factor, particularly for a shallow slip surface or near the excavated zones exhibiting low normal stress.
ITASCA has developed a new constitutive model call the Curved-Mohr-Coulomb model, which provides both efficiency and flexibility:
The failure laws based on linear or bilinear Mohr-Coulomb, Hoek-Brown, and Griffith modes are special cases of this generalized model. The Curved Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model is available to use with the automatic factor of safety calculation.
SYNTHETIC MICROSEISMICTY
MODEL PLASTIC-STRAIN ON
2D JOINT-SET LOGIC
ZONE JOINT CREATE BY-SLOT 'slot-name' SEPARATE
NEW TOOLS
ZONE FIELD DATA
Applies to FLAC3D, FLAC2D, 3DEC, and MassFlow
LET GeoBOT HELP
NEW UI CONTROL
RAPID TOOLS
Applies to FLAC2D and FLAC3D
ZONE FLUID PROPERTY
ZONE FLUID STEADY-STATE
Multi-process models contain two or more coupled or decoupled solutions (mechanical/static, fluid, dynamic, thermal, and creep). Significant improvements have been made to greatly simplify multi-process models in order to make such analyses much easier to learn and use. New features include:
MODEL NEW
MODEL RESTORE
SOLVE
ON
OFF
SOLVE-FLUID
SOLVE-THERMAL
SOLVE-FLUID-DECOUPLED
Zones may be nulled to represent removal of material that you may want to backfill later or cycle through glaciation periods (ice/no ice). When a zone is nulled, the model behaves as if the zone has been deleted, but the zone position and shape continue to be tracked for easy reuse later.
ZONE NULL
zone.null
gp.null
Applies to FLAC3D, FLAC2D, 3DEC, PFC, and MassFlow
Applies to MassFlow
PROPERTY
Click the download link below and double-click on the file name to initiate software installation. Follow the installation directions.
Bug Fixes - Fix another constitutive model compatibility break introduced in Revision 17. - Fix error in the geometry translate command that made it take a long time. - Fix bug in DFN intersection plot item. - FLAC3D Fix crash if you assign properties before a constitutive model in the model pane. - PFC Fixes for the project tree and to plot items modified on the command line.
geometry translate
New features and improvements
The folder names used on installation should no longer use the minor version number, and should be tagged as being associated with the Perpetual or Subscription version.
FLAC Added zone gridpoint pore-pressure table command.
zone gridpoint pore-pressure table
Bug Fixes
Fix plastic strain calculation issue with the strain softening model.
Fix crash on close that affected FLAC and 3DEC.
Fix possible user interface crash.
The correct help page is loaded on startup.
FLAC Fix bug in structural element rigid connection to zones in dynamic calculations -- the gravitational mass contributions could be lost.
FLAC Allow the deformation factor attribute field to fit arbitrarily large values.
Point-release version 9.20.
Icons updated for Stop and Update notifications.
Add Python packages numpy-stl, stl-reader, and networkx.
FLAC Fix possible crash removing free field boundary.
FLAC Fix FISH callback interval status after save/restore.
New features and improvements - The AI assistant now has a link on the main help menu. - FLAC3D MPI support for dynamic free-field boundary conditions, and dynamic multi-stepping. - PFC CMAKE contact model creation works differently in Windows and Linux. The directions have been updated. - 3DEC Add swell slope example. - 3DEC Added command block fluid tension and FISH function block.fluid.tension.
block fluid tension
block.fluid.tension
Bug Fixes - Fix Linux console version not finding the main engine on launch. - Fix ghost tool buttons showing up in project pane. - Fix example dialog failing to find examples text file. - Fix settings menu button missing from compressed plot toolbar. - FLAC Fix to zone join force-displacement law when the joint starts inactive. - FLAC Fix to specific discharge plots crashing after importing results files with pore pressures. - FLAC3D Add zone joint example with backfill. - FLAC2D Sketch: Fixed issue when generating the joint set in the UI within a block with multiple internal closed polygons. - FLAC2D Sketch: Fixed issues with edges on extruder scene with are hidden when switching between views. - 3DEC Fix bug in FOS analysis with excavated blocks.
New features and improvements - First version of 9.20 available. - Added the Curved Mohr-Coulomb model - allowing for a generalized failure surface. - Added FISH intrinsic struct.cable.tension.state, struct.cable.tension.value, struct.pile.tension.state, and struct.pile.tension.value. - FLAC2D Joint set support in Sketch tool. - FLAC2D Bar plot options for structural elements. - FLAC2D Moment-thrust plot for structural elements. - FLAC2D Added braced excavation example. - FLAC Saving, Restoring, and clearing a model state should be 1.5 to 3x faster. - FLAC Added support for three levels of cluster capability as options. - FLAC Removed option requirement for user-defined constitutive model use. - 3DEC Added drawdown verification problem.
struct.cable.tension.state
struct.cable.tension.value
struct.pile.tension.state
struct.pile.tension.value
Bug Fixes - Fix possible crash when adjusting line width in remote desktop. - Fix issue of missing signals when re-showing a new page in sets by not hiding the outgoing page, and now the workspace hide/show button will ensure content is properly displayed. - FLAC Fix issue when finding nearest gridpoint and zone and picking problems with geometry plotting. - FLAC Remove alias of property name in Plastic-Hardening model which causing issue in property contour plot.
New features and improvements - You can now delete a plot from the workspace view. - FLAC Water table plot improvements - now the water table is on the center of the grid. - FLAC Added FISH library functions struct.cable.tension.state, struct.cable.tension.value, struct.pile.tension.state, and struct.pile.tension.value.
Bug Fixes - Fix bug of broken interactive targets in revision 170 which affects plot query. - Fix acceleration recorded on structural nodes with a rigid link. - Plot pull-down menu buttons make the associated plot the current plot. - Fix picking (object identification under the mouse) for the geometry plot item. - FLAC Fix zone joint issue on zones being nulled and backfilled. - FLAC The various find.near FISH intrinsics could have poor performance on models with highly variable zone distribution. They should perform more consistently now.
Bug Fixes - FLAC Fix model solve-dynamic command - a bug with the time limit. - FLAC Fix a crash that could occur when deleting zone joints. - FLAC Changes to mechanical stress stored when using zone face apply pore-pressure are now discarded if a zone fluid steady-state command is given. - 3DEC Fix to stress initialization when pore-pressures are present.
model solve-dynamic
zone face apply pore-pressure
zone fluid steady-state
Bug fixes - Fix for 9.0 constitutive models not loading into 9.1. NOTE Constitutive models created using 9.1 will have to be re-compiled. - Fixed crash that could occur on code shutdown. - Fixed a couple of crashes associated with a compiler update in the Linux version. - Fixed the case-insensitive find method. - FLAC Minor adjustments to tolerances in the steady-state fluid solver. - FLAC Fixed a bug in the steady-state solver if fluid model invalid zones and the linear-first option were both present.
invalid
linear-first
New features and improvements - FLAC Add ability to turn off pore-pressure updates for contact models in zone joints. - FLAC Change the minimum allowed fluid permeability factor back down to 1e-6. - FLAC Remove 15% Maxwell damping limit. - Upgrade the pillow Python package.
Bug fixes - Fix memory leak in FISH extra variables. - Fix second license incompatibility between v700 and v900 and up. - Fix inline help move bug in Windows. - Fix startup dialog bug if an empty path was on the recent projects list. - Prevent crash to desktop if internal data structures have become corrupted. - FLAC Disable Strength-Stress-Ratio calculations if the constitutive model does not support it. - FLAC Improve plots of dynamic timestep if attach conditions were present. - FALC Fix zone gridpoint merge bug if three or more gridpoints needed to be merged. - PFC Contact model mohr remains active if the pore-pressures is non-zero
zone gridpoint merge
New features and improvements - FLAC zone face apply pore-pressure-maximum should now work as expected for all unsaturated flow models. - FLAC The direct solver will now automatically drop into indefinite mode on failure and try again. This greatly reduces the likelihood of convergence failure in the zone fluid steady-state command.
zone face apply pore-pressure-maximum
Bug fixes - Restoring a 2D model file into a 3D instance (and vice versa) will now produce an error rather than a shutdown. - FLAC Tolerancing issues corrected in implicit support for unsaturated flow using the cutoff model. - FLAC Results of the zone fluid steady-state command were not deterministic. This has been corrected but at the cost of the command taking longer to execute. Work will be done in the future to speed this up again, and to address similar issues that likely exist in the implicit transient solver as well.
New features and improvements - Locally changed data files will no longer be saved automatically if you reset project. - FLAC Update zone plot label numeric values so they will be shorter and use the current global precision setting. - FLAC Added a linear-first keyword to the zone fluid steady-state command. This does a linear solution first to get close to the final phreatic surface so subsequent iterations have less changes to make to saturation. - FLAC Added a minimum-relax keyword to the zone fluid steady-state command. This allows customization of the lowest relax factor allowed during iterations. The new default value is 0.5.
minimum-relax
0.5
Bug fixes FLAC Fixed bug in zone fluid steady-state command if a region of zones was inactive in fluid. FLAC Fixed bug in zone fluid steady-state command that could cause gridpoints with a fixed pore-pressure to change. FLAC Fixed thermal and fluid response if only the follower of an attach condition was fixed. FLAC Fixed sketch tool object properties not being displayed if the tool was the first use of attributes in the user interface.
New features and improvements - Updated example dialog documentation. - Added Python support for structural pile, beam, cable, shell, liner, geogrid, and node arrays. - Set the Comba constitutive model property flag-matrix-plastic to true by default. - Removed horizontal lines between attribute widgets in plot attributes. - Added ability to resize the caption (name) area in the attribute widgets panel. - FISH Extra variables now stored in a more memory efficient manner if non-sequential indices are used. - FLAC2D Added verification problem Unconfined Flow Riverbank from FLAC classic. - FLAC2D The zone gridpoint pore-pressure import command now works in 2D. - FLAC Added pcg-limit and latency keyword options for zone fluid implicit servo and zone thermal implicit servo. - FLAC Added zone effective-stress-cutoff keyword - used as the cutoff to pore-pressure for the purpose of calculating effective stress. Note that this change violates backward compatibility if negative pore-pressures were present and model configure fluid-flow was not done. - FLAC Update zone label plots to shorten numeric values and use the current precision model state setting.
zone gridpoint pore-pressure import
pcg-limit
latency
zone fluid implicit servo
zone thermal implicit servo
zone effective-stress-cutoff
model configure fluid-flow
precision
Bug fixes - Fixed plot images missing from example documentation. - Fixed a bug that could cause the UI to attempt to open a given plot multiple times. - Fixed a possible crash rendering lines in OpenGL. - Fixed a problem setting the bitmap size in the plot export to bitmap dialog. - Fixed a fluid solve limit bug in model solve-fluid-decoupled. - Fix possible crash trying to export a geometry set. - Fixed nearest Gp indication in plot information (as well as other possible interaction selection) when a job or model title was present in the plot. - Fixed a possible application hang while rendering some objects in a plot. - Changes to data files will no longer automatically be saved if the project is reset. - FLAC Fixed a bug in the zone fluid steady-state solver if many zones were set to inactive.
model solve-fluid-decoupled
Major improvements - FLAC Reliabilty of fluid implicit nonlinear iterative convergence significantly increased. - FLAC Improvements to fluid and thermal implicit timestep servo behavior.
New features and improvements - User Interface: Tools area opens automatically if F1 is pressed to request context help. - User Interface: Thinned main splitters, reduced height of title bars. - User Interface: Errors resulting from executing selected lines in the editor will now correctly report file and line number. - Added built-in Python packages scikit-learn, pyDOE, stl, and seaborn. - Documentation: Added page for new example dialog. - FLAC2D Added tunnel flow example. - FLAC2D Prototype support for zone gridpoint pore-pressure import in 2D. - FLAC Added support for Python structural beam arrays. - FLAC Fluid Flow: Changed default implicit servo error check interval to 40 steps. - FLAC Fluid Flow: Changed default implicit servo error limit upwards. - FLAC The zone gridpoint pore-pressure commands now defaults to no cutoff. If the cutoff keyword is given without a value zero is assumed. - FLAC The zone fluid steady-state command now defaults to no cutoff. If the cutoff keyword is given without a value zero is assumed. - FLAC deviation-lognormal option added to the zone property-distribution command. - FLAC Added zone fluid timestep maximum and zone fluid timestep fix commands. - FLAC Added zone thermal timestep maximum and zone thermal timestep fix commands. - 3DEC Added total keyword to the block insitu topography command.
zone gridpoint pore-pressure
cutoff
deviation-lognormal
zone property-distribution
zone fluid timestep maximum
zone fluid timestep fix
zone thermal timestep maximum
zone thermal timestep fix
total
block insitu topography
Bug fixes - User Interface: A Workspace tile could occasionally dissapear when you try to replace it's contents. - User Interface: The Linux version had a crash issue when clicking in help displayed in Tools. - FLAC Fluid Flow: Fixed a bug in the implicit servo causing the timestep to increase again too fast. - FLAC Fluid Flow: Fixed a number of issues causing nonlinear implicit convergence instability. - FLAC Thermal: Moved a number of implicit servo fixes from fluid to thermal, improving performance. - FLAC Fix parsing error in the zone gridpoint pore-pressure initialize command.
zone gridpoint pore-pressure initialize
New features and improvements - Minor UI adjustments for ease of use on 4k monitors. - All built-in constitutive models are now considered standard, none are advanced. - FLAC3D Added the ability to cap a gaussian distribution of properties when using the deviation-gaussian keyword. - FLAC3D Further optimization to fluid/thermal coupled solving.
deviation-gaussian
Bug fixes - Fixed a problem with the Search tool in the examples dialog box. - FLAC3D Fixes a restore issue if you had loaded user defined models when saving that did not exist when restoring. - FLAC3D Added missing Hoek-Brown calculator files. - MASSFLOW Remove three properties from the visualization option - MASSFLOW Updated mass requested and actual. - MASSFLOW Fixed DrawRate to start at day 0 - MASSFLOW Further work on marker properties. - MASSFLOW Updates due to DrawRequest fixed.
New features and improvements - Added options to the IPython console tool bar. - The Workspace content selector now shows a check for the current save state. - Prevent a few rare cases crashing the user interface. - Added "Plot Items" fly out menu to the plot context menu allowing setting of attributes of any plot item even if currently inactive. - The "Add plot item" plot context menu action is now always available. - Added support for tensors types to the documentation system. - FLAC3D Added nearest Gp to the Information box in the Model area of the Workspace. - FLAC3D Added cutoff keywords to the relevant zone gridpoint pore-pressure options. - FLAC3D The datum keyword in zone gridpoint pore-pressure has changed to work against a general gravity vector. - FLAC3D Maxwell damping has been improved for nonlinear constitutive models in zones, structural elements, and structural links. - FLAC3D Allow plotting of link values on multiple sides for 1-D structural elements. - FLAC3D Plots of pore-pressure Head and the gp.head FISH intrinsic now work even if model config fluid-flow has not been given. - FLAC3D Changed the keyword water-density to fluid-density for consistency in all examples. - FLAC3D Added example of using zone joints with attach conditions. - FLAC3D Added filename keyword options to zone gridpoint pore-pressure geometry. - FLAC3D Sped up fluid property plotting on large models. - FLAC3D Added cutoff keyword support to head and pore-pressure apply conditions. - FLAC3D Added a zone fluid density command as a synonym for zone fluid-density. - FLAC3D Added pore-pressure-maximum applied boundary condition in support of fully saturated flow calculations. This is sometimes called an unknown boundary condition. - 3DEC Removed restriction on fluid implicit timestep. - MASSFLOW New FISH functions added.
datum
sides
gp.head
model config fluid-flow
fluid-density
filename
zone gridpoint pore-pressure geometry
head
pore-pressure
zone fluid density
zone fluid-density
pore-pressure-maximum
unknown
Bug fixes - Fix a few Windows version specific issues with the new Examples dialog. - Fix geometry import bug in DXF polylines. - FLAC3D Pore-pressure and head applied boundary conditions will no longer apply values greater than the fluid tension if the cutoff model is on the grid-point. - FLAC3D Many bug fixes and performance optimizations to transient implicit unsaturated flow calculations.
New features and improvements - Added options to the IPython console tool bar. - The Workspace content selector now shows a check for the current save state. - Prevent a few rare cases crashing the user interface. - Added "Plot Items" fly out menu to the plot context menu allowing setting of attributes of any plot item even if currently inactive. - The "Add plot item" plot context menu action is now always available. - Added support for tensors types to the documentation system. - FLAC3D Added nearest Gp to the Information box in the Model area of the Workspace. - FLAC3D Added cutoff keywords to the relevant zone gridpoint pore-pressure options. - FLAC3D The datum keyword in zone gridpoint pore-pressure has changed to work against a general gravity vector. - FLAC3D Maxwell damping has been improved for nonlinear constitutive models in zones, structural elements, and structural links. - FLAC3D Allow plotting of link values on multiple sides for 1-D structural elements. - FLAC3D Plots of pore-pressure Head and the gp.head FISH intrinsic now work even if model config fluid-flow has not been given. - FLAC3D Changed the keyword water-density to fluid-density for consistency in all examples. - FLAC3D Added example of using zone joints with attach conditions. - FLAC3D Added filename keyword options to zone gridpoint pore-pressure geometry. - FLAC3D Sped up fluid property plotting on large models. - FLAC3D Added cutoff keyword support to head and pore-pressure apply conditions. - FLAC3D Added a zone fluid density command as a synonym for zone fluid-density. - FLAC3D Added pore-pressure-maximum applied boundary condition in support of fully saturated flow calculations. This is sometimes called an unknown boundary condition. - 3DEC Removed restriction on fluid implicit timestep. - MASSFLOW Algorithmic speed-up: Restructure of internal DrawRequest module. Importing the Draw Period file (.csv) now takes almost no time. We moved from 10 hours in v9.0 for a large mine to less than 2 seconds in v9.1.
Please uninstall revision 1 first
New features and improvements - Added Copy button to the warnings dialog - FLAC3D Changed the zone fluid scale-modulus command to zone fluid modulus-scale - FLAC3D Added zone fluid modulus-automatic command. - FLAC3D Added 3D version of a brazilian test example. - 3DEC Add ability to specify variable viscoscity for joint flow. - MASSFLOW Over 10 new fish functions. Users can interrogate and dynamically adapt the block model properties and markers properties, providing more flexibility for cave analysis, such as static days in caved blocks, and lower and upper fragmentation limits on rock fragmentation (markers). - MASSFLOW Caved properties in block model. In this new version, users can now keep track of grades and rock properties, at block support, as the cave process progresses.
zone fluid scale-modulus
zone fluid modulus-scale
zone fluid modulus-automatic
Bug fixes - Optimized and repaired face group tracking for large models. - Fixed URL link in license dialog. - Fixed legend on shell resultant plots. - An HL network key will now be seen connected directly with localhost as the network location name. - FLAC Fix a bug in the zone separate command if the old gridpoint was not connected to any non-null zone. - FLAC Fix parsing error in zone geometry command. - FLAC Prevent apply conditions from applying a pore-pressure below the tension when using the cutoff unsaturated flow model. - FLAC Corrected error in how fluid volume increments from mechanical volume changes were applied. - FLAC Correct implicit flow bug when using two way mechanical coupling. - FLAC Fix possible crash bug in zone joints when nulling adjacent zones. - FLAC Fixed two issues preventing the steady state flow solver from converging in unsaturated conditions. - FLAC Sketch: Mesh gridlines were not shown in certain circumstances. - FLAC Sketch: Automatic rotation of background geometry was not working. - FLAC Zone Joint: Fix activity status when there is a gap. - FLAC2D Fix the struct.force.nodal FISH intrinsic. - 3DEC Fixed bug plotting flow velocity and discharge. - 3DEC Added transmissivity to flow plane vertices - 3DEC FLAC3D Fixed bug in 3DEC to FLAC3D coupling. - PFC Do not allow RBlocks to be created with an aspect ratio greater than 100,000.
zone separate
zone geometry
struct.force.nodal
New features and improvements - First version of 9.10 available.