Bentley Communities
Bentley Communities
  • Site
  • User
  • Site
  • Search
  • User
  • Welcome
  • Products
  • Support
  • About
  • More
  • Cancel
PLAXIS | SOILVISION
  • Product Communities
  • More
PLAXIS | SOILVISION
PLAXIS | SOILVISION Wiki Using partial geometry for interesting result images in PLAXIS 3D
    • Sign in
    • +Working from home with PLAXIS
    • Working from home with SOILVISION
    • -PLAXIS | SOILVISION Wiki
      • Geotechnical SELECT Entitlements [GSE]
      • -PLAXIS
        • PLAXIS CONNECT Edition and legacy versions
        • +License - PLAXIS
        • +PLAXIS Software downloads
        • +Release Notes PLAXIS 2D and PLAXIS 3D
        • +Manuals - PLAXIS
        • +API / Python scripting - PLAXIS
        • +Downloads - PLAXIS
        • +Known issues - PLAXIS
        • +Models - PLAXIS
        • +Publications
        • -Tips and Tricks
          • 3D Extrusion along a curved path
          • 3D Output: show results for shadings or contour lines
          • 64 bit User Defined Soil model
          • After a consolidation analysis I have excess pore pressures in "drained" material sets. Why?
          • Application of commands: echo
          • Application of commands: Groupfiltered and Apply
          • Application of commands: Referring to objects through their index
          • Can I import a geometry in PLAXIS 2D?
          • Can I reuse existing PLAXIS 3D geometrical objects in a new project?
          • Change temporary folder for intermediate calculation data files
          • Closing PLAXIS after your calculation is finished
          • CodeMeter network error during calculation (IPv4/v6 conflict)
          • Codemeter Network Installation
          • Codemeter USB Stick behaviour
          • Command line reference
          • Compliant base and free field boundaries: check on input signal
          • Composite liner approach in PLAXIS 2D
          • Connect a node-to-node anchor with an embedded beam row halfway
          • Consolidation: Minimum Pore Pressures and Degree of Consolidation analysis may give spurious displacements of boundary nodes
          • Conversion from 2D Version 8/9
          • Conversion of PLAXIS 2D files
          • Copy/Array command in Plaxis 2D
          • Create centerline for Structural Forces in Volumes
          • Create rock bolts accurately in PLAXIS 3D
          • Creating axial force curve for Fixed End anchors
          • Deactivated loads are still visible in PLAXIS Output
          • Definition of a bending moment as load
          • Definition of Hoek-Brown model parameters in Plaxis
          • Drift correction for dynamic input signal from file
          • During a calculation some plastic points disappear. How is that possible?
          • Dynamic Load with Perpendicular Distribution
          • Encrypted scripting server vulnerable to replay attacks
          • End bearing of plates
          • Energy saving while running multiple calculations
          • Error when generating 3D mesh
          • Export or reuse geometry for New Analysis
          • Extended command syntax for mesh generation
          • Fixed and Compliant base: what input motion is required?
          • Fixities and deformation boundary conditions
          • Force envelope results explained
          • Fundamentals of pseudo-static analysis in PLAXIS
          • Graphics card issues
          • How do I import a geometry in PLAXIS 3D?
          • How does Plaxis deal with water pressures during dynamic calculations?
          • How does Reset displacements to zero work?
          • How does the option volumetric strain work?
          • How to activate a dynamic load
          • How to change the PLAXIS model width
          • How to check undrained shear strength using Undrained A?
          • How to create a Bentley account and submit a Service Request
          • How to get a load - displacement curve using SumMstage
          • How to prescribe a dynamic displacement
          • How to select more than 10 nodes to be used for a curve
          • How to setup the number of steps stored in PLAXIS Input
          • How to setup tied degrees of freedom
          • How to use command log files
          • I use PLAXIS and it says I do not have the proper entitlements
          • Improving speed of mesh generation in combination with stage generation
          • In Plaxis Curves it is possible to plot Force Fx, Fy and Fz. What are these parameters?
          • Initial degree of saturation for soil activated during staged construction
          • Inspect intermediate step results in PLAXIS Output
          • Install latest 2D version and 2D AE for converting older files
          • Is it possible to apply a distributed load on tunnel lining in PLAXIS 2D?
          • Is PLAXIS 3D 64-bit?
          • Is PLAXIS 3D enabled for multicore?
          • Iterative settings: desired minimum and maximum
          • Iterative settings: Influence of Arc length control
          • Iterative settings: Max unloading steps (arc length control)
          • Key not bound to machine
          • Language reset in PLAXIS 2D and 3D
          • Launch PLAXIS 2D calculations via DOS commands
          • Load activation in time
          • Local axis and its colour indication
          • Macros using the commands runner
          • Material datasets for plates: sheet pile wall in bending
          • Memory usage in dynamic calculations
          • Mesh alignment in flow problems
          • Mesh generation might not work under Windows 7 due to security settings
          • Modelling a tapered pile
          • Modelling soil-structure interaction: interfaces
          • Modelling technique: Vacuum consolidation
          • Modifying boundary conditions
          • Multicore CPU and 32/64-bit
          • Node-to-Node anchors as an alternative for Fixed-End anchors
          • Non-consecutive order of step numbers in Plaxis
          • Obtain Object names easily to use in commands
          • Obtaining tabulated data from PLAXIS Input
          • On different failure criteria for soils
          • On the use of dynamic boundary conditions
          • Opening old PLAXIS project gives a popup window. What should I do?
          • Output of flow results through interfaces
          • Output project compatibility
          • Permeability in interfaces
          • Permeability in interfaces: Practical situations
          • Pile modelling in a 2D plane strain model
          • PLAXIS 2D Command compatibility notes
          • PLAXIS 3D 2013 and older PLAXIS files
          • PLAXIS 3D 2016: Fully parametric geometry
          • PLAXIS 3D Command compatibility notes
          • PLAXIS Output Phase/Step object compatibility
          • PLAXIS Silent Installation
          • Plaxis Soil model numbers in command line
          • Plaxis uses SMC files for earthquakes, but what kind of format is this?
          • Points of interest for pile modelling in a 2D plane strain model
          • Problems related to non-associated plasticity
          • Program responds that drivers are out of date, but I have a newer version installed
          • Pseudo static acceleration
          • Re-use materials from other projects
          • Reduction of stiffness does not lead to a change in displacements
          • Regenerate staged construction
          • Run multiple calculations easily
          • Safety analysis and displacements
          • Safety analysis and undrained behaviour
          • Safety analysis and Updated Mesh
          • Safety calculation with a Target Value
          • Saving PLAXIS files for an older version
          • Select points for curves prior to calculation directly in Input
          • Selecting points for curves
          • Set and export a plot in PLAXIS Output
          • Set multiple phases to be calculated
          • Showing a list of embedded beams by length
          • Smart selection of line elements in PLAXIS 2D Input
          • Stiffness units for structural elements in an axisymmetric model
          • Stress relaxation due to creep in concrete structures
          • Stresses in non-porous materials
          • Swept meshing in PLAXIS 3D
          • Tension cut-off in interfaces for User Defined Soil Models
          • Time step used in dynamic calculation
          • Trim and extend a line in PLAXIS 2D
          • Tunnels in PLAXIS 3D: Extrusions and cutting planes
          • Unable to select points for curves
          • Unable to select structures or nodes
          • Use of wells in PLAXIS 3D
          • Using an accelerogram for Dynamics
          • Using partial geometry for interesting result images in PLAXIS 3D
          • Using PLAXIS Remote scripting with the Python wrapper
          • Waterlevel inspection and editing in PLAXIS 2D
          • Westergaard's added mass for hydrodynamic pressures: a simple case
        • +Tutorials - PLAXIS
        • +Verifications - PLAXIS
        • +Videos - PLAXIS
      • +PLAXIS MoDeTo
      • +SOILVISION
      • +Subscription Entitlement Service

     
     Questions about this article, topic, or product? Click here. 

    Using partial geometry for interesting result images in PLAXIS 3D

    Application PLAXIS 3D
    Version PLAXIS 3D
    Date created 22 July 2019
    Date modified 22 July 2019

    How to look inside the soil of a 3D model to understand the behaviour


    When running a PLAXIS 3D model, the most interesting behaviour and results are usually all inside the 3D soil model. For presentation purposes, we can hide a part of the geometry to present the PLAXIS 3D calculation results. We can then have a look to see how soils and structures inside a 3D model behave, such as displacements beneath an excavated surface and behind the walls of an excavation. We can use different techniques to do this:

    • Using an iso-plane contour plot to show the iso-areas where we can see the areas that have the same results.
    • Or use partial geometry options to hide soil elements so we can focus on what we would like to see.
    Button: iso-areas plot type

    Iso-areas

    An iso-area (or isosurface) is a three-dimensional variation of an isoline. It is a surface that represents points of a constant value (e.g. displacements, strains, stresses, pore pressure, groundwater head) within the volume of the 3D model space. With the iso-areas visualization in PLAXIS 3D Output, the results domain is subdivided in a number of intervals, and for each interval limit, such an iso-area (or isosurface) is shown.
    This option can give us quick insight into the model behaviour, however, it may not always give insight when using it as a static image, see Figure 1.

    Iso-areas for deformations in Tutorial Lesson 2

    Figure 1. Iso-areas for deformations in Tutorial Lesson 2

    Partial geometry options

    When using partial geometry options, we can

    Button: Click to Hide soilhide individual elements by either using the model explorer or using the Click to Hide soil button: Ctrl+click hide individual elements or use Shift+click to hide the entire volume;
    Button: Hide soil in the rectangleWe can also use a tool called Hide soil in the rectangle. With this we can drag a rectangle over the 3D model and all elements inside this rectangle will be hidden;
    Button: FilterAnd another option is to use the filter options from the Geometry > Filter menu item. Here we can for instance hide elements based on their coordinate, e.g., hide all elements with an X-coordinate > 5.5 m

    What all these methods have in common, is that the showing and hiding soil is based on the Finite Elements. This may result in a non-smooth plot due to the unstructured mesh using tetrahedral elements as used in PLAXIS 3D. This can give the following plot when applying it to PLAXIS 3D’s Tutorial Lesson 2, see Figure 2.

    Hiding part of the model with partial geometry with a non-smooth cut-surface

    Figure 2. Hiding part of the model with partial geometry with a non-smooth cut-surface

    Fortunately, there is a way to easily improve the visualization of this. We can do this by introducing helper surfaces at the location where we want to hide the elements.

    Example partial geometry with helper surfaces

    Example: we want to hide a quarter (or corner) of the 3D model so we can see inside the soil while giving it a clear and smooth visualization. Here we will be using PLAXIS 3D’s Tutorial Lesson 2 again.
    We can create this using the following steps:

    1. In PLAXIS 3D Input, go to Structures mode
    2. Here, create sections (the helper surfaces) along the X- and Y-axis (Z is the vertical axis) that will align with the plot you want to show. This will divide the model into sub-clusters once we enter any of the green modes (mesh, flow conditions and staged construction).
    3. Regenerate the mesh and restart the calculation
    4. When viewing the results in Output, turn off these soil sub-clusters, and hide any structure in this quarter (or corner) of the model to get the desired Output plot.

    Below you can see the final Output plot view in Figure 3 and Figure 4

    Figure 3. Partial geometry using helper surfaces – Deformed mesh

    Figure 4. Partial geometry using helper surfaces – Total deformations

    See also the attached animation to see the steps to create such a nice visualization:

    Click here to play this video

    • output
    • Plaxis 3D
    • helper surface
    • isosurface
    • iso-area
    • results
    • Filter
    • Inside
    • PLAXIS
    • Hide
    • Presentation
    • partial geometry
    • Share
    • History
    • More
    • Cancel
    • Micha van der Sloot Created by Bentley Colleague Micha van der Sloot
    • When: Mon, Dec 23 2019 6:59 AM
    • Revisions: 1
    • Comments: 0
    Recommended
    Related
    Communities
    • Home
    • Getting Started
    • Community Central
    • Products
    • Support
    • Secure File Upload
    • Feedback
    Support and Services
    • Home
    • Product Support
    • Downloads
    • Subscription Services Portal
    Training and Learning
    • Home
    • About Bentley Institute
    • My Learning History
    • Reference Books
    Social Media
    •    LinkedIn
    •    Facebook
    •    Twitter
    •    YouTube
    •    RSS Feed
    •    Email

    © 2021 Bentley Systems, Incorporated  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy |  Terms of Use  |  Cookies