The Use of Design Approaches with PLAXIS

With the release of PLAXIS 2D 2011 a convenient facility is introduced named “Design Approach” to help Plaxis users set up an Ultimate Limit State (ULS) calculation. This facility is set up in a generic way such that any safety approach based on partial factors can be easily introduced (Eurocode 7, LRFD, etc.). Main advantages of this tool:

• more structured and efficient way of modelling since you can store a coherent set of partial factors (a “Design Approach (DA)”) for loads and materials in one location. This DA can be easily applied during the definition of phases to make an ULS calculation in addition to a Serviceability Limit State (SLS) calculation;
• easy exchange of design approaches between different Plaxis projects due to the possibility to import/export a defined DA.

Update

• February 2015: Added paper On the use of finite element models for geotechnical design, Brinkgreve and Post,  from Bemessen mit numerischen Methoden (TUHH Hamburg, 2013)