VERSION 5.03DEC

An Itasca International Company

Inc.Consulting Group,

ITASCA

Advanced, Three Dimensional Discrete Element Modeling

for Geotechnical Analysis of Rock, Blocky Structures and Structural Support

VERSION 5.03DEC

An Itasca International Company

Inc.Consulting Group,

ITASCA

Advanced, Three Dimensional Discrete Element Modeling

for Geotechnical Analysis of Rock, Blocky Structures and Structural Support

ABOUT 5.03DEC

2

3DEC 5.0

CONTENTS

About 3DEC . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

New in 5.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Optional Modules . . . . . . . 10

Introduction

3DEC

3DEC

is numerical modeling software for advanced

geotechnical analysis of soil, rock, blocky structures and struc-

tural support in three dimensions. simulates the

response of discontinuous media (such as jointed rock or

masonry structures) that are subject to either static or dynamic

loading.

Slope failures caused by interaction of large-

scale structures.

Displacement contours are shown.

3

Discontinuous medium is modeled as an assemblage of poly-

hedra blocks which may be rigid or made deformable through

zoning. Fractures are treated as boundary conditions between

blocks. Motion along discontinuities is governed by linear and

nonlinear force-displacement relations for movements in both

the normal and shear directions.

Ancient temple undergoing a simulated earthquake using the

dynamic option.

Hydraulic and seismic

analyses were modeled

for a dam. Free-field

meshes provided the

lateral dynamic

boundary conditions.

FEATURES

4

3DEC FACTS

3DEC

3DEC

is an accurate and

efficient geotechnical

analysis tool, using an

explicit solution scheme that

gives stable solutions to

unstable processes.

can model large surface

and underground

excavations and masonry

structures.

3DEC 5.0

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Single-precision, double-precision, 32-bit and 64-bit

versions all come standard.

Automatic mesh generation in fully deformable blocks.

Automatic time-step calculation.

, Itasca’s built-in scripting language, provides powerful

user-control to parameterize, analyze and control nearly

every aspect of the simulation.

UDM or user-defined models (optional).

Explicit time-marching solution that provides realistic path

dependent post-peak failure behavior in joints and plastic

zones.

Beam and cable structural elements (and liners, optionally),

with general coupling to blocks, are included.

Nodal Mixed Discretization to provide more accurate

solutions for certain plasticity analyses.

Automatic Factor of Safety (FOS) calculation based on the

Shear Strength Reduction (SSR) method for Mohr-Coulomb

and Hoek-Brown materials.

Extensive, fast interactive menu-based 3D OpenGL

onscreen graphics.

Interactive mouse provides point-and-click control of model

views as well as the ability to measure and query plot views.

Built-in text editor provides command syntax error checking

and context sensitive help.

Tunnel region generator.

Statistical joint-set generator.

Effective stress calculations are performed using pore-

pressure gradients.

Mechanical models can be fully coupled with both joint fluid

flow and thermal (optional) models.

Null blocks can be specified to simulate excavation and

backfill simulation without deleting the block.

DXF import for visualization.

Motion absorbing boundaries and wave input for fully

dynamic (optional) response.

“Infinite domain” models can be simulated using

inner/outer region coupling.

FISH

Standard material models

include the following:

Elastic

Anisotropic

Mohr-Coulomb

Hoek-Brown*

Ubiquitous joints

Bilinear plasticity

Strain-softening

Visco-plastic creep

Visco-elastic creep

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*Both Hoek-Brown and modified

Hoek-Brown constitutive models are

included.

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Discrete fractures of limited extent can

be created within a model by defining

different intact and joint properties

along through-going cuts.

now features a probabilistic

Discrete Fracture Network (DFN)

generator. DFNs also can be imported

and exported.

3DEC

The graphic user interface has

been updated and can be customized.

3DEC

NEW IN 5.0

6

3DEC 5.0

Vastly Improved Performance

� Overall model construction and run-times are much faster

now due to more rapid block cutting and deletion processes

combined with faster calculation cycling (for both small-

and large-strain) on multi-threaded computers. A

timing test* (shown, in-part, below) demonstrated a 16x

overall performance improvement.

3DEC

User-Interface Additions

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Projects permit files and plots to be combined.

Command-level UNDO: A complete record of all

commands used to create a model is recorded in the model

save file.

Interface panes can be adjusted and customized.

Context sensitive HTML help is now available.

Additional methods of filtering objects: If connected to

interfaces, if on model surface, filter by object extent instead

of centroid, etc.

16x

OverallFASTER

* Performance factor is based on a model consisting of 40,000 blocks

and 800,000 zones generated with 31,000 construction cuts, 7380

fractures and 3,560 block deletions. The model was run for 10,000

steps using a 2.9 GHz i7 3520M computer processor with 4 cores was

used. Results will vary from problem to problem.

7

New Grid Generation Tools

� Import or generate Discrete Fracture Networks (DFN) and

assign properties to them based on joint orientation, size

and position distributions as well as fracture density.

Visualization of model results (stress, displacement, etc.)

and the selection and filtering of discontinuities can be done

using the DFN.

Geometry surfaces and volumes can be used to group and

filter objects.

DENSIFY command automatically densifies blocks, utilizing

an Octree structure, in target areas for increased

discretization.

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Even Better Plotting

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Import or Even Better Plotting

Improved quality of printed output: 2D data is drawn at

maximum printer resolution.

Additional Plot Export options: Postscript, VRML, SVG and

raw data to spreadsheet formats. VRML plots can be used to

create 3D PDFs.

Improved plot view controls and full Unicode support.

A rock block in a tunnel is predicted to fall without support. Both cables or a liner stabilize the block.

Shown above, cables indicate axial load while the liner displays maximum moments.

MORE NEW IN 5.0

8

Enhanced FISH

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Many improvements have been added to , Itasca’s

powerful built-in scripting language that permits users to

control, monitor, parameterize and customize most aspects

of a model.

EXTRA variables and GROUPS have been added for blocks,

zones, gridpoints and contacts; input to functions,

command in-line FISH, ELSE IF, EXIT LOOP, APPEND of

ASCII files and fluid-flow functions are just some of the new

features.

FISH

FISH

3DEC 5.0

3DEC FACTS

3DEC

3DEC

has been applied

successfully in a number of

fields, including mining, civil,

petroleum, chemical and waste

isolation engineering projects

throughout the world, and at

Itasca.

Because Itasca is both an

engineering consulting firm and

a software developer, is

developed in a practical

environment driven by

considerations derived from

real-world problems.

To enhance and simplify model interpretation, new model-result

plotting tools include zone plotting, isosurafce contouring and

surface painting.

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New Results Interpretation Tools

Other New Features Include

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Zone plotting.

Joint-surface property plotting.

3D isosurface contouring of zone and gridpoint data.

Model results can be painted (contoured) now onto

geometry surfaces imported from DXF or STL formats.

Voxel plotting.

New “WALL” block type. Calculations for wall motion and

wall-to-wall contacts are skipped, speeding up model runs.

The Modified Hoek-Brown constitutive model is now

compatible with factor of safety calculations.

Projects can be Packed and Unpacked to more readily share

or archive your work.

Pore pressure plot of jointed rock under-going hydraulic

fracturing. The model DFN can be seen in the circular insert.

Many new plot items are now

available.

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Joint structure

Block structure

Displacement and velocity

vectors and contours

Zone stresses

Joint plane displacements

and stresses

Structural element

displacements and stresses

Fluid flow apertures and

velocities

OPTIONAL MODULES

10

3DEC FACTS

UDM DLL models can be

shared through an Itasca

website devoted specifically to

model development and

exchange:

www.itasca-udm.com

Options in are sold separately from the software license.

These options provide rich, powerful additions to the base soft-

ware allowing users to augment the program’s functionality

according to their analysis needs.

Models the full dynamic response of a system in the time

domain. Capabilities include: specification of velocity or stress-

wave input, quiet boundaries, free-field conditions and

damping (mass- and stiffness- proportional Rayleigh).

Problems such as seismic loading, explosive loading, seismic

release of energy and flow of particles may be simulated.

Effects of heat sources embedded in a material are modeled

with this option. Both numerical and analytical formulas are

included. Point heat sources may be placed individually, in

lines, or in grids, to represent point, line or plane sources of

heating. The analytic formula yields rapid calculations.

Mechanical and fluid coupling is supported in the numerical

formula. Inhomogeneous and anisotropic mechanical proper-

ties are supported.

This option adds the ability to model tunnel liners and external

structures (such as dams, bridges, walls, buildings, etc.). The

tunnel liner logic automatically places equally spaced triangu-

lar-shaped plates on the inside surface of an excavation or

tunnel. External structures can be modeled using finite ele-

ments that are attached to the model.

User-defined constitutive models (UDM) can be written in C++

and compiled as DLL files that can be loaded as required. A

Visual C++ Version 2010 compiler is used to compile the DLL

files. This permits exchange of constitutive models among

users. Models may be shared with other Itasca software prod-

ucts that contain this feature ( , and ).

3DEC

3DEC

FLAC FLAC3D UDEC

Dynamic

Thermal

Structural Elements (Liners)

UDM

3DEC 5.0

Underground waste repository

tunnel showing temperature

contours and displacement

vectors.

11

KUBRIX® Geo Block Generator

An optional software tool, can seamlessly gen-

erate 3D blocks ready for import into . This unique auto-

matic grid generator can create complex models for the

efficient generation of multi-scale, boundary-fitted models. The

blocks produced conform to material, group or region bound-

aries with fractures being converted to joints or contact sur-

faces in .

For more information:

KUBRIX® Geo

3DEC

3DEC

3DEC

www.itascacg.com/kubrixgeo/index.php

An open pit created using . A section though the

model reveals its block structure

KUBRIX Geo

VERSION 5.03DEC

An Itasca International Company

Inc.Consulting Group,

ITASCA

For more information, visit our site:

(612) 371-4711

software@itascacg.com

www.itascacg.com

Suggested System Minimums

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and

Windows 8; 10 GB free space on hard drive; 2

GB RAM; Graphics card with OpenGL 1.3 or

higher; 1GHz or better processor.

Standard License Includes

3DEC 3DEC

3DEC

Version 5.0; installation DVD;

software security via USB hardware lock;

softbound book and PDF copies of the

Manual in 9 volumes: ,

, ,

, ,

& ,

, and

.

User’s Guide Command

Reference FISH in 3DEC Theory and

Background Optional Features Verification

Problems Example Applications Constitutive

Models Creep Material Models Plot

Command Reference

Support

Free: Software updates and support

information via website; free direct support for

software installation and general software

operation. Free admission to a regularly

scheduled training course for one person.

Fee-based: Engineering consulting or model

generation support is available.

Sales

Locations of Itasca offices and agents

throughout the world, including a locator to

determine the user’s sales office/agent,

are available from the Itasca website:

3DEC

www.itascacg.com/software/sales.php

Supplemental Software Available*

User Defined Models (UDM), Dynamic

Analysis, Thermal Analysis and Structural

Liners.

*These options are included at an additional cost.

Follow Itasca

SUMMARY

Advanced, Three Dimensional Discrete Element Modeling

for Geotechnical Analysis of Rock, Blocky Structures and Structural Support