Itasca Educational Partnership
ITASCA Academics
Software Tutorials
Homogeneous Embankment Dam Analysis (Part 2 of 3)
This FLAC 8.1 tutorial demonstrates how to conduct a steady-state seepage analysis to calculate the pore water pressures in the embankment due to the reservoir.
MINEDW Tutorial (Part 4: Meshing)
In this tutorial we will go over meshing, from the creation of a 2D mesh and how to import it to MINEDW, to the inclusion of topography, layers, and pinch-outs to different areas of interest in the model.
Working with ParaView
Itasca has made it easy to readily export model data from FLAC3D and 3DEC software (version 7+) using the VTK file format.
Technical Papers
Elastic Properties of Fractured Rock Masses With Frictional Properties and Power Law Fracture Size Distributions
We derive the relationships that link the general elastic properties of rock masses to the geometrical properties of fracture networks, with a special emphasis to the case of frictional crack surfaces.
We extend the well-known elastic solutions for free-slipping cracks to fractures whose plane resistance is defined by an elastic fracture (shear) stiffness ks and a stick-slip Coulomb threshold.
Tunnelling and reinforcement in heterogeneous ground – A case study
Abstract
A case study of tunnelling in heterogeneous ground conditions has been analysed. The case involves a tunnel excavated in mixed-face conditions, where the main host material was rock, but for a distance of about 30 m, the tunnel had to be driven through a thick layer of soil, primarily moraine and sandy soil materials.During tunnel drifting, a "chimney" cave developed through the soil layer, resulting in a surface sinkhole.This case was analysed using a three-dimensional numerical model with the FLAC3D software code, in which the soil stratigraphy and tunnel advance were modelled in detail. Tunnel and soil reinforcement in the form of jet grouting of the soil, pipe umbrella arch system, bolting, and shotcreting, was explicitly simulated in the model. The studyaimed at comparing model results with observations and measurements of ground behaviour, and to replicate the major deformation pattern observed. The modelling work was based on a previous generic study in which various factors influencing tunnel and ground surface deformations were analysed for different cases of heterogeneous ground conditions.Model calibration was performed through adjusting the soil shear strength. The calibration provided a qualitatively good agreement with observed behaviour. Calculated deformations on the ground surface were in line with measured deformations, and the location of the tunnel collapse predicted by the model. The installed tunnel reinforcement proved to be critical to match with observed behaviour. Without installed pipe umbrella arch system, calculated deformations were overestimated, and exclusion of jet grouting caused collapse of the tunnel. These findings prove that, in particular, jet grouting of the soil layer was necessary for the successful tunnel advance through the soil layer.
Quantifying the Effect of Localized Depressurization on a Deep Underground Ore Body at the Mcarthur River Mine through Cross Hole Hydraulic Testing and Groundwater Modeling
The McArthur River mine in northern Saskatchewan is the largest single producer of uranium in the world.