Numerical Methods in Geotechnics D

Aalto University

The course will concentrate on application of finite element method in geoengineering. In particular, the course participants will gain understanding of how the commonly used finite element software work and how the analyses should be made.

The course will focus on application of finite elements in geotechnical engineering practice. Therefore, the typical enhancements of constitutive models present in commonly used engineering software will be described in detail. 

The course participants will solve number of engineering problems with two different finite element software codes. Thanks to comparison between the obtained results, students will gain working understanding of approximations and accuracy of the performed calculations.

<b>The course finishes with a design project which will consolidate the geotechnical knowledge obtained in previous courses with newly acquired numerical skills.</b>

Sustainability goals: the course prepares the students to use lean design in their engineering practice, minimising the amount of materials needed for structures. The course also prepares the students to use new materials in their simulations, including choice of the material model, model parameters and designing the simulation. This is a key skill as the materials may dramatically change in the coming decades due to the carbon neutrality goal.

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