Itasca Consulting Canada Inc.

Training

(General Information) Itasca offers training for all its software products. Training courses are typically three to five days long and usually consist of instruction related to engineering application of our codes. Instruction is available either at Itasca or at the client's location. Itasca engineers have used Itasca software in a wide variety of geoengineering studies. This experience guides teaching and presentations designed to provide new users with a recommended approach to apply Itasca software most efficiently for geomechanics analysis and design.

The training courses are designed to fit individual user needs and experience. Emphasis is placed on setting up and running common user problems. Accordingly, users are encouraged to submit sample problems prior to the training session for our review and preparation. These problems would then be used as practical applications of the code during the training sessions.

Training sessions usually involve discussion of the fundamentals of the code(s) followed by "hands-on" training. Our experience has shown that users can learn most effectively when one PC is available for every two participants. We recommend that attendance at the training course be limited to six individuals per instructor. Training notebooks or manuals are also provided for each participant. A general outline of program topics is listed below.

Please contact Itasca for more information.

Example Course Outline
(Subject to client modification)

• Day 1
  • Introduction to the code and its capabilities
  • Theoretical background and comparison to other methods
  • Recommended approach for problem solving
  • Getting started
  • Creating models
  • General solution procedure (e.g., use in design)
• Day 2
  • An introduction to FISH
  • Elastic-plastic analysis
    overview of material models
    determination of material properties
  • Advanced topics, for example:
    Groundwater flow and consolidation analysis
    Implementation of structural elements
• Day 3
  • Example applications, such as:
    slope stability; embankment and dam construction
    multi-stage tunnel excavation and support
    other selected requests by participants