CAD-based Capabilities (based on Rhinoceros 3D CAD software)
-Pros-
-Pros-
No additional cost
Very precise control on zones edge length and zone size gradation in the whole model
Can result in 100 % nicely shaped regular hexahedral elements (required for some problems)
Mesh can be parametrized (>>if the geometry needs to be modified, the user does not have to start the meshing process from the beginning)
he FLAC3D building block facility offers structured meshing and basic unstructured meshing capabilities.
The FLAC3Dextrusion tool (v 5.0 and up) is an interactive mesher that is easy to use to build linearly extruded geometries (e.g., tunnels)
The FLAC3Dextrusion tool and FLAC3Dbuilding block tools are interactive
3DEC built-in blocking capabilities allow for easy creation of extruded polygons and tunnels of any shape
Tetrahedral meshing of convex blocks is done automatically in 3DEC
3D geometries can be created in 3DEC by specifying coordinates defining each face
3DECcan automatically convert tetrahedral zones into blocks for bonded-block modeling
Build very complex 3D geometries in a few hours
Flexibility and convenience of a fully interactive 3D-CAD system (Rhino) to build and modify the model’s geometry
Parameterized mesh creation possible (RhinoVB or Python scripting knowledge required)
Rhino CAD-system is intuitive and very easy to use
Griddle
Unstructured tetrahedral and hexahedral-dominant* meshing capabilities
All-hexahedral, structured meshing capability
Griddleauto-meshing only requires surfaces of model as input (almost any volume shape is allowed)
Excellent control over element sizes
A must, if you are dealing with complex geometries
-Cons-
-Cons-
Usually more time consuming
Requires experience to build complex meshes
Usually requires subdividing the volumes to mesh into primitive shapes (can be very difficult for complex 3D geometries, sometimes leading to poor quality zones)
The Building Block facility has limited CAD-system capabilities
Cost associated with the purchase of an additional tool
Note: *A hex-dominant mesh is a mesh composed mostly of hexahedral elements but also wedge, pyramid, and tetrahedral elements where necessary to conform to the geometry.
Seamless Integration of Site Data for Improved Mining Analysis Now Available for IMAT: Seamless Integration of Site Data for Improved Mining Analysis... Read More
Now Available from ITASCA: Innovative Machine Learning Tool for FLAC3D/FLAC2D V9.2 Experience the Future of Geotechnical Modeling with ITASCA Software V9.2: Introducing Machine Learning Models... Read More
Experience the Future of Geotechnical Modeling with ITASCA Software V9.2 Experience the Future of Geotechnical Modeling with ITASCA Software V9.2: Introducing Machine Learning Models and... Read More
Upcoming Events
23Sep
Getting Started with FLAC2D/FLAC3D
This training is an introduction to continuous modeling with FLAC2D and FLAC3D. At the end of the course, participants will master the ...
Read More
14Oct
Getting Started with 3DEC
Live Online Introductory Training Course.
October 14-15, 2025...
Read More