Shinoak Software

UTEXAS3 Features

Some of UTEXAS3 features are briefly described below. (Please contact us for more complete information.):

General Stratigraphic and Slope Geometry

Virtually any subsurface stratigraphy, including embedded walls, tunnels and voids can be included. The slope may face to either the left or right; both left and right slope faces may be analyzed in a single set of input data. There is no restriction on coordinates - both positive and negative values may be used.

Shear Strength Properties

Several options are available for defining shear strengths as follows:

	Conventional shear strengths: Shear strengths are defined by a cohesion and friction angle. Values may be expressed in terms of either total or effective stresses.
	Undrained (f = 0) shear strengths may increase linearly with depth below a horizontal reference datum.
	Undrained (f = 0) shear strengths may increase linearly with depth below an irregular "profile line" defining the top surface of a stratum.
	Shear strengths may be anisotropic: Cohesion and friction angle may vary with the inclination of the failure plane. Cohesion and friction may be expressed in terms of either total or effective stresses.
	Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope may be nonlinear (any variation in shear strength with total or effective normal stress).
	"Two-stage" strengths may be specified for multi-stage analyses of rapid drawdown or similar loading involving "consolidation" and "undrained" shear stages. Strength envelopes may be either linear or nonlinear.

Pore water pressures

Pore water pressures may be defined using one of the options below. A different option may be used for each material.

	Zero pore water pressures - this is applicable and necessary for any material where the shear strength is defined using total stresses.
	Constant value of pore water pressure.
	Constant value of the pore water pressure coefficient r_u.
	A piezometric line - multiple piezometric lines may be used.
	Interpolation of values of pore water pressure from irregularly spaced (un-gridded) data points.
	Interpolation of values of pore water pressure coefficient r_u from irregularly spaced (un-gridded) data points.

Reinforcement

UTEXAS3 can be used to model almost any reinforcing with any orientation and distribution of forces along the length of the reinforcement. Reinforcement may be inclined at any angle and need not be linear. Reinforcement can provide both transverse and longitudinal resistance and provisions are incorporated for reorientation (rotation) of reinforcement forces.

Shear (Failure) Surfaces; Automatic Searches

Computations may be performed using either circular or non-circular (general shape) shear surfaces. UTEXAS3 has automatic search procedures for locating the most critical circular or non-circular shear surface using systematic (non-random) search schemes that have been developed and tested over the last 30 years.

Multi-Stage Stability Computations

UTEXAS3 can perform multi-stage slope stability computations in which the first set of computations is performed to compute the effective consolidation stresses. The consolidation stresses are then used to compute an undrained shear strength which is used in a second set of computations for the factor of safety. An additional third stage of computations can be performed when the drained strength is less that the undrained shear strength, i. e. where the soil dilates during shear. These analyses are appropriate for loading conditions such as rapid drawdown and pseudo-static seismic loading.

Other features

	Distributed surface loads - shear and normal stresses with any pattern of variation. Loads may be applied to horizontal or inclined ground surfaces to simulate bearing capacity problems.
	Line loads.
	"Tension" cracks.
	Seismic coefficients for pseudo-static analyses.

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Last updated 30 December 2002