EFFICIENT MESH GENERATION PROCEDURES FOR FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES

The efficiency and accuracy of the finite element method is dependent on the volume mesh developed for analysis. This can be particularly si gnificant for 3-D analyses of unbounded problems such as underground s tructures. Several developments in automatic mesh generation have been made in recent years and are increasingly found in commercially avail able software, although these programs target mainly mechanical engine ering applications. The work described in this paper considers applica tion of advanced mesh generation techniques to the analysis of undergr ound structures. The functionality of the software used is described, and some general considerations for mesh development are given. Applic ation of the software is then demonstrated using two mining and two ci vil engineering structures. It is shown that the newer approaches to m esh generation can provide significant advantages in terms of computat ional efficiency and modelling functionality. However, further softwar e development to make these modelling techniques more accessible to th e geotechnical designer is desirable.