The evaluation and prediction of deformations is becoming a main accent for
the work of geotechnical engineers. Numerical methods are a powerful instr
ument to solve this task. Hence, in order to get reliable results, some req
uirements on the use of finite elements has to be considered. The calculati
on is limited by the quality of the models and procedures used in practice.
The limits are discussed in this paper. It also deals with the results of
back-analysis of deformations of construction pits. The numerical results a
re compared with conventional calculations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd.
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