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 significant for 3-D analyses of unbounded problems such as underground structures. Several developments in automatic mesh generation have been made in recent years and are increasingly found in commercially available software, although these programs target mainly mechanical engineering applications. The work described in this paper considers application of advanced mesh generation techniques to the analysis of underground structures. The functionality of the software used is described, and some general considerations for mesh development are given. Application of the software is then demonstrated using two mining and two civil engineering structures. It is shown that the newer approaches to mesh generation can provide significant advantages in terms of computational efficiency and modelling functionality. However, further software development to make these modelling techniques more accessible to the geotechnical designer is desirable.