FLAC3D Modeling • Introduction

Fields of Application

FLAC (FLAC2D and FLAC3D) was developed primarily for geotechnical engineering applications. [CS: ??? what to do, what to do…] contains a bibliography of publications on the application of |flac3d| to geotechnical problems in the fields of mining, underground engineering, rock mechanics and research.

Some possible applications of FLAC are noted below.

Table 1: Fields of Application

Area

Project Type

Problems Solved

CIVIL

Tunneling

Factor of safety

Shafts

Probability of failure

Caverns

Ground stability and improvement

Rockfill and concrete dams

Tunnel support and design

Excavations

Dynamic analysis

Slopes

Evaluation of liquefaction potential

Earth retaining structures

Groundwater flow and dewatering

Harbor structures

Heat transfer

Foundations

Back analysis and observational method

Embankments

Ground freezing

Dewatering

Settlements, consolidation, and creep

Pavement and subgrade

Coupled thermal-mechanical-flow

Waste disposal

Factor of safety

MINING

Open pit

Excavation stability

Underground stope

Infrastructure design

Room-and-pillar

Slope stability

Longwall

Subsidence

Caving

Dewatering

Solution mining

Blasting efficiency

Shafts and passes

Cavability

Recovery and dilution

Backfill

Tunneling and mine construction

Tailings stability

Tailings dams design and stability

Pillar sizing / spacing

Ground freezing

Excavation damage and disturbed zones

Ground control / remediation

Tunnel ground reaction curves / longitudinal profiles​

OIL and GAS

Conventional

Hydraulic fracturing and injection

Unconventional

Well drilling and completions

Well completions

Borehole breakout

Enhanced recovery

Sanding

Fluid injection

Induced seismicity and microseismics

Wellbore optimization and stability

Enhanced oil recovery

Casing failure analysis

Cap rock integrity

Coupled hydro-mechanical-thermal analysis

Fault stability

Compaction and subsidence

Reservoir scale modeling

Fault movement and Integrity

Salt cavern formation, stability, and gas storage

Deep well injection of produced water

POWER GENERATION

Engineered geothermal systems

Factor of safety

Hydrothermal

Excavation damage and disturbed zones

Nuclear reactor plants

Foundations

Nuclear waste isolation

Engineered barrier evaluation

Wind energy turbines

Dynamic response to earthquakes

Hydroelectric dams

Groundwater infiltration

Hydroelectric power houses

Deep well injection of blowdown waters

Thermal plants

Rock characterization

CO2 sequestration

Geophysical investigations

Non-destructive examinations

Microseismic and acoustic emission

Cap rock integrity

Site feasibility and suitability

In-situ and laboratory testing

Hydro-mechanical-thermal-chemical coupled effect

MANUFACTURING

Equipment design

High-deformation extrusions

Process design

High-deformation punches

Artificial diamond manufacturing