COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This three-day course combines lectures with supervised computing sessions in which the participants will learn to run a powerful suite of pre-written finite element programs suitable for analysis of a range of practical problems of interest to geotechnical engineers.

Routine geotechnical predictions relating to foundations, slopes, and soil/structure interaction performance can often be obtained from charts or "standard" methods of analysis, but when complex boundary conditions or combinations of material properties are encountered, the classical approaches are severely limited. The finite element method is ideally suited for modeling these more complex problems and most programs can now be run comfortably on a personal computer.

After a brief introduction on the finite element method, the course will concentrate on the methodology and implementation of the programs for solving geotechnical problems. The available applications include settlement predictions, consolidation, seepage and flow nets, excavation, earth pressures, slope stability, and bearing capacity. Slope stability is particularly well suited to analysis by the finite element method because there is no need for a "trial-and-error" search for the minimum factor or safety, nor do any assumptions need to be made in advance about the shape or location of the failure surface.

The course includes sessions in the computer laboratory where some of the finite element programs will be demonstrated. Participants are also encouraged to bring their own laptops so they can get help installing the course software which is included in the registration fee.

COURSE BENEFITS:
The course will aim to give participants a practical insight into the workings of the finite element method and the basic architecture of the programs. Engineers will be given an appreciation of the advantages and possible pitfalls of the finite element method as applied to geotechnical problems and the course should remove some of the mystique of "black-box" software in which the source code is invisible.

All course participants will receive a complete set of finite element source codes relating not only to the geotechnical applications covered in the course, but many others in the general area of engineering analysis. The suite consists of approximately 50 main programs and over 100 subroutines (written in Fortran 95) for solving a wide range of engineering problems ranging from simple structural analysis to 3-D elasto-plasticity and dynamics.

Finite element analysis of consolidation in a layered soil.

Participants should leave the course with a powerful capability for solving both routine and complex geotechnical engineering problems within a consistent computational framework.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This course is intended for engineers involved in geotechnical analysis who wish to gain a better insight into the finite element method and its application to geotechnical engineering problems.

RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE:
It is expected that the course participants will be involved in geotechnical practice or research and will have an introductory knowledge of soil mechanics and/or foundation engineering. The course is pitched at an introductory level and assumes no more than a basic understanding of the finite element method on the part of the participants. A familiarity with differential equations and the Fortran programming language would be an advantage, but is not essential, since the majority of the computing sessions involve running pre-written programs. Supervised computing will take place on computers running under Windows/DOS.

TEXTBOOK:
The registration fee includes the course textbook co-authored by the course instructor: "Programming the Finite Element Method" by I.M. Smith and D.V. Griffiths, Wiley, 4th ed. 2004 (reprinted 2006).

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS:
Participants will receive 2 CEUs for the 17.5 hours of instruction included in this course. All participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

COURSE INSTRUCTOR:
D. Vaughan Grifffiths, PhD, PE, F.ASCE  Professor of Civil Engineering within the Geomechanics Research Center at the Colorado School of Mines, received an M.S. in Geotechnical Engineering from UC - Berkeley and B.Sc., Ph.D., and D.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering and Geomechanics from the University of Manchester in England. He has over 30 years experience of education, research, and consulting in the field of finite element modeling in geotechnical engineering. He is an ASCE  Region 7 Governor and a past President of the Colorado Section.

GENERAL TIME SCHEDULE:
With the exception of the first day of the class, when registration will begin at 8:00 am, classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 5:00 p.m. There will be a lunch break from 12:00-1:15 p.m. Lectures will normally be delivered in the morning, with the afternoons split between lectures and supervised computing sessions.

PROVISIONAL COURSE OUTLINE:
Day 1
Registration (8:00 - 8:30 a.m.)
Introduction to the finite element method
1-d elasticity - "structural analysis"
Beams on elastic foundations
2-d elasticity
Plane strain, axisymmetry
Element types, local coordinates, numerical integration

Day 2
Settlement analysis
Stresses and strains
Code validation
Soil properties for input to programs
Steady seepage - confined and unconfined flow
Computing session
Flow nets, exit gradients, uplift

Day 3
Introduction to material nonlinearity
Failure criteria for soils
Bearing capacity and earth pressure analyses
Slope stability analysis by finite elements
Transient analysis-consolidation
Computing session

REGISTRATION FEE:
The registration fee, which includes the course textbook by Smith and Griffiths, all source code from the course, and coffee breaks/snacks, is $1,195 if received 15 working days or more prior to the start of the course and $1,295 if received thereafter.

The fee must accompany the registration form. Due to the computational phase of the course, space is limited and early registration is encouraged. The sponsor reserves the right to cancel the course and return all registration fees if enrollment is insufficient. No refunds will be made to participants who fail to substitute or cancel at least 5 working days before the start of the course.

Registration is closed until the class dates are announced for 2011..

LOCATION:
This course will be held on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

ACCOMMODATIONS, TRAVEL, AND MEALS:
Registrants are responsible for their own lodging, food, and travel arrangements. Click here for accommodations information and for travel information.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
For further information concerning course content, contact Dr. D. Vaughan Griffiths at 303/273-3669; fax: 303/273-3602 or e-mail: d.v.griffiths@mines.edu. For registration information, contact:

Office of Special Programs and Continuing Education
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO 80401
Phone: 303/273-3321
Fax: 303/273-3314
E-mail: space@mines.edu

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