GeoStudio 2012 incorporates enhancements to each product in the GeoStudio suite: SLOPE/W, SEEP/W, SIGMA/W, QUAKE/W, TEMP/W, CTRAN/W, AIR/W and VADOSE/W.
Each Solver has been directly integrated into GeoStudio via a new Solver Manager window. This lets you monitor the progress of the Solvers without leaving the GeoStudio environment.
Each analysis is verified automatically before solving, and any errors are reported immediately. While solving, you can see the solution status of each analysis, check the analyses that you wish to solve, and stop the Solver. Errors encountered by the Solver are reported in the window.
Solver speed has been improved for all products, particularly when you solve multiple analyses simultaneously. The SLOPE/W Solver has been totally revamped to taking advantage of modern multi-core processors. This results in significant speed increases, particularly for probabilistic and Newmark analyses.
Improved Convergence
The finite element convergence schemes have been improved, allowing for faster solve times and more reliable convergence that is easier to understand. Improved under-relaxation schemes allow you to obtain solutions for highly non-linear problems. The review boundary process has also been improved, frequently reducing the number of review loops required.
You can monitor the convergence history directly in Results view after each time step has completed by plotting the number of unconverged nodes for each iteration or time step.
Improved Modeling Environment
New docking windows in GeoStudio 2012 allow you to view information in multiple views so you can quickly access the data you need. You can customize the display of docking windows to suit your particular needs. A new status bar provides both view information and quick access to commands such as zooming, and a progress bar during lengthy operations such as solving.
Watch a movie showing the new docking window support in GeoStudio:
Introduction to Docked Windows (3:35)
Docking windows include an Analysis Explorer, Solve Manager, Result Times, Slip Surfaces, and Sensitivity Runs.
The Analysis Explorer displays a tree view of the analyses in the project, allowing you to quickly change the analysis you are viewing.
The Solve Manager allows you to solve one or more analyses and watch their progress even while continuing to work on another analysis.
The Result Times window displays a list of time steps that have computed results. When you select a time step, all currently displayed views and dialog boxes show the results computed for the selected time.
The Slip Surfaces window displays a list of SLOPE/W computed trial slip surfaces. When you select a slip surface, the Results view will show the complete slip surface results. If detailed results are unavailable, GeoStudio will compute them on-demand, allowing you to view detailed forces or graphs on any particular slip surface without having to designate it as a 'critical' slip surface.
The Sensitivity Runs window displays a list of runs performed for a sensitivity analysis. Each sensitivity run is now a complete slope stability analysis, allowing you to view all computed slip surface results for each individual run.
Improved Viewing of Results
Results are now automatically displayed when you start solving a GeoStudio problem. Graphing results over time can be done as soon as each time step is computed, without waiting for the Solver to finish. These graphs can also now be generated as much as 20 times faster than in previous versions, and additional SLOPE/W graphs have been added.
SLOPE/W results can now include computed finite element data. For example, you can show the critical slip surface on top of pore-water pressure contours, stress contours, or the liquefaction zone. You can also show color gradients when plotting factor of safety contours over the grid of slip surface centers.
Improved Probabilistic and Sensitivity Analyses
SLOPE/W Probabilistic analyses can now be done on every trial slip surface, resulting in an improved understanding of the overall risk of failure. Likewise, each sensitivity run can be analyzed in detail, allowing you to view all slip surface information for all sensitivity runs.
Both probabilistic and sensitivity parameters are applied separately for each analysis, allowing you to set up multiple scenarios within the same project. You can apply probability or sensitivity to any pore-water pressure option, not only piezometric lines.
Improved Licensing and Delivery
GeoStudio 2012 is now being delivered to you completely electronically, without any physical packaging. This eliminates your shipping costs, speeds up and simplifies the purchasing process, and is more eco-friendly! All GeoStudio resources, including engineering books, are digitized and available online. Full-color printed books can be ordered separately as required.
Stand-alone licenses no longer require a hardware dongle attached to your computer; you simply activate your computer to use your GeoStudio license. To use your GeoStudio license on a different computer, you can transfer your activation to that computer.
Network licenses are now controlled using a new license server with a web-based monitoring interface. Network licenses can be 're-hosted' onto new server hardware using an included activation utility.
Automate GeoStudio with GeoCmd
GeoCmd is a new command-line utility that makes it more convenient to work with large numbers of data files. You can automate GeoStudio to solve, upgrade, or generate reports for many project files sequentially.
Save Files in GeoStudio 2012 or 2007 Format
Files created in GeoStudio 2012 can be saved as GeoStudio 2007 files, allowing you to continue working with other members of your team who have not yet upgraded.
Additional Enhancements
Many other improvements have been made in GeoStudio 2012, including:
SLOPE/W results are now stored in standard CSV files, making it easier to import results into a spreadsheet for further analysis.
SLOPE/W analyses now focus on a single method, making it easier to navigate results. The GLE method is now directly incorporated into the Spencer and Morgenstern-Price methods, allowing you to display factor of safety verses lambda plots for these methods to understand convergence.
SLOPE/W Reinforcement properties have been changed to match industry-standard nomenclature.
SLOPE/W now contains a 'High Strength' material model, making it easier to model impenetrable structures such as concrete retaining walls.
You can now specify the SLOPE/W residual water content directly; previously, it was assumed to be 10%.
Meshing improvements result in better element shapes, especially in complex regions.
GeoStudio takes less time to start; several key commands and dialog boxes also have speed improvements.
GeoStudio Add-Ins now support Microsoft .NET 4.0 and Visual Studio 2010.
Sketch lines can now be shown in color.
Sketch axis label coordinates are now shown as actual values, not with 'x 1000' labels.
SLOPE/W is the leading slope stability CAD software product for computing the factor of safety of earth and rock slopes. SLOPE/W can effectively analyze both simple and complex problems for a variety of slip surface shapes, pore-water pressure conditions, soil properties, analysis methods and loading conditions.
Using limit equilibrium, SLOPE/W can model heterogeneous soil types, complex stratigraphic and slip surface geometry, and variable pore-water pressure conditions using a large selection of soil models. Slope stability analyses can be performed using deterministic or probabilistic input parameters. Stresses computed by a finite element stress analysis may be used in addition to the limit equilibrium computations, for the most complete slope stability analysis available.
With this comprehensive range of features, SLOPE/W can be used to analyze almost any slope stability problem you will encounter in your geotechnical, civil, and mining engineering projects.
Easy to Use
Defining a Stability Model
Beginning an analysis is as simple as defining the geometry by drawing regions and lines that identify soil layers, or by importing a DXF™ file. Then choose an analysis method, specify soil properties and pore-water pressures, define reinforcement loads, and create trial slip surfaces.