Abaqus Soil Modeling Full Tutorial

Abaqus soil modelling and simulation training package

If you are a researcher, student, university professor, or  Engineer in the company in the field of civil engineering, the Abaqus soil modelling training package in simulating soil and Geotechnical Engineering in Abaqus software is the best selection.
All facets of soil modelling and simulation are covered in this full tutorial. The package includes twenty titles on topics such as soil, saturated soil, TBM, earthquake, tunnel, excavation, embankment construction, geocell reinforced soil, geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall, soil consolidation in interaction with the concrete pile, earthquake over gravity dam, infinite element method, sequential construction, calculation of the total load capacity of the pile group, bearing capacity of the foundation.

Twenty sections were introduced in the package, and the instructor covered every topic in detail in each workshop. Each component includes research articles abstract, step-by-step English videos, and needed files. Concrete Damaged Plasticity and other material models like Cap, Clay, Mohr-Columb, are employed.

You can see the syllabus and details of this workshop below or the drop-down menu on the right side of this product page.

    It will guide you going from the basics up to complex simulation techniques. it is very fluid, and comprehensive and every single detail is explained.

   Every workshop goes straight to the point, without any worthless piece of content. You will learn what you need at every stage and you will be putting it into practice from the very first day.

In a word, being complete and having support in this course is the essential value of this course.

       Most importantly, we support you as you learn in this course. You can contact our experts to ask your questions and enjoy our modelling and simulations step-by-step support.

It would be useful to see Abaqus Documentation to understand how it would be hard to start an Abaqus simulation without any Abaqus tutorial.

What are the exact contents of each video in this package?

It should be noted that this package includes only workshops; there is no lesson at the beginning of each workshop, contrary to our other main training packages.

This video training package contains more than 300 minutes of video tutorials. In following, we have discussed the details of each workshop. Moreover, you can click on the chapters of each lesson in the right section of this tab to know the details of the tips and issues presented in this very comprehensive and useful ABAQUS course package.

Workshop 1-  Abaqus simulation of embankment construction with geocell on the saturate soil

This workshop presents a simulation of embankment construction using geocells on saturated soil within Abaqus. The soil is represented as a 2D shell model, divided into dry and saturated zones. Similarly, the embankment is modeled as a two-dimensional shell and subdivided into three distinct sections. The geocell layers are introduced as 2D wire elements.

To simulate soil behavior, an elastic-plastic material model with permeability is employed to account for pore pressure throughout the analysis. The geocells are assigned a linear elastic material model. The simulation begins with a Geostatic step to establish initial equilibrium across all components. This is followed by a step introducing the first geocell layer. In total, seven simulation steps are defined to sequentially apply all layers of the embankment and geocells. The final step features an extended duration to simulate the consolidation process.

Interactions are defined between the three embankment zones and the geocell layers. A fixed boundary condition is applied at the base of the soil model, and zero pore pressure is assigned to the dry zone. Gravity loads are applied to all components, along with initial stresses corresponding to elevation. A refined mesh is used to ensure accuracy in the results.

Upon completion, the simulation provides outputs such as stress distribution, displacements, pore pressure variations, settlement, and related diagrams.

Workshop 2- Abaqus simulation of Pressure Distribution on Subgrade Soil Underlying Geocell Reinforced Foundation Bed

This workshop explores the simulation of pressure distribution on subgrade soil beneath a geocell-reinforced foundation bed using Abaqus. When subjected to high loads—such as those from tall structures—foundation soils often experience elevated contact stresses, which can lead to instability, excessive settlement, and structural distress. As a result, enhancing the load-bearing capacity of these soils has become increasingly important. One effective method involves the use of geosynthetic reinforcements, particularly geocells.

Geocells are a relatively recent innovation designed to provide three-dimensional confinement to the soil, significantly improving its mechanical response. Manufactured from high-density polyethylene and arranged in a honeycomb configuration through ultrasonic welding, geocells have proven effective in enhancing foundation performance.

In the simulation model, the soil is represented as a 3D solid element, while the geocell is defined as a 3D shell structure.

To simulate material behavior, elastic properties are assigned to the geocell, and the soil is modeled using an elastic-plastic approach with a cap hardening model. Two main static steps are included in the analysis: one to apply a uniform pressure over the soil’s surface and another to apply a concentrated load to the footing area. The geocell structure is embedded within a concrete host medium, with fixed boundary conditions applied to the bottom of the soil domain. Gravity loading is activated in the initial step, followed by uniform surface pressure. The central load on the footing is implemented using a velocity-based method to simulate loading.

A refined mesh is used to ensure accurate and detailed results. The simulation output includes a range of data such as stress fields, strains, displacements, and stress-settlement curves.

Workshop 3 – Abaqus simulation of geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall

This workshop focuses on simulating a geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall using Abaqus. The soil is defined as a two-dimensional part and modeled with an elastic-cap plasticity material that includes hardening behavior. The geosynthetic reinforcement is represented as a 2D wire structure with elastic properties, implemented using beam elements.

The analysis follows a sequential (layer-by-layer) construction method for a 3-meter-high geotextile-reinforced retaining wall, utilizing finite element modeling. A total of ten general static steps are used to simulate the construction process. In each step, a new layer of soil and geosynthetic is added, and gravity loading is applied accordingly. The geosynthetic reinforcement is embedded within the soil layers to reflect its real-world placement. Suitable boundary conditions are applied throughout the model to ensure realistic behavior. A refined mesh is used to enhance the accuracy and stability of the simulation results.

A comparison is made between the pressure distribution obtained from this simulation and the diagram presented in Sam Helvany’s book. The two sets of data show strong agreement. In addition to the pressure results, other outputs such as stress distribution, displacement, and plastic strain are also available.

Workshop 4- Abaqus simulation of concrete piled raft interacted with soil

This workshop demonstrates the simulation of a concrete piled raft foundation interacting with soil in Abaqus. Piled raft foundations have become increasingly popular for supporting various structures, particularly high-rise buildings. In this system, piles significantly contribute to minimizing both total and differential settlements, enabling more cost-effective designs without compromising structural safety. In some design scenarios, piles may even be permitted to yield under service loads. Despite this, the combined action of the raft and piles can still safely sustain additional loads while maintaining acceptable settlement levels. Therefore, accurately evaluating the foundation’s settlement behavior requires a comprehensive understanding of both the raft and pile roles, along with their interaction.

The model consists of a concrete raft and five piles, all represented as 3D solid elements using concrete material properties. The surrounding soil is also modeled as a 3D solid part, assigned an elastic-plastic material model to capture realistic ground behavior. The analysis is performed using three steps: a Geostatic step to apply the soil’s self-weight, followed by two static steps — one for embedding the piled raft into the soil, and another for applying surface pressure loads onto the raft and piles.

Throughout the simulation, various responses such as deformation, stress distribution, and strain are observed.

Workshop 5- Abaqus simulation of earthquake over a concrete tunnel having interaction with soil

This workshop focuses on simulating the impact of an earthquake on a concrete tunnel interacting with the surrounding soil using Abaqus. Traditionally, the tunneling industry has regarded tunnels—particularly those constructed in rock—as inherently resistant to seismic events, including fault movement, ground shaking, and deformation. However, with an increasing number of real-world cases involving tunnels subjected to seismic activity, it has become evident that while tunnels in rock may perform well under peak ground accelerations (PGA) below 0.5g, accounting for dynamic effects such as ground motion-induced forces and displacements is essential for achieving more dependable and resilient designs.

In this simulation, both the soil and the tunnel are modeled as two-dimensional parts. The tunnel uses the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model to represent concrete behavior, while the soil is modeled with the Mohr-Coulomb plasticity model to simulate its nonlinear characteristics. The analysis is carried out in three main stages. First, the self-weight of the soil is applied. In the second stage, gravity loads are assigned to all components of the model. In the final stage, earthquake acceleration is imposed on the full assembly. Additionally, initial geostress conditions are applied to the soil using a predefined field to simulate in-situ stress states.

During the simulation, tensile damage appears in the concrete tunnel, and plastic strain develops in the soil, offering insights into the structural and geotechnical response. The analysis yields various results, including stress, strain, damage patterns, and displacements.

Workshop 6- Abaqus simulation of embankment and excavation on saturated soil

This workshop examines the simulation of embankment construction and subsequent excavation on saturated soil using Abaqus. A two-dimensional modeling approach is used, where both the ground and the embankment are represented as shell elements. Due to the presence of moisture in the soil, material properties such as constant permeability, elastic behavior, and Mohr-Coulomb plasticity are incorporated into the model.

The analysis begins with a Geostatic step to establish equilibrium within the soil elements. This is followed by three sequential static steps to simulate the staged construction of the embankment. After construction, a transient consolidation step is introduced to model pore pressure dissipation and settlement over time.

Once the consolidation process is complete, three additional static steps simulate the staged excavation process. This is followed by another transient step to capture the consolidation effects post-excavation. Throughout the simulation, gravitational body forces are applied at appropriate stages for each component. Initial geostress conditions are assigned separately for both dry and saturated zones, based on their elevation relative to the origin.

Workshop-7: Simulation soil consolidation in interaction with concrete pile in Abaqus

In this workshop, the consolidation of soil in interaction with a concrete pile in Abaqus has been investigated. All parts has modeled in one part and tree zone was created with partition as soil zone, pile and cohesive for modeling interaction between pile and soil interference .Analysis contains three steps. In the first step soil body force, in the second step pile load has been applied. In third step to model consolidation phenomenon soil steps with a long time has been selected.

Workshop-8: Abaqus simulation of geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall besides heap soil

Using backfill soils with cohesive fine contents to build geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) retaining walls for permanent purposes has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Such back fills are considered to be marginal since they contain cohesive fines that have a plasticity index (PI)>6 and may not exceed 15%. If justified, this practice can increase the cost-effectiveness of GRS walls. However, unlike clean granular soils, soils with cohesive fine contents generally exhibit distinctive creep response under constant loading, and GRS walls with such back fills have time-dependent responses that are very different from those using clean granular back fills. In this workshop, the simulation of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall besides heap soil in Abaqus has been done. To simulate the geosynthetic part Beam element has been used.

Workshop-9: Abaqus simulation embankment construction on saturate soil floor

This workshop presents a step-by-step simulation of embankment construction over a saturated soil base using Abaqus. The soil domain is divided into two regions: a dry section and a saturated section.

To represent the soil behavior, an elastic material model combined with Mohr-Coulomb plasticity is used. Due to the presence of saturated soil, permeability is also defined within the material properties. The simulation consists of seven steps: the first step applies gravitational loading to the soil, while steps two through seven simulate the staged construction of the embankment. The final step also includes a prolonged period to allow the system to reach a stabilized soil response (modeled as a soil consolidation step).

As the embankment is built, stresses in the soil increase. Following the construction phase, pore water pressure gradually decreases as the saturated soil begins to lose moisture and transitions toward a drier state.

Workshop-10: Abaqus simulation of TBM modeling into the dry mix with saturate soil

This workshop has presented TBM(Tunneling) into dry mix with saturated soil in Abaqus step by step. The soil is modeled as three dimensional part with two separate zone to assign dry and saturate condition with Mohr-Coulomb plasticity. Liner is modeled as three dimensional shell with concrete material. This analysis contain some steps, In the first step soil body force , in the second step excavation, in the third step relaxation and in the fourth step lining has been applied .Soil transient step is appropriate for this type of analysis.

Workshop-11: Abaqus simulation Pile in interaction with soil under vertical load

This workshop demonstrates the simulation of a pile interacting with soil under vertical loading in Abaqus. A two-dimensional modeling approach is used for this analysis. The pile is modeled using an elastic material to represent concrete behavior, while the surrounding soil is defined with Mohr-Coulomb plasticity and elevation-dependent elastic properties to capture variation with depth.

To realistically model the response of the soil far from the loading zone, infinite elements are implemented by modifying the input file directly. The simulation process is carried out in four steps, each contributing to the accurate representation of the soil–pile interaction under applied vertical loads.

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