CVEEN 7330

FLAC Modeling Exercise 2

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.......................................................................................................................1
Objectives:..................................................................................................................................2
FLAC Input:...............................................................................................................................2
Shake Inputs:.............................................................................................................................3
Required Outputs from FLAC:................................................................................................4
Required Output from Shake:..................................................................................................4
Required Calculations and Discussion:...................................................................................4
FLAC Hints:...............................................................................................................................5
Seismosignal Hints:....................................................................................................................6
FLAC Solution:..........................................................................................................................6
SHAKE Solution:.....................................................................................................................12
Required Calculations and Discussion:.................................................................................16
Source Code..............................................................................................................................16

Objectives:
This model compares the dynamic results from FLAC with those of SHAKE. FLAC is a 2D
nonlinear dynamic code. SHAKE is a 1D equivalent code. Thus, we will compare the results of
these two methods for a simple ground response problem with a homogenous soil profile.

FLAC Input:
Use and an example file: C:\Program Files\Itasca\flac500\Options\3-Dynamic\ op_03_12.prj
Geometry:
20 m high model by 1 m width.

Boundary Conditions:
Fix all elements in the y direction
Model Type:
Elastic

Material Properties:
density = 2000 kg/m3
shear modulus = 0.97e8 N/m2 = 97 MPa
bulk modulus = 2e8 N/m2 = 200 Mpa
Input Acceleration Time History:
Taft Record from EduShake (unscaled)

Shake Inputs:
Compa rison w FLAC

Number

De scription

Sa nd

Motion

Sa nd

Sa nd

Sa nd

Sa nd

Sa nd

Sa nd

Sa nd

Sa nd

10

Sa nd

11

Sa nd

12

Sa nd

13

Sa nd

14

Sa nd

15

Sa nd

16

Sa nd

17

Sa nd

18

Sa nd

19

Sa nd

20

Sa nd

21

Infinite Ha lf Space

Output

She ar Wa ve Ve locity

Geometry:
20 m deep model with 1 m thick layers.
Material Properties:
density = 2000 kg/m3
shear modulus = 0.97e8 N/m2 = 97 Mpa
Infinite half space (layer 21)
Linear modulus and damping curves

Unit Weight

Den = 19.6 kN/m3

Damping = 1.0 percent
Input Acceleration Time History:
Taft Record from EduShake (unscaled)
Strain ratio = 0.65
Cutoff frequency = 15 Hz

Required Outputs from FLAC:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Acceleration time history at base of model

Acceleration time history at middle of model
Acceleration time history at top of model
Shear stress versus shear strain time history for middle of model
Shear stress versus shear stain time history for bottom of model
Response spectrum (5 percent damp) as a function of period for surface acceleration time
history (use Seismosignal and the digital results from no. 3 above). The response
spectrum has most of its amplitude in the period range from 0 to 1 second, so in
Seismosignal make a plot of the response spectrum for this range, (i.e., max. period equal
to 1 second).
7. FISH Source code for FLAC model.

Required Output from Shake:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Acceleration time history at top of model (layer 1

Acceleration time history at middle of model (layer 10)
Shear stress versus shear strain time history for middle of model (layer 20)
Shear stress versus shear stain time history for bottom of model (layer 10)
Response spectrum (5 percent damp) as a function of period for surface acceleration time
history (use Seismosignal and the digital results from no. 1 above). Make this plot like
that of No. 6 from the FLAC output, so the two plots can be compared.

Required Calculations and Discussion:

1. Calculate the fundamental period of the 20 m thick soil column using Eq. (7.16) in
Kramer.
2. Compare the maximum shear strain develop in the middle and bottom of the layers for
the FLAC and SHAKE results. Discuss how well the maximum shear strains compare
for both layers for both models.
3. Make a composite plot of the surface response spectra for both FLAC and SHAKE.
Discuss how well the response spectra compare.

FLAC Hints:
1. See file :\Program Files\Itasca\flac500\Options\3-Dynamic\ op_03_12.prj for clues on
how to generate stress vs. strain time histories and acceleration time histories.
2. Use must use an elastic model with hysteretic damping in FLAC to compare with
SHAKE. This is done with the following commands:
model elas
ini dy_damp hyst default 3.325 0.823
(The default hyst damping model in FLAC produces shear modulus and damping curves
that are most similar to Sand (Seed and Idriss, 1970) for the modulus curves and Sand
(Seed and Idriss Lower Bound) for the damping curves. These curves are provided in
Edushake.
3. To read in the Taft acceleration time history, your FLAC code should have
his read 100 taft.acc
apply xacc 9.81 his 100
apply yacc 0 j = 1
(Note that the 9.81 multiplier is applied to the Taft record to convert the record from
acceleration (g) to acceleration (m/s). You must use units that are consistent with the
FLAC analysis (m, s, N, Pa, etc.)
(Note that apply yacc 0 j = 1 prevents rocking of the model along the grid point j = 1.)
4. Use Seismosignal to produce the acceleration response spectra from surface time
histories output by FLAC and SHAKE.
5. To output a surface time history from FLAC, your FLAC commands should have:
set dydt = 0.0008
(This command must be before the solve command and is required to produce an equal
time step.)
his write 8 vs 1; top acc. history to table
set hisfile out-flac-0001.his
(The first command in this sequence writes history 8 (acceleration at top of model) vs.
history 1 (dynamic time step) to create an acceleration time history.)

(The second command writes the results to a file called out-flac-0001.his, which you can
access using Seismosignal to produce an acceleration response spectrum).

Seismosignal Hints:
1. When you read the FLAC surface time history file into Seismosignal, be careful to input
the time step correctly. In FLAC, you set the time step dy/dt equal to 0.0008 and this
time step was used for the calculations. However, when FLAC output this time history
(see file out-flac-0001.his), the program has changed the time step to 0.008. Be careful to
use the 0.008 value in Seismosignal when reading the file; otherwise you time series and
response spectrum will not be correct.

FLAC Solution:

JOB TITLE : acceleration at base of FLAC mode

FLAC (Version 5.00)

LEGEND
28-Jul-05 9:58
step 82639
Dynamic Time 8.4001E+01
HISTORY PLOT
Y-axis :
6 X acceleration( 1, 1)
X-axis :
1 Dynamic time

1.000

0.500

0.000

-0.500

-1.000

-1.500

20

30

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Figure 1. Acceleration time history at base of FLAC model

40

50

60

70

80

JOB TITLE : acceleration at middle of FLAC mode

FLAC (Version 5.00)

LEGEND
28-Jul-05 9:59
step 82639
Dynamic Time 8.4001E+01
HISTORY PLOT
Y-axis :
7 X acceleration( 1, 11)
X-axis :
1 Dynamic time

2.000
1.500
1.000
0.500
0.000
-0.500
-1.000
-1.500
-2.000

20

30

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Figure 2 Acceleration time history at middle of FLAC model

40

50

60

70

80

JOB TITLE : acceleration at top of FLAC mode

FLAC (Version 5.00)

LEGEND
28-Jul-05 10:01
step 82639
Dynamic Time 8.4001E+01
HISTORY PLOT
Y-axis :
8 X acceleration( 1, 21)
X-axis :
1 Dynamic time

2.000
1.500
1.000
0.500
0.000
-0.500
-1.000
-1.500
-2.000
-2.500

20

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Figure 3 Acceleration time history at top of FLAC model

30

40

50

60

70

80

JOB TITLE : Middle of Model

FLAC (Version 5.00)

LEGEND
29-Jul-05 11:26
step 90001
Dynamic Time 8.4001E+01
HISTORY PLOT
Y-axis :
4 Ave. SXY
( 1, 10)
X-axis :
5 strain10

(FISH)

(10

04

3.000
2.000
1.000
0.000
-1.000
-2.000
-3.000
-4.000

-8

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Figure 4 Shear stress vs shear strain middle of model

-4

8
(10

-04

JOB TITLE : Bottom of Model

FLAC (Version 5.00)

LEGEND
29-Jul-05 11:27
step 90001
Dynamic Time 8.4001E+01

(10

04

6.000
4.000

HISTORY PLOT
Y-axis :
2 Ave. SXY
( 1, 1)
X-axis :
3 strain1

(FISH)

2.000
0.000
-2.000
-4.000
-6.000

-20

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Figure 5 Shear stress vs shear strain bottom of model

-15

-10

-5

10

15

20

25
(10

-04

1.1
1.05
Damp. 5.0%

1
0.95
0.9

Response Acceleration [g]

0.85
0.8
0.75
0.7
0.65
0.6
0.55
0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0

1
Period [sec]

Figure 6 Response spectrum for surface from FLAC using Seismosignal.

SHAKE Solution:

Time History of Acceleration

0.30
0.25
0.20

Acceleration (g)

0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
-0.05
-0.10
-0.15
-0.20
-0.25
-0.30

50

100

150

200

150

200

Time (sec)
Layer: 1 - EQ No: 1 - Outcrop: Yes

Figure 7 Acceleration time history at top of SHAKE model

Time History of Acceleration

0.20
0.15

Acceleration (g)

0.10
0.05
0.00
-0.05
-0.10
-0.15
-0.20
-0.25

50

100
Time (sec)
Layer: 10 - EQ No: 1 - Outcrop: No

Figure 8 Accleration time history at middle of SHAKE model (layer 10)

Time History of Shear Strain

0.10

Shear Strain (%)

0.05

0.00

-0.05

-0.10

-0.15

50

100

150

200

150

200

Time (sec)
Layer: 10 - EQ No: 1 - Outcrop: No

Figure 9 Time history of shear strain at middle of SHAKE model (layer 10)

Time History of Shear Strain

0.30
0.25
0.20

Shear Strain (%)

0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
-0.05
-0.10
-0.15
-0.20
-0.25
-0.30

50

100
Time (sec)
Layer: 20 - EQ No: 1 - Outcrop: No

Figure 10 Time history of shear strain at bottom of SHAKE model (layer 20)

Response Acceleration [g]

1.15
1.1
1.05
1
0.95
0.9
0.85
0.8
0.75
0.7

Damp. 5.0%

0.65
0.6
0.55
0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0

1
Period [sec]

Figure 11 Response spectrum for surface from SHAKE using Seismosignal

Figure 12 Comparison of surface response spectra from FLAC (red) and SHAKE (blue)
for a homogeneous soil profile.

Required Calculations and Discussion:

1.

T0 = 4H/Vs = 4(20m)/220m/s = 0.36 s

2.

The maximum shear strains from the plots are as follows:

FLAC (middle) = 10 x 10-4 = 0.001 = 0.1 percent
FLAC (bottom) = 25 x 10-4 = 0.0025 = 0.25 percent
SHAKE (middle) = 0.1 percent
SHAKE (bottom) = 0.27 percent
The shear strains calculated by both models compare well.

3.

The response spectra from both models compare reasonably well. The amplitudes of
the spectra are very similar. The SHAKE spectrum is shifted slightly to the right (to
longer period) when compared with the FLAC spectrum.

Source Code
conf dyn ext 5
grid 1 20
model elastic
prop dens 2000 shear 0.97e8 bulk 2e8
fix y
his read 100 taft.acc
apply xacc 9.81 his 100 yvel 0 j=1
;apply yacc 0.0 j=1; this prevents rocking along gridpoint j = 1
def strain1
strain1 = xdisp(1,2) - xdisp(1,1)
strain10 = xdisp(1,11) - xdisp(1,10)
end
set dydt = 0.0008
his 1 dytime
his 2 sxy i 1 j 1
his 3 strain1
his 4 sxy i 1 j 10
his 5 strain10
his 6 xacc i=1 j=1
his 7 xacc i 1 j 11
his 8 xacc i 1 j 21
ini dy_damp hyst default -3.325 0.823
set dytime = 12

solve dytime 74
his write 8 vs 1; top acc. history
set hisfile inp-flac-0001.his