Finite Element Limit Analysis
The collapse load,
bracketed by proof.
OPTUM G2 is geotechnical software for 2D stability and deformation analysis. Finite-element limit analysis brackets the true collapse load of slopes, retaining walls and foundations — with its accuracy built in.
Official OptumCE imagery — a bearing-capacity limit analysis in OPTUM G2.
What is OPTUM G2?
OPTUM G2 is 2D geotechnical analysis software from Optum Computational Engineering, distributed in India by RAM CADDSYS.
- Method
- Finite Element Limit Analysis — rigorous upper + lower bounds
- Geometry
- 2D plane-strain or axisymmetric
- Analyses
- Limit analysis, SR-FELA, elastoplastic, seepage, consolidation
- Code checks
- Eurocode 7 DA1/1 & DA1/2, plus 4 user-definable sets
It combines finite element analysis with Finite Element Limit Analysis (FELA), which brackets the true collapse load between rigorous upper and lower bounds, and covers slopes, bearing capacity, retaining walls, braced excavations, seepage and consolidation. Strength Reduction FELA returns bounded safety factors in seconds, with built-in Eurocode 7 Design Approaches.
Content verified against OptumCE's official material — Last updated 18 July 2026
Rigorous upper + lower bounds
the exact answer provably between them
Factors of safety in seconds
Strength Reduction FELA (SR-FELA)
The mesh finds the failure
automatic adaptive refinement
Eurocode 7 built in
DA1/1, DA1/2 + four user sets
Finite Element Limit Analysis
Why do deterministic FEA safety factors leave geotechnical engineers exposed?
A single deterministic finite element run gives one safety-factor number with no built-in check on its accuracy — OPTUM G2 instead computes upper- and lower-bound solutions that mathematically bracket the true collapse load, so the exact answer is guaranteed to lie between them.
Ordinary FEA depends on the mesh, the solution algorithm and the analyst's judgement about convergence, and it hands back a single number with no independent check on how close that number is to the true collapse load. OPTUM G2's Finite Element Limit Analysis (FELA) applies plasticity theory to compute both an upper bound, from an admissible failure mechanism, and a lower bound, from an admissible stress field — the exact answer is provably contained between them. No deterministic run carries that check.
Because factors of safety carry regulatory weight, OPTUM G2 pairs that bracketing with built-in Eurocode 7 partial-factor Design Approaches (DA1/1, DA1/2, plus four user-definable sets), so results feed directly into national-annex ULS verification. Where the extra layer of confidence still isn't enough, a stochastic Monte Carlo option propagates soil-parameter uncertainty through the same model to show how variability affects the computed factor of safety.
Upper bound
from an admissible failure mechanism
Exact solution
provably inside the bracket
Lower bound
from an admissible stress field
One 2D model. Six kinds of answer.
Engineers build a single 2D plane-strain or axisymmetric model — geometry, materials, staged construction — then run whichever analysis type the problem calls for: limit analysis for bounded collapse loads, Strength Reduction FELA for factors of safety, or elastoplastic FEA for deformation.
Finite Element Limit Analysis (upper & lower bound)
Computes guaranteed upper- and lower-bound solutions that bracket the exact collapse load using plasticity theory. The true factor of safety is provably contained between the two bounds, giving engineers rigorous confidence rather than a single deterministic estimate.
In the software
The mesh finds the failure by itself.
Automatic adaptive mesh refinement concentrates elements at the failure zone as the analysis runs — collapse mechanisms are resolved precisely without manual mesh tuning, whatever the geometry imported from CAD.
OPTUM G2 vs OPTUM G3
Both share the same Optum FE engine and limit-analysis methodology — the difference is dimensionality, and most practices scope in 2D before verifying critical 3D effects.
| Criterion |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | OPTUM G22D plane-strain or axisymmetric | OPTUM G3Full three-dimensional |
| Design-code checks | Better in this row: Built-in Eurocode 7 Design Approaches (DA1/1, DA1/2, User 1-4) for automated partial-factor ULS verification | Analysis and simulation tool; engineers apply their own code framework and partial factors to the results |
| Best for | Routine slope, foundation, retaining-wall and tunnel-face problems where a 2D cross-section governs | Corner effects, plan-irregular geometry, asymmetric loading, pile groups and 3D failure mechanisms that a 2D section cannot capture |
| CAD import | Strength: CAD geometry import for complex cross-sections | Strength: IGES and STEP CAD import for complex 3D shapes |
OPTUM G2 is now distributed as part of the unified OPTUM GX package alongside G3; RAM CADDSYS can advise which configuration fits a given project.
Designed for Eurocode 7 verification.
EN 1997 DA1/1EN 1997 DA1/2User set 1User set 2User set 3User set 4Built-in partial-factor Design Approaches feed limit-analysis results straight into national-annex ULS checks — with four user-definable sets for jurisdictions beyond the defaults.
Working to a national annex?
Send us the factors. We confirm the set-up.
Chennai, IN
Mon–Sat, 9–6 IST
Singapore, SG
Mon–Fri, 9–6 SGT
Dubai, AE
Mon–Fri, 9–6 GST
Looking for OPTUM G2 Training?
Talk to our team about OPTUM G2 training and onboarding, or browse the live and self-paced courses on RAM CADDSYS Campus.
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