# PLAXIS > Advanced FEA for Geotechnical Engineering and Rock Mechanics Canonical: https://www.ramcadds.com/products/plaxis Source: RAM CADDSYS product catalog — https://www.ramcadds.com/products Categories: infrastructure-geotechnical PLAXIS is the world's most trusted geotechnical finite element analysis software for the analysis of deformation, stability, and groundwater flow in geotechnical and rock mechanics engineering. Used by geotechnical engineers, consultants, and researchers on projects ranging from deep excavations and tunnels to embankments and offshore foundations. PLAXIS by Bentley Systems is the global standard in geotechnical finite element analysis. Its comprehensive library of soil constitutive models, advanced groundwater and consolidation analysis, and integrated dynamic calculations enable engineers to model real geotechnical behavior with accuracy. Available as PLAXIS 2D and PLAXIS 3D for complete coverage of geotechnical project types. ## Key points - Industry-standard geotechnical FEA trusted globally for deep excavations, tunnels, embankments, dams, slopes, and foundations - Extensive validated soil and rock constitutive model library (Mohr-Coulomb through Hardening Soil with small-strain, NGI-ADP, Soft Soil Creep, Hoek-Brown) for realistic ground behavior - Fully coupled flow-deformation and consolidation analysis with steady-state and transient groundwater flow - Staged-construction modeling captures the real stress history of phased excavation, fill placement, and dewatering - Dynamic and seismic analysis (Ultimate tier) for earthquake, vibration, and liquefaction studies with non-reflecting boundaries - Available as 2D (plane-strain/axisymmetric) and 3D, sharing the same material models so workflows scale from cross-section to full geometry - Python remote-scripting (REST) API for automation, parametric studies, and batch runs - Scalable base / Advanced / Ultimate editions so teams buy only the capability a project needs ## Why engineers pick it - **Advanced Soil Models** — Extensive validated library of soil and rock constitutive models including Mohr-Coulomb, Hardening Soil, HS Small-Strain, Soft Soil, Soft Soil Creep, NGI-ADP, and Hoek-Brown, plus a User-Defined Soil Model interface for accurate representation of real ground behavior. - **Groundwater and Consolidation** — Fully coupled flow-deformation and consolidation analysis with steady-state and transient groundwater flow. Pore pressure generation, dissipation, and seepage analysis for embankments, dams, and foundations. - **Dynamic and Seismic Analysis** — Time-domain dynamic analysis for earthquake loading, machine vibration, and impact loading. Absorbent and free-field boundary conditions prevent wave reflections for accurate free-field simulation. - **2D and 3D Analysis** — PLAXIS 2D for plane-strain and axisymmetric problems, PLAXIS 3D for full three-dimensional geotechnical modeling—both sharing the same soil models and analysis capabilities. ## Capabilities - **Advanced soil & rock constitutive models** — A large validated library including Linear Elastic, Mohr-Coulomb, Hardening Soil (HS), HS Small-Strain Stiffness, Soft Soil, Soft Soil Creep, Modified Cam-Clay, NGI-ADP, Jointed Rock, and Hoek-Brown. User-Defined Soil Models (UDSM) let engineers implement bespoke constitutive behavior. - **Groundwater flow & consolidation** — Steady-state groundwater flow from the Advanced edition; transient/time-dependent flow with unsaturated soil behavior and fully coupled flow-deformation analysis in the Ultimate edition. Models pore-pressure generation and dissipation for embankments, dams, and excavations. - **Staged-construction modeling** — Phase-by-phase activation and deactivation of soil clusters, structures, loads, and water conditions reproduces the true construction sequence and the stress history that governs settlement and stability. - **Stability via strength reduction** — Factor-of-safety calculation using the strength-reduction (phi-c reduction) method, with visualization of the developing failure mechanism for slopes, embankments, and retaining systems. - **Dynamic & seismic analysis** — Time-domain dynamic analysis for earthquake, machine-vibration, and impact loading (PLAXIS Ultimate). Absorbent/free-field boundary conditions limit spurious wave reflections, and liquefaction can be studied with models such as UBCSand. - **Structural elements & soil-structure interaction** — Plates, anchors, geogrids, embedded beams/piles, and interface elements model retaining walls, anchors, struts, tunnel linings, and piles together with the surrounding ground in a single FE model. - **Deep Excavation Analysis** — Model retaining walls, sheet piles, bracing, ground anchors, and soil-structure interaction for deep excavation design and monitoring analysis. - **Tunnel and Underground Structures** — Tunnel boring machine simulation, NATM construction sequences, lining design, and ground settlement prediction for underground infrastructure projects. - **Slope Stability and Embankments** — Stability analysis using phi-c reduction for slopes, embankments, dams, and road construction. Includes automatic safety factor calculation and failure mechanism visualization. - **Foundation Analysis** — Settlement, bearing capacity, and pile behavior analysis for shallow and deep foundations under static and cyclic loading conditions. - **Offshore Geotechnics** — Specialized tools for offshore foundation design, seabed pipeline-soil interaction, and suction caisson analysis for wind turbine and oil and gas applications. - **Construction Staging** — Phase-by-phase construction sequence modeling to capture stress history, consolidation effects, and progressive loading behavior throughout the construction process. ## Applications - **Deep excavations & retaining walls** — Diaphragm walls, sheet piles, secant-pile walls, anchors, and bracing analyzed for wall deflection, ground settlement, and prop/anchor forces, including monitoring back-analysis. - **Tunnels & underground structures** — Tunnel cross-section design with the tunnel designer, NATM and TBM construction sequencing, lining forces, and surface-settlement (volume-loss) prediction over urban infrastructure. - **Slopes, embankments & dams** — Stability and deformation of natural slopes, road and rail embankments on soft ground, and earth/rockfill dams, with consolidation, staged filling, and safety-factor evaluation. - **Shallow, raft & deep foundations** — Settlement, bearing capacity, and load-deformation behavior of footings, rafts, and pile groups under static and cyclic loading, including soil-structure interaction effects. - **Offshore & marine geotechnics** — Foundation and seabed analysis for offshore wind and oil & gas — including cyclic undrained behavior (NGI-ADP / UDCAM-S) relevant to monopiles, suction caissons, and pipeline–soil interaction. - **Ground improvement & dewatering** — Modeling of stone columns, preloading/surcharge, vertical drains, and dewatering schemes to assess settlement, consolidation time, and pore-pressure response. ## Questions ### What is PLAXIS used for? PLAXIS is a geotechnical finite element analysis package for deformation, stability, groundwater flow, consolidation, and dynamic/seismic analysis of soil and rock — covering deep excavations, tunnels, slopes, embankments, dams, and foundations. ### Who develops PLAXIS? PLAXIS is a Bentley Systems product, developed and supported by Seequent, the subsurface software company within Bentley. The original PLAXIS company was acquired by Bentley in 2018. ### What is the difference between PLAXIS 2D and PLAXIS 3D? PLAXIS 2D solves plane-strain and axisymmetric problems (cross-sections, long embankments, single tunnels). PLAXIS 3D handles full three-dimensional geometry where 2D simplifications are inadequate — complex foundation layouts, junctions, 3D tunnels, and irregular soil profiles. Both share the same material models. ### What soil constitutive models does PLAXIS include? PLAXIS includes Linear Elastic, Mohr-Coulomb, Hardening Soil (HS), HS Small-Strain Stiffness, Soft Soil, Soft Soil Creep, Modified Cam-Clay, NGI-ADP, Jointed Rock, and Hoek-Brown, plus a User-Defined Soil Model (UDSM) interface for custom models. ### Does PLAXIS design to a specific code (Eurocode, IS, etc.)? No. PLAXIS is a finite element analysis/simulation tool — it computes deformations, stresses, pore pressures, and safety factors. It does not perform automated code-based member design; engineers interpret the results and apply the relevant geotechnical/structural code in their own checks. ### Can PLAXIS perform seismic and dynamic analysis? Yes, in the Ultimate tier. PLAXIS offers time-domain dynamic analysis for earthquake, vibration, and impact loading, with absorbent/free-field boundaries to reduce wave reflection and models (such as UBCSand) for liquefaction studies. ### Does PLAXIS handle groundwater and consolidation? Yes. Steady-state groundwater flow and consolidation are available from the Advanced edition; transient/time-dependent flow, unsaturated behavior, and fully coupled flow-deformation analysis are available in the Ultimate edition. ### What are the PLAXIS editions/tiers? Both PLAXIS 2D and 3D come in three editions — the base edition, Advanced, and Ultimate. The base edition covers deformation and safety; Advanced adds creep, consolidation, steady-state groundwater flow, and a multicore solver; Ultimate adds dynamic/seismic analysis, fully coupled flow-deformation, and time-dependent groundwater flow. ### Can PLAXIS be automated or scripted? Yes. PLAXIS Input and Output provide an HTTP/REST remote-scripting server with an official Python wrapper, used for automation, parametric studies, batch runs, and integration with external tools. ### Can PLAXIS model retaining walls, anchors, and tunnel linings? Yes. Structural elements — plates, anchors, geogrids, interfaces, and embedded beams/piles — combine with the surrounding soil to model retaining walls, struts, ground anchors, tunnel linings, and pile foundations with full soil-structure interaction. ### What operating system does PLAXIS run on? PLAXIS is a Windows desktop application. Check the system requirements for your specific PLAXIS version with RAM CADDSYS, as supported Windows versions and recommended hardware are updated with each release. ### Is PLAXIS available through RAM CADDSYS in India? Yes. RAM CADDSYS markets and supports PLAXIS 2D and 3D for customers in India, with a Singapore office covering South East Asia and the Middle East. RAM CADDSYS provides licensing, training, and technical support for geotechnical engineering teams. --- Full page: https://www.ramcadds.com/products/plaxis Pricing is quoted per territory and is deliberately not published. Talk to us: https://www.ramcadds.com/contact