Learning

NEW TRAINING: Meshing in ITASCA Software
Online
Dec 2, 2025 - Dec 3, 2025

This introductory training course offers a comprehensive foundation in geotechnical modeling, enabling participants to identify various mesh types, effectively use the built-in tools in FLAC2D/3D and 3DEC, and gain practical experience with BlockRanger and Griddle for advanced mesh generation.


Itasca Educational Partnership

ITASCA Academics

Software Tutorials

Proppant in Fluid Filled Joints

The transport and placement of proppant within fractures is modeled in 3DEC by representing the proppant and fracturing fluid as a mixture.

Plotting 3D Isosurfaces

This tutorial demonstrates how you can add isosurfaces to your 3D Itasca model plots.

Loops, Splitting, and Operators

When constructing or running simulations, you may want to query or modify values associated with all, or some of, the objects in your model (such as zones, nodes, blocks, balls, contacts, rockbolts, etc.). This may be to measure results like stress or displacement, to assign a calculated extra variable for plotting, or to adjust a property value. There are several ways to identify and navigate across all these objects using loops, splitting, and operators — with each one becoming easier and faster to execute. See how you can apply all of these approaches in a tutorial where a zone property is randomly assigned for strength variability throughout the model. You will also see how much easier and faster these approaches have become. Applying model property distributions via the PROPERTY command is also reviewed.

Technical Papers

Neutral mine drainage water-quality impacts from a form taconite mine

Surface waters at the site of a former Minnesota taconite mine were reported to have solute concentrations elevated with respect to water-quality standards.

Quasi-Static Nonlinear Seismic Assessment of a Fourth Century A.D. Roman Aqueduct in Istanbul, Turkey

This paper presents a model of a stone masonry Roman aqueduct (the Valens Aqueduct), constructed in the fourth century A.D. in Istanbul, Turkey, to explore the seismic capacity and behavior using the discrete element method (DEM).

The role of rock mass heterogeneity and buckling mechanisms in excavation performance in foliated ground at Westwood Mine, Quebec

Operations at Westwood mine in Quebec, Canada were temporarily halted in May 2015 after three large-magnitude seismic events occurred over two days. The mechanisms leading to these events, which caused severe damage to several accesses, were not well understood at first. This paper presents the key aspects of FLAC3D back-analysis modelling, which include (1) an anisotropic rock mass strength model with properties derived from field and laboratory strength testing, and (2) a scheme to account implicitly for the deconfinement that accompanies buckling around excavations.

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Upcoming Events
2 Dec
NEW TRAINING: Meshing in ITASCA Software
This introductory training course offers a comprehensive foundation in geotechnical modeling, enabling participants to identify various... Read More