Hi guys,
I'm new on iMechanica, well at least writing on it, I've been working on a project about geomechanics in order to get my mechanical engineer university degree. The thing is that I'm felling like I can't get all this stuff together, so I would like to ask some questions about my project (Abaqus model of an open pit mining scenario):
1. I read some papers about some projects very simillars to the one that I'm working on, some of them say that I should use cohesive elements to model planes of weakness but in Abaqus User Manual I found that I have to use the *JOINTED option. Which option should I take?
2. I'm aware that the geometry of this project is the most difficult part of this project, but I don't even know how to start. People here have some real geometries of open pits in AUTOCAD and VULCAN but I don't have a clue about how to import those.
3. I would like to have some examples of the application of cohesive elements working like a plane of weakness within some rock mass. I've already tried with a simple cube with a diagonal plane made out of coehsive elements with traction-separation law. It didn't work at all, all the stresses got multiplied by thousands and the cohesive elements failed under a very low applied pressure. Maybe some of you guys may have worked with this elements PLEASE HELP ME!
Well thats all for now. Thanks!