Webinar | Fundão Spatial Stability Analysis

Available On Demand

The failure of the Fundão Dam, the largest disaster of its kind in the world, was studied by Morgenstern et al. (2016) using two-dimensional approaches.

The investigation focused on 2D profile analysis and the complex shape of the dam and its concave and convex regions were not originally considered due to limitations of the analysis tools employed. 

This presentation presents two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) analyses that are well suited for the Fundão dam geometry. Slope stability analyses were accomplished using the Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) of columns. Critical slip surfaces were searched in 2D and 3D, across the entire dam face. Theoretical material properties and publicly available data re used to construct the model.

Therefore, this presentation is not a re-examination of the actual expert panel analysis but rather an examination of a general modeling approach of performing 2D and 3D slope stability analysis of tailings dam structures that may have 3D geometry.

Through this webinar, you get to see: 

• 2D and 3D geometry modelling​
• Method of Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) of columns​
• Slope stability analysis of tailings dam structures

Watch Now

Dr. Fredlund received his training from the University of Saskatchewan and Texas A&M University and has published over 50 research papers on topics related to database design, finite element modeling, and unsaturated soil knowledge-based systems. In 1997 he started SoilVision Systems Ltd. with a database software product called SoilVision which could be used to estimate unsaturated soil behavior. He has since directed the development of eight finite element software packages covering areas of groundwater flow, contaminant transport, geothermal analysis, air-flow analysis, stress / deformation, and slope stability.

Kyle Shen joined Bentley Systems in 2018 after working as a geotechnical engineer where he worked on several infrastructure projects in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia region. Kyle’s role at Bentley is focused on working with engineering consultants from various sectors in Australia and New Zealand in showing the benefits of adopting Bentley’s geotechnical solutions, gINT, PLAXIS and OpenGround. ​

Kyle obtained his master’s degree in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of New South Wales. Kyle works out of Bentley’s office in Sydney, Australia.