User’s Guide 1

PRECIS
This volume is the user’s guide to FLAC 3D. This guide contains general information on the operation
of FLAC 3D for engineering mechanics computation.
Section 1 gives an introduction to the capabilities and applications of FLAC 3D. An overview of the
new features in the latest version of FLAC 3D is also provided.
The first-time user should consult Section 2 for an introduction to the operation of FLAC 3D. The
installation and operation procedures are given along with a simple tutorial to guide the new user
through a FLAC 3D analysis.
Section 3 provides general guidance in the use of FLAC 3D in problem solving for static mechanical
analysis for geotechnical engineering.
An introduction to the built-in programming language, FISH, is given in Section 4. This includes
a tutorial on the use of the FISH language. Note that no programming experience is assumed.
Section 5 provides an introduction to and examples of the various ways FLAC 3D has of interacting
with complex geometric data. It also provides a brief guide for those switching from SpaceRanger
(provided with KUBRIX) to functionality now included directly in FLAC 3D.
Section 6 gives an overview and tutorial of the Discrete Fracture Network capabilities built into
FLAC 3D. This includes both the generation of DFNs and the ways that these DFNs can interact
with FLAC 3D zones.
Various items of interest to FLAC 3D users are contained in Section 7, including a FLAC 3D run-
time benchmark on several different types of computers and procedures for reporting errors and
requesting technical assistance.
Section 8 contains a bibliography of published papers describing some applications of FLAC 3D in
different fields of engineering.
The FLAC 3D Manual consists of thirteen documents. The following list of volumes, which comprise
the FLAC 3D Manual, are available. (The titles in parentheses below are the names used to refer to
the volumes in the text.)
USER’S GUIDE – (User’s Guide) – an introduction to FLAC 3D and its capabilities
COMMAND REFERENCE – (Command Reference) – descriptions of all FLAC 3D commands
except the PLOT command, which has its own volume
PLOT COMMAND REFERENCE – (Plot Command Reference) – description of the PLOT com-
mand
FISH in FLAC 3D – (FISH volume) – a complete guide to FISH as applied in FLAC 3D
THEORY AND BACKGROUND – (Theory and Background) – thorough discussions of the built-
in features in FLAC 3D

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CONSTITUTIVE MODELS – (Constitutive Models) – description and details of the mechanical

constitutive relations provided with FLAC 3D
FLUID-MECHANICAL INTERACTION – (Fluid-Mechanical Interaction) – discussion of the
formulation and examples of the groundwater flow model
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS – (Structural Elements) – descriptions for the six types of structural
elements in FLAC 3D : beams, cables, piles, shells, liners and geogrids
THERMAL ANALYSIS – (Thermal Analysis) – discussion of the formulation and examples of
thermal heat conduction
CREEP MATERIAL MODELS – (Creep Material Models) – covers FLAC 3D’s capability to model
time-dependent creep behavior
DYNAMIC ANALYSIS – (Dynamic Analysis) – discussion of the formulation and examples of
dynamic modeling
VERIFICATION PROBLEMS – (Verifications volume) – a collection of verification problems
EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS – (Examples volume) – a collection of example applications

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