Parallel code execution as a tool for enhancement of the sustainable design of foundation structures

Abstract

Civil engineering structures are always in interaction with the underlying parts of the Earth. This form of interaction results in deformations and stresses that affect the service life of structures. Long and predictable service life is one of important aspects of sustainable design. Thus, good knowledge of the interaction effects is an essential part of sustainable design. However, to obtain this information, the use of complex numerical models is often necessary. In many cases, the creation and analysis of such complex models are not possible with the tools usually available in civil engineering practice. Technically, the necessary software and computer hardware exist, but their use for such tasks is still very infrequent and includes many challenges. The main aim of this article was thus to propose an approach of numerical analysis that utilizes parallel supercomputers and software based on the finite element method. The paper concentrated on the feasibility of the solution and on calculation times, because these aspects are usually the main reasons why engineers in practice tend to reject these approaches. The approach was demonstrated on a model case that was compatible with actual in situ experiments executed by the author’s team, and thus the validity of the computed results is verifiable. Limitations of the proposed approach are also discussed.