Alternative remeshing techniques for large deformation analysis of geotechnical problems

Mesh distortion is one of the main drawbacks of the Finite Element method when employed to analyse problems with relatively large deformations. The entanglement of elements caused by large deformations in a finite element mesh may lead to spontaneous termination of the analysis or inaccurate results. The Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method is a robust numerical technique widely used for problems involving large deformations. In this study four remeshing techniques including the Spring Analogy method, the Spring Analogy Elastic Hardening method, the Elastic Analys method and the Radial Basis Functions method are presented for analysing geotechnical problems within the framework of the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian strategy. The performance of these methods in reducing mesh distortion is comprehensively studied. In addition, several mesh quality metrics specifically designed for the 6-noded triangular elements are used to assess these mesh refinement methods. The performance of these mesh refienemnt techniques is investigated by solving a few geotechnical problems including the soil resistance under a rigid strip footing subjected to large deformations, the soil response due to loading on the edge of a vertical cut, dynamic penetration of a free-falling penetrometer into a layer of soil, and dynamic indentation of a sphere into a soil layer.

Automated summary

This study presents four remeshing techniques for analyzing problems with large deformations, aiming to reduce mesh distortion. The performance of these techniques is comprehensively studied using specific mesh quality metrics.