Evaluating the performance of an explicit dynamic relaxation technique in analyzing non-linear geotechnical engineering problems

Explicit dynamic relaxation is an efficient tool that has been used to solve problems involving highly non-linear differential equations. The key feature of this method is the ability to use explicit dynamic algorithms in solving static problems. Few attempts have been made to date to apply this technique in conventional geotechnical engineering. In this study, an algorithm that incorporates the application of a stiffness dependent time step scheme is proposed. The algorithm has been successfully used to solve 2D and 3D non-linear geotechnical engineering problems. To calibrate the developed algorithm, numerical simulations have been conducted for a strip and square footings supported by Mohr–Coulomb material. Performance of four different types of brick elements used in collapse load calculation is examined in terms of convergence speed and accuracy. In addition, the role of employing adaptive time steps in reducing the number of iterations needed for convergence is also evaluated.