Seismic Response

Spectrum Analysis for 2D

Abutment

Tutorial 28: Updated by Angel Francisco Martinez

Integrated Solver Optimized for the next generation 64-bit platform

Finite Element Solutions for Geotechnical Engineering

GTS NX

Objectives
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Plane strain elements are used to

model both the ground conditions
and Abutment.
Pile elements are modeled as beam
elements and embedded in
Embankment, Clay and Soft Rock
layers.
Model the load in surrounding
ground generated by earthquake and
evaluate dynamic behavior and
vibration effect of ground and
abutment.
Check the eigenvalue of ground
through Eigenvalue analysis, Analyze
ground dynamic behavior affected by
earthquake.
Starting Files Required: GTS NX 2D
Tutorials 28_start.gtb

Step 01
File > Open

GTS NX

Procedure
1.
2.

3.

4.

Main Menu >

File>Open
Double click GTS NX
2D Tutorial
28_start.gtb.
Main Menu >
Analysis > Setting >
Unit System>
tonf>m>s
Click [OK].

Step 02:
Mesh>
Material

GTS NX

Materials
ID
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Name

Type
Mohr
Embankment
Coulomb
Mohr
Clay
Coulomb
Weathered
Mohr
Rock
Coulomb
Mohr
Soft Rock
Coulomb
Mohr
Hard Rock
Coulomb
Mohr
Abutment
Coulomb
Pile

Elastic

Modulus of
Unit
Unit Weight Cohesion Friction
Elasticity(E) Poissons Weight(Y) (Saturated)
(c)
Angle
[tonf/m2] Ratio() [tonf/m3] [tonf/m3] [tonf/m2] []

K0

4,000

0.35

1.8

1.85

1.5

25

850

0.3

1.7

1.7

20

15000

0.35

20

32.5

30,000

0.27

2.4

2.4

45

35

300,000

0.2

2.5

2.5

170

38

232,000

0.19

2.5

2.5

300

36

21,000,000

0.3

7.8

Step 03:
Mesh>
Property

GTS NX

Properties
ID

Name

Type

Embankment

2D

Clay

2D

Weathered
Rock

2D

Soft Rock

2D

Hard Rock

2D

Abutment

2D

Pile

1D

Subtype
Plane
Strain
Plane
Strain
Plane
Strain
Plane
Strain
Plane
Strain
Plane
Strain
Beam

Step 03
Mesh >
Property

Procedure
Main Menu Model >
Property
2. Click on [Create] >Select
[2D].
3. ID 1, Name Embankment.
4. Element Type > [Plane
Strain]
5. Material > Click
[Create]>Select Isotropic.
6. ID 1, Name Embankment,
Model Type [Mohr
Coulomb].
7. Enter the material
properties as shown.
8. Click [OK].
9. Click [Apply].
10. Similarly create the
Properties for all the soil
layers Weathered Rock,
Clay, Soft Rock, Hard Rock
and Abutment.

GTS NX
2

1.

Step 03
Mesh >
Property

GTS NX
2

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

13.

Main Menu Model >

Property
Click on [Add] > Select
[1D].
ID 7, Name Pile.
Element Type > [Beam].
Material > Click [Add].
ID 7, Name Steel, Model
Type [Elastic].
Enter the properties as
shown.
Click [OK].
Property > Click [Add].
ID 1, Name Pile, Type
[Beam].
Click-on Sectional Library
Select [Pipe], D > Enter
0.508m, tw > enter
0.012m.
Click [OK], Click [OK].

11

12
7

Step 04
Mesh >
2D Mesh

GTS NX
2

Procedure
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.
6.

7.
8.

Main Menu > Mesh >

Generate> 2D> Auto Area
Select Object Edges >
Select the edges as
shown.
Mesh Size > Element Size
1,
Property > Select
Embankment Name >
Embankment.
Click [Advanced Option].
Type [Triangle], Check-off
[Register Each Area
Independently].Click
[OK].
Click [Apply].
Similarly create the mesh
sets for Clay, Weathered
Rock, Soft Rock, Hard
Rock & Abutment.

Step 05
Mesh >
Element>Extract

GTS NX
1

Procedure
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.
6.

Main Menu >

Mesh > Element
>Extract Element
From Geometry >
Select [Edge].
Select the 20
edges of the Pile
as shown.
Property ID > 7 :
Pile .
Mesh Set > Enter
name Piles.
Click [OK]

Step 06
Mesh >Element
> Parameter

GTS NX

Procedure
1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.
7.

Works Tree > Mesh > Mesh

set > Pile. Right Click to
invoke Context Menu >
Display > Element Csys.
As can be seen the Element
Csys are not aligned in the
same direction. This will
result in wrong display of
results.
Main Menu > Mesh >
Element > Change Element
Parameter.
In Selection filter select
[1D]>> Change Cys.
Base Element select any
element whose Z axis is
parallel to Global X-axis
Select the Pile mesh set
from the works tree.
Click [OK].

10

Step 07
Mesh >Element >
Create Surface Spring

GTS NX
1

Procedure
1.

Main Menu >Mesh >

Element > Other> Surface
Spring
2. Change units to Kgf and
cm
3. Object Type > Select
[Element-Edge], Element
Width > Enter 100 cm.
4. Select the edges of the
left end of Embankment
2.
5. Select [Point Spring], Kx >
Enter 2.1984.
6. Mesh Set>Embankment
Springs Left.
7. Click [Apply].
8. Select element edge on
the right side of
Embankment 2.
9. Kx = 5.6673.
10. Click [Apply].

6
11

Step 08
Mesh >Element >
Create Surface Spring

GTS NX
2

Procedure
1.

2.

3.

Using the same

method define the
springs on the edges
of each layer.
The value of
subgrade modulus
for each layer and
each edge is shown
in the adjoining
table.
For the Hard Rock
layer in addition to
the spring on the
left and right edges,
springs are also
assigned at the
bottom edge as Ky =
91.5910

Subgrade
Modulus
(kgf/cm3)
1

Layer

Left

Right

Bottom

Embankment

2.1984

5.6673

Clay

0.7164

0.7164

Weathered Rock

15.5995

15.5995

Soft Rock

21.2965

17.8252

Hard Rock

215.6363

312.347

91.591

12

Step 09
Analysis >
General

GTS NX

Procedure
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Main Menu >

Analysis >
General
Name Eigen
Value,
Analysis Type
> Select
[Eigenvalue].
Click-on
Analysis
Control [ ].
Number of
Frequencies
5.
Click [OK],
Click [OK].

3
2

13

Step 10
Analysis >
Perform

GTS NX

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.

Main Menu > Analysis >

Perform
Check on EigenValue.
Click [OK].
All the messages during the
analysis will be shown in the
Output Window. Especially, one
needs to be very cautious about
warning messages, because
these messages indicate that the
analysis results may not be
correct. The model is
automatically saved before the
analysis. The result is saved as
binary file(*.TA*) in the same
folder as the model. The detail
analysis information is also
saved in a text file(*.OUT).

14

Step 11
Results >
Vibration Mode

GTS NX
1

Procedure
1.

2.

3.

Main Menu >

Result >
Vibration
Mode Shape
Check the
periods of 1st
and 3rd modes
where mass
participation is
the largest.
Keep the
record of
periods of
1.081346 sec
and 0.56453
sec.

2
15

Step 12
Dynamic Analysis >
Response Spectrum

GTS NX
2

Procedure
1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

Return to the Pre Mode

Main Menu > Dynamic
Anlysis> Load >
Response Spectrum
Click the boton
next to Spectrum
function
Add Response
Spectrum Functions
Click [Design
Spectrum].
Design Spectrum [UBC
1997], Seismic
coefficient Calculation
Option > Automatic.
Soil Profile Type (S) >
Sb. Seismic Zone Factor
> Zone 1 (0.07). Max
Period > Enter 6 secs.
Click [OK].

3
4

6
5

16

Step 12
Dynamic Analysis >
Response Spectrum

GTS NX

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

Click OK
Click Close
Direction: X
Select Function
Name
UBC97.
Click Add
Click OK

3
4

1
5

2
6
17

Step 13
Analysis > General

Procedure
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.

9.

Main Menu > Analysis

> General
Title Response
Spectrum.
Solution Type:
Response Spectrum
Activate All Sets
Click-on Analysis
Control [ ].
Eigen Vectors >Number
of Frequencies: 5
Click [OK] Button
Drag and drop the Load
Set, 1st Degree, from
Set Tree into Activated.
Click [OK] Button.

GTS NX
2

3
4

18

Step 14
Analysis Control

GTS NX
1

Procedure
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

8.

In General tab>Eigen
Vectors >Number of
Frequencies: 5
Click on the Dynamic
tab
Check on Correction by
Damping Ratio and
click on [
].
Select Mass and
Stiffness Proportional
Select Calculate from
Modal Damping, and
Select Period [sec]
Enter the periods for
1st and 3rd modes from
previous eigenvalue
analysis.
Enter 0.05 in Damping
Ratio for both Mode 1
and 2
Click [OK] Button.

4
5
6
7

8
19

Step 15
Analysis > Perform

Procedure
1.
2.

3.
4.

Main Menu > Analysis >

Perform
Check on Response
Spectrum only.
Click [OK].
All the messages during the
analysis will be shown in the
Output Window. Especially,
one needs to be very
cautious about warning
messages, because these
messages indicate that the
analysis results may not be
correct. The model is
automatically saved before
the analysis. The result is
saved as binary file(*.TA*) in
the same folder as the
model. The detail analysis
information is also saved in
a text file(*.OUT).

GTS NX

20

Step 16
Results >
Displacements

GTS NX

Procedure
1.

Post Works Tree >

Response Spectrum>
Modal Combination>
Displacement > TX

21

Step 16
Results > Beam
Element Force

GTS NX

Procedure
1.

Post Works Tree >

Response Spectrum>
Modal Combination>
Beam Force Element>
Axial Force

22