Stages

A Settle3 analysis can be performed in any number of user-defined stages. Staging represents the sequence in which you would like to define and analyze your model. For example:

• Loads can be applied at different stages, in any sequence.
• Load magnitudes can be applied in user-defined increments, at different stages.
• Load or excavation depth can be changed at different stages.

For time-dependent modelling:

• Stages can represent different times of load or excavation application
• Stages can represent different times at which you would like to compute analysis results

Number of Stages

To define the number and timing of stages:

1. Select the Stages tab in the Project Settings dialog.
2. Enter the Number of Stages.
3. For each stage, enter the stage name and time (if applicable). See below for details.

After you select OK in the Project Settings dialog, the desired number of Stage Tabs will be displayed at the bottom of the application window. To view the model at any stage, select the desired Stage Tab.

Edit Stages

If you are editing an existing model, and you want to add or remove stages starting at some INTERMEDIATE stage, then you must use the Edit Stages option.

• To add stages, click on a stage name and select the Insert Before or Insert After buttons to insert the desired number of stages before or after the selected stage.
• To delete stages, click on a stage name and select Delete.
• The stages are automatically named according to the stage number (i.e. Stage 1, Stage 2,...)
• After stages have been created you can rename them as required, and enter the times (if applicable).

If you add or delete intermediate stages for an existing model, you should check the model carefully to make sure that all loads, etc, are assigned at the desired stages. You may have to edit the model after adding or deleting intermediate stages to achieve the desired stage assignments.

Time Independent Staging

If you are NOT modelling a time-dependent consolidation analysis, then simply enter a Name for each stage. The stage names will be displayed in the Stage Tabs, after you select OK in the Project Settings dialog.

Time-Dependent Staging

If you are modelling a time-dependent consolidation analysis (i.e. the Time-dependent Consolidation Analysis checkbox is selected in Project Settings), then you must enter a Time for each stage, and a Name. NOTE:

• For a time-dependent analysis, each stage represents a single point in time.
• The time of each stage is defined in absolute terms with respect to time zero.
• The time of each stage must be greater than the time of the previous stage.
• The results at each stage represent the results at a specific time, with respect to time zero.
• Results can be obtained with respect to intermediate stages, by defining a Reference Stage (see below).
• The units of time are defined under the General tab in Project Settings, under the Time-dependent Consolidation checkbox.

The Name and Time of each stage will be displayed in the Stage Tabs.

Reference Stage

By default, the analysis results displayed at each stage, are the results with respect to the initial state of the model (e.g. time zero). It is possible to view results with respect to intermediate stages, by defining a Reference Stage. This is done using the Reference Stage option in the View menu. See the Reference Stage topic for details.

Note on Secondary Settlement and Stage Definition

The intermediate stages defined in a time-dependent consolidation analysis affect the secondary settlement calculations in Settle3 because they can affect the time at which primary consolidation begins. Secondary settlement starts after the specified amount of primary consolidation occurs (defined using the Start of secondary consolidation [% of primary]) option in the Advanced tab of the Project Settings. Secondary settlement starts after the specified amount of primary consolidation occurs, but it will not start in the stage in which primary consolidation begins. In addition, primary consolidation will not be set as complete in the stage in which it begins.

To get an estimate of the time at which primary consolidation is complete you can use the time query option. See the time query topic for more information on the use and limitations of time query points.