SVFLUX is a

finite element The finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural analysis, heat t ...

seepage analysis program developed by SoilVision Systems Ltd.. The software is designed to analyze both saturated and unsaturated flow through the ground through the solving of Richard's equation. The program is used in the fields of

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

and

hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is call ...

in order to analyze seepage and groundwater regional flow. The software is used for the calculation of flow rates, pore-water pressures, and pumping rates associated with regional groundwater flow. The software can be coupled with CHEMFLUX in order to calculate diffusion, advection, and decay rates or with SVHEAT in order to calculate thermal gradients and freeze/thaw fronts.

Methodology

SVFLUX makes use of a general finite element solver to solve the

Richards equation The Richards equation represents the movement of water in unsaturated soils, and is attributed to Lorenzo A. Richards who published the equation in 1931. It is a quasilinear partial differential equation; its analytical solution is often limited ...

for both saturated and unsaturated flow. The finite element solver makes use of automatic

mesh generation Mesh generation is the practice of creating a mesh, a subdivision of a continuous geometric space into discrete geometric and topological cells. Often these cells form a simplicial complex. Usually the cells partition the geometric input domain. ...

and automatic mesh refinement in order to aid in problem solution. The software has been used on large projects including the Questa Weathering Study which examined the flow regime through waste rock piles. Several forms of the flow governing equation are implemented in the software which provides greater flexibility in solving unique flow situations. The user enters geometry, material properties, and analysis constraints through a CAD-type graphical user interface (GUI). The results may also be viewed in the context of a graphical user interface. The geometry is simply entered as regions which may be drawn, pasted in from Excel, or imported from AutoCAD DXF files. The factor of safety for a specific failure surface is computed as the forces driving failure along the surface divided by the shear resistance of the soils along the surface. A library of benchmark models are distributed with the software.

Features

The developers of SVFLUX have implemented all of the classic features traditionally found in seepage analysis software as well as an interesting list of new features. The following is a list of some of the more distinct features of SVFLUX: * Probabilistic analysis * Unsaturated analysis with improved convergence * Coupled climatic boundary conditions and calculation of actual evaporation (AE) * Automatic mesh generation * Automatic mesh refinement * Support for parallel processing * Large library of example models * Simple and intuitive graphical user interface Classic features also supported by the software include: * Right-click application of boundary conditions and properties * Help system and tutorial manual * Solution for saturated and unsaturated flow * Regional groundwater analysis * Plotting of flowlines and streamtraces * Reporting of fluxes

References

External links

SoilVision Systems Ltd.
{{Geotechnical engineering Geotechnical engineering software