Comparison between PLAXIS 2D and CYPE to simulate an anchored wall

Resumo

This paper presents a specific case study where a retaining wall necessary to support the construction of a residential building with 4 floors below the ground level and 10 floors above ground was numerically evaluated. The design solution comprised a reinforced concrete diaphragm wall with four levels of ground anchors. Two different commercial software were used to model this case study: PLAXIS 2D ®, and the Cype - StruBIM Embedded walls, v.2023. PLAXIS 2D ® uses the Finite Element Method, allowing the simulation of the soil deformation and comprising the soil-structure interaction. Cype models the soil behaviour by the Winkler theory representing it by fictious springs with a given stiffness related to the soil properties. The results are compared in terms of the deformation of the wall and surrounding soil, as well as the bending moments on the wall. The comparison between the two numerical tools highlights their different assumptions. PLAXIS 2D ® provides the deformation of the surrounding soil, while Cype is more devoted to the estimation of the stresses and bending moments on the wall.