Compute

To compute results for your Phase2 model, select the Compute option from the toolbar or the Analysis menu. This will carry out the finite element stress analysis for the current model. NOTE:

• The Compute option is not enabled unless the finite element mesh exists.

• If you select Compute before saving a file, you will first be prompted to save the file, and then the analysis will be run.

• If for some reason you need to abort the analysis after selecting Compute, select the Abort button on the Compute dialog, and the analysis will be terminated.

• If you are modeling a finite element seepage analysis, the seepage analysis is automatically computed when you select Compute. You can also compute groundwater independently of the stress analysis by selecting the Compute Groundwater option.

• The Phase2 analysis engine can also be run as a standalone program (e.g. for batch file compute) as described below.

Compute Engine

As of Phase2 version 7.0, two different compute engines are provided with the program:

1. The original Phase2 compute engine (used in versions prior to version 7). Filename: feawin.exe

2. A new compute engine which incorporates Intel's math kernel library, with fast matrix solver routines. Filename: feawin_intel.exe

The executable files can be found in your Phase2 installation folder.

When you select the Compute option in the Phase2 model program, the compute engine which is launched is determined by the setting of the Use Fast Intel Solver checkbox in the Preferences dialog:

• If the Use Fast Intel Solver checkbox is turned ON, the new compute engine (with Intel solver) will be used.

• If the Use Fast Intel Solver checkbox is turned OFF, the original Phase2 compute engine will be used.

The new compute engine with fast Intel solver is now the default compute engine, as it has been proven to give the same results as the original compute engine, with significantly faster solution times for large models, when using Gaussian Elimination (see note below). The new solver is also more robust than the original, and can successfully solve a wider range of models (e.g. with poor quality meshes).

In general the new compute engine is recommended. If for some reason you wish to use the original Phase2 compute engine (e.g. to compare results of old files) you can turn off this checkbox in Preferences. Just remember to turn the checkbox ON again when you are done, to take advantage of the new solver capabilities.

NOTE:

• The faster solution times for the new engine with Intel solver, are only applicable if the Solver Type = Gaussian Elimination (in Project Settings). If the Solver Type = Conjugate Gradient or Pre-Conjugate Gradient, then the new engine and old engine will give approximately the same solution speeds.

• The speed advantages of using the new engine with Intel solver, become more significant as the size and complexity of your Phase2 model increases. For simple models with a small number of elements, there will not be any significant speed advantage with the new engine. However for large complex models with thousands or tens of thousands of elements, the speed advantage will be significant.

• If you are performing SSR stability analysis with large complex models, the new engine with Intel solver will provide the maximum benefit, and can significantly decrease overall computation times required for analysis.

Running Compute as a Standalone Program

The executable files for the compute engines are found in your Phase2 installation folder, and have the following filenames:

• feawin.exe (original compute engine)

• feawin_intel.exe (new compute engine with fast Intel solver)

You can run either engine as a standalone program (e.g. for batch file compute) by:

• Double-clicking on the desired filename.

• Using the Start menu shortcut: Start > Programs > Rocscience > Phase2 7.0 > Utilities > Compute or Compute (Fast Intel)

This will display the Compute dialog, allowing you to select one or more files to compute.

Output Files

After a Phase2 analysis, the following output files are created:

By default Phase2 now uses a compressed file format to store all input and output files for a given model. After the analysis, all of the above output files will be contained in a single compressed (zip) file with extension *.fez.