Compute Groundwater

The Compute (Groundwater Only) option will only be available if the Groundwater Method = Finite Element Analysis in Project Settings.

The purpose of the Compute (Groundwater Only) option is to allow the user to compute a finite element groundwater seepage analysis, without computing the finite element stress analysis.

For example, you may wish to test various groundwater conditions, or verify that you have setup the groundwater boundary conditions correctly for a model, before you proceed to the stress analysis. You can select Compute (Groundwater Only) and view the groundwater results in Phase2 Interpret, without computing the stress analysis.

This can be particularly useful for complex, staged models, where the compute time may be significant, and it is necessary to verify the groundwater results before proceeding to the stress analysis. It can also be used if you are only analyzing a groundwater model, and do not require stress analysis results.

The Compute (Groundwater Only) option is available in the toolbar or the Groundwater menu. It will only be enabled when the finite element mesh is generated.

Compute Groundwater and Stress Analysis

It should be noted that the groundwater seepage analysis is automatically computed when you select the main Compute option in Phase2. That is, whenever you compute a stress analysis with Phase2, the groundwater seepage analysis will automatically be computed before the stress analysis. The Compute (Groundwater Only) option does NOT have to be selected. It is entirely optional, and is available for the purpose described above.

Compute Groundwater Only (in Project Settings)

There is also an option in Project Settings under the Groundwater tab, which allows the user to choose Compute Groundwater Only (see the Groundwater Method topic). In this case, the Compute Groundwater Only status is written to the Phase2 input file. This allows you to compute multiple Phase2 files, and ensure that only the seepage analysis is computed, and not the stress analysis. If you select this option in Project Settings, then only the seepage analysis will be computed even if you select the main Compute option (i.e. the stress analysis Compute).

If you are only dealing with a single Phase2 file, then it is more convenient to select the Compute (Groundwater Only) toolbar button, rather than selecting the Compute Groundwater Only option in Project Settings.