10 - Automate Probabilistic Analysis

This tutorial will familiarize you with the Automate Compute feature of RocPlane by automating a RocPlane Probabilistic analysis.

Topics Covered in this Tutorial:

• Probabilistic Analysis RocPlane Model
• Input Excel File Format
• Pre-processing Input Excel File for Bench Analysis
• Adding Input Excel File(s) to Automate Compute File Queue
• Output RocPlane Automate Compute Results File

Finished Product:

The finished products of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic Analysis folder, located in the Examples > Tutorials folder in your RocPlane installation folder. Inside, you will find:

• Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic_base file.pln4 RocPlane model file setup for automation
• Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic_inputs.xlsx Excel input file
• Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic_inputs folder containing the computed results files
• Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic_post-process.xlsx Excel file with all raw combined results data, Excel formula computations, and Excel graph

1.0 Introduction

The Automate Compute option helps users quickly generate results for several RocPlane analysis cases at a time by reading in various model inputs from Excel. In this tutorial, we will automate the computation of 13 Probabilistic cases, each case with 10,000 samples (i.e., 13 x 10,000 = 130,000 wedges).

2.0 Creating a New File

If you have not already done so, run the RocPlane program by double-clicking the RocPlane icon in your installation folder or by selecting Programs > Rocscience > RocPlane > RocPlane in the Windows Start menu.

When the program starts, a default model is automatically created. If you do NOT see a model on your screen:

1. Select File > New

Whenever a new file is created, the default input data forms a valid wedge, as shown in the image below.

If the RocPlane application window is not already maximized, maximize it now so that the full screen is available for viewing the model.

Before we are ready to run Automate Compute, we must first set up the model environment in the following dialogs:

1. Project Settings
2. Input Data
3. Scale Wedge

3.0 Project Settings

First, set the model Units, Analysis Type, and Block Shape.

1. Select Analysis > Project Settings from the menu to open the Project Settings dialog.
2. Set the Units = Metric, stress as kPa.
3. Set the Analysis Type = Probabilistic.



4. Set the Number of Samples = 10000.



5. Click OK to close the dialog.

4.0 Input Data

Next, set the optional input data.

1. Select Analysis > Input Data from the menu to open the Probabilistic Input Data dialog.
2. Navigate to the Slope tab.
   1. Keep all the Statistical Distributions = None and check box controls in the default state.
   2. Keep in mind that the following are required input parameters that have to be specified later on in the Input Excel File:
      1. Slope Angle Mean
      2. Slope Height Mean
      3. Rock Unit Weight Mean
         
3. Navigate to the Upper Face tab.
   1. Check the Bench Width check box control.
   2. Keep all the Statistical Distributions = None.
   3. Keep in mind that the following are required input parameters that have to be specified later on in the Input Excel File:
      1. Upper Face Angle Mean
      2. Bench Width Mean
         
4. Navigate to the Failure Plane tab.
   1. Keep Waviness Statistical Distributions = None.
   2. Keep in mind that the following are required input parameters that have to be specified later on in the Input Excel File:
      1. Failure Plane Angle Mean
      2. Failure Plane Waviness Mean
         
5. Navigate to the Strength tab.
   1. Set the Shear Strength Model = Mohr-Coulomb.
   2. Set the Random Variables = Parameters.
   3. Set the Cohesion Statistical Distribution = Normal.
   4. Keep the Friction Angle Statistical Distribution = None.
   5. Keep in mind that the following are required input parameters that have to be specified later on in the Input Excel File:
      1. Cohesion Mean, Standard Deviation, Relative Minimum, and Relative Maximum
      2. Friction Angle Mean
         
         We will not apply Tension Crack, Ponded Water, Plane Water, Seismic Force, or External Forces.
6. Click OK to close the dialog.

5.0 Input Excel File

Now, let's take a look at the structure of the input Excel file.

1. Obtain the RocPlane Probabilistic Excel Template by selecting Analysis > Automate Compute > Probabilistic Excel Template from the menu.

A Read-Only Excel workbook titled RocPlane Automation Template_Probabilistic.xlsx will be automatically opened (if you have Excel installed on your local machine).



The RocPlane Probabilistic Input Data Automation Template Excel workbook and worksheets are protected to prevent any accidental modification to the tab structure and headers. The input Excel template contains 9 worksheets for inputting numerical parameters for automation.

2. Create a folder called Tutorial 09 Automate Compute - Probabilistic.

5.1 Slope

1. Navigate to the SLOPE worksheet.
2. Under the Wedge ID column, provide the names of the wedges. We will name them according to Bench Face Angle (i.e., Slope Angle). Each row in the input Excel file represents one Probabilistic Analysis case in RocPlane. We will run a case for each Bench Face Angle ranging from 30 to 90 degrees, by 5 degree increments.
3. Enter the following:

The SLOPE worksheet should look like this:

5.2 Upper Face

1. Navigate to the UPPER FACE worksheet.
2. Under the Wedge ID column, provide the names of the wedges.
3. Enter the following:

The UPPER FACE worksheet should look like this:

5.3 Failure Plane

1. Navigate to the FAILURE PLANE worksheet.
2. Under the Wedge ID column, provide the names of the wedges.
3. Enter the following:

The FAILURE PLANE worksheet should look like this:

5.4 Strength

1. Navigate to the STRENGTH worksheet.
2. Under the Wedge ID column, provide the names of the wedges.
3. Enter the following:

The STRENGTH worksheet should look like this:

• We do not need to enter any data in the TENSION CRACK, SEISMIC, PONDED WATER, PLANE WATER, or SCALE WEDGE worksheets since those are not applicable.
• Save the Excel file as Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic_inputs.xlsx to the Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic folder previously created.

We are now ready to automate computations in RocPlane by reading from the input Excel file.

6.0 Automate from Excel

Return to the RocPlane model.

The Automate Compute dialog allows you to add Excel input automation files to the queue, select a an output format, and compute the results.

6.1 ADD FILES TO FILE QUEUE

To add multiple files to the File Queue:

1. Select Analysis > Automate from Excel from the menu to open the Automated Compute dialog.
   
2. Click the Open button to open a standard dialog to choose an Excel input file. Navigate to the Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic folder and select the Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic_inputs.xlsx file.
   You will see the Excel input file appear under the File Queue list box.
   

7.0 Output Result Files

Results files are automatically generated and saved into the same directory as the input Excel file after Automated Compute is complete. Before we run Compute, first ensure that the Output File Format is set to the desired format. Users can select from either Text File or Excel format.

7.1 TEXT FILE FORMAT

While still in the Automated Compute dialog:

1. Set the Output File Format dropdown to Text File.
2. Select the Compute button to start the automated computing process.
   The Total Progress can be seen at the bottom of the dialog. When files have finished computing, they will appear in the Completed Files list box.
   
3. When all files have finished computing, select Exit to close the dialog.

For each input Excel file case, a text file (.txt) containing all results data is generated..

For a Probabilistic Analysis (Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic.xlsx), the results data for each case are output to a separate text file since each case tends to contain hundreds or thousands of wedge samples. Inside each text file, results for all probabilistic wedge samples in the case are outputted following the header row. Each row of data represents one sample wedge. Each data type is separated by a comma (,) for easy parsing.

• Take a look at the ResultsBFA 30[0].txt result file.

Note that a total of 13 files with the same format (i.e., ResultsBFA 30[0].txt, ResultsBFA35[0].txt, ..., ResultsBFA 90[0].txt ) have been created; one file per case.

7.2 EXCEL FILE FORMAT

Now, we will do the same as before, but this time we will generate the results as an Excel output file format.

1. Select Analysis > Automate from Excel from the menu to open the Automated Compute dialog.
2. Click the Open button to open a standard dialog to choose an Excel input file. Navigate to the Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic folder and select the Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic.xlsx file.

You will see the Excel input file appear under the File Queue list box.

3. Set the Output File Format dropdown to Excel File.
   
4. Select the Save As RocPlane File(s) checkbox. This will save each automated compute case as a RocPlane file.



5. Click the Compute button to start the automated computing process.
6. When all files have finished computing, click Exit to close the dialog.

For each input Excel file case, an Excel file (.xlsx) containing all results data is generated..

For a Probabilistic Analysis (Tutorial 10 Automate Compute - Probabilistic.xlsx), the results data for each case are output to a separate Excel file since each case tends to contain hundreds or thousands of wedge samples. Inside each Excel file, results for all probabilistic wedge samples in the case are outputted following the header row. Each row of data represents one sample wedge. Each data type is separated by column.

• Take a look at the ResultsBFA 30[0].xlsx result file.

Note that a total of 13 files with the same format (i.e., ResultsBFA 30[0].xlsx, ResultsBFA35[0].xlsx, ..., ResultsBFA 90[0].xlsx ) have been created; one file per case.

8.0 Error Log

As you may have noticed, an Error Log is also generated for each input Excel file. For each input Excel file, an Error Log text file (Automate Compute Error Log.txt) is generated, and saved into the same directory as the output file directories. Always check that the Error Log reports "No errors found" before post-processing the raw results data. If any errors do occur as a result of missing (i.e., blank cells) or invalid inputs, the Error Log will indicate which worksheet(s) and cell(s) are problematic.

9.0 Bench Analysis Using Post-Processed Results Data

For demonstration purposes, we are going to post-process the results generated from Automate Compute in Excel. We want to generate a plot of [SUM(Volume of Wedges Failed) / SUM(Volume of Valid Wedges)] vs. Bench Angle.

1. Open a new Excel worksheet.
2. Grab the raw data from all Results Excel files.
3. Under the Data tab, select Get Data > From File > From Folder.
4. Browse for the Automate Compute Results Excel Files folder containing the Results Excel files.
   
5. Select Combine > Combine & Load.
6. Select Probabilistic Values and OK to extract the data from each Excel file.



7. Wait while Excel runs the background query. The combined data will contain all the computed data.
8. Post-process the data in Excel.
9. Consider only valid wedges (i.e., Safety Factor is not "N/A").
10. Group wedges by Bench Face Angle (i.e., Slope Angle = 30, 35, ..., 90).
11. Group wedges by Safe (i.e., Safety Factor >= 1) and Failed (i.e., Safety Factor < 1).
12. Sum Weight of Failed Wedges.
13. Sum Weight of Valid Wedges.
14. Weight Fraction Failed = Sum Weight of Failed Wedges / Sum Weight of Valid Wedges.
15. Plot Weight Fraction Failed vs. Bench Face Angle in Excel: