In colaboration with Bentley Systems

Module 1: Site Response Analysis Using PLAXIS 2D

• Objective: Learn how to perform site response analysis for a specific earthquake event
• Overview:
  • – Introduction to seismic site response and its role in pile design.
  • – Hands-on session using PLAXIS 2D for modeling soil profiles and assessing ground motion amplification or attenuation.
  • – Interpretation of site-specific seismic response.

Module 2: Generating Artificial Earthquake Time Histories

• Objective: Develop realistic ground motion inputs tailored to the site.
• Overview:
  • – Step-by-step process for creating artificial earthquake time histories.
  • – Adopting the design response spectrum to generate site-specific seismic loading.
  • – Integrating generated time histories into numerical models.

Module 3: Evaluating Inertial and Kinematic Forces in Piles

• Objective: Understand and evaluate forces acting on piles during seismic events.
• Overview:
  • – Breakdown of inertial and kinematic forces affecting piles during earthquake loading.
  • – Application of empirical methods to evaluate inertial and kinematic forces.

Module 4: 3D Finite Element Analysis Using PLAXIS 3D

• Objective: Use PLAXIS 3D to simulate seismic behavior and assess the interaction between piles and surrounding soil.
• Overview:
  • – Introduction to modeling pile foundations with 3D finite element analysis.
  • – Advanced soil models for dynamic analysis during a seismic event.
  • – Detailed evaluation of forces exerted on piles under seismic conditions.

Module 5: Integrating Python with PLAXIS 3D for Time-Dependent Analysis

• Objective: Use Python to efficiently process and analyze forces in piles over time.
• Overview:
  • – Automating time-step processing in PLAXIS 3D using Python.
  • – Extracting and analyzing pile forces at various stages of seismic loading.

Module 6: Simulation of Liquefaction Effect on Pile Foundations

• Objective: Analyze the effects of liquefaction on piles using advanced models.
• Overview:
  • – Insights into liquefaction behavior and its impact on pile performance.
  • – Application of advanced soil constitutive models for realistic simulation of liquefaction.
  • – Empirical evaluation of liquefaction effects.
  • – Numerical simulation using PLAXIS 3D to predict liquefaction-induced force.

Mostafa Ismail

Mostafa Ismail is a Chartered Professional Engineer with over 25 years of geotechnical experience across academia and industry. He has led a variety of high-profile infrastructure and offshore projects, specializing in advanced numerical modeling, pile foundation design, and seismic analysis. His expertise includes vibration analysis and automating geotechnical simulations using PLAXIS 2D/3D and Python.

As a Technical Executive at WSP, Mostafa oversees large-scale projects, applying innovative solutions to complex geotechnical challenges, ensuring the success of complex designs under challenging conditions. His contributions to major projects such as the South32 Boddington Bridge has been instrumental in advancing resilient seismic designs. More recently, Mostafa performed a detailed debris flow analysis to assess potential forces on offshore pipeline in the Philippines.

Throughout his career, Mostafa has worked on diverse geotechnical projects, ranging from onshore infrastructure to complex offshore developments. Previously, he held the position of Australasia Numerical Lead with Arup in Perth before moving to the offshore company Advanced Geomechanics in 2009 (now Fugro).

Mostafa has numerous publications and has served on the Editorial Board of the ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal (GTJ). He won the Hogentogler Award for the most prestigious paper in GTJ in 2006 during his tenure as an Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia.

In addition to his technical expertise, Mostafa is deeply committed to mentoring and developing the next generation of engineers. He regularly conducts training and professional development workshops within WSP and has developed several online courses to share his knowledge with a global audience. As a numerical lead in his organization, he continually innovates and develops new solutions to overcome the technical challenges faced by the industry.

The course is delivered online through our easy-to-use Virtual Campus platform. For this course, a variety of content is provided including:

– eLearning materials
– Videos
– Interactive multimedia content
– Live webinar classes
– Texts and technical articles
– Case studies
– Assignments and evaluation exercises

We regularly update this course to ensure the latest news and state-of-the-art developments are covered, and your knowledge of the subject is current.

Live webinars form part of our course delivery. These allow students and tutors to go through the course materials, exchange ideas and knowledge, and solve problems together in a virtual classroom setting. Students can also make use of the platform’s forum, a meeting point to interact with tutors and other students.

The tutoring system is managed by email. Students can email the tutor with any questions about the course and the tutor will be happy to help.

This short course is particularly beneficial to:

This course is ideal for geotechnical engineers, structural engineers, and professionals involved in foundation design, earthquake engineering, or infrastructure projects in seismic regions, who want to deepen their understanding of pile forces under earthquake loading and apply advanced analysis techniques.

Previous knowledge.

Attendees should have prior knowledge of basic geotechnical engineering principles, foundation design, and some familiarity with seismic design concepts. Experience with finite element analysis or tools like PLAXIS will be beneficial, as the course will cover practical applications and introduce advanced techniques.

Once a student finishes the course and successfully completes the assignments and evaluation tests, they are sent an accreditation certificate. The certificate is issued by Ingeoexpert to verify that the student has passed the course. It is a digital certificate that is unique and tamper-proof – it is protected by Blockchain technology. This means it is possible for anyone to check that it is an authentic, original document.

You will be able to download the certificate in an electronic format from the Virtual Campus platform. The certificate can be forwarded by email, shared on social networks, and embedded on websites. To see an example, click here.

Completing this course will enhance participants’ expertise in earthquake loading on pile foundations, opening up career opportunities in geotechnical and structural engineering roles, particularly in seismic design projects. This specialized knowledge is highly valued in infrastructure development, offshore and onshore construction, and consulting roles, providing a competitive edge in both private and public sector engineering positions.