The following general procedure outlines the typical sequence of steps used to carry out an analysis with Unwedge:
Project Settings - first, make sure you select the desired Unit System (metric or imperial) in the Project Settings dialog. You may also enter a project title. If you are analyzing End Wedges, make sure the Compute End Wedges checkbox is selected.
Define Opening Section (Add Opening Section / Import DXF) - define the opening cross-section of your excavation with the Add Opening Section option, or you may import the coordinates from a DXF file.
Input Data > Tunnel Axis Orientation , Unit Weight - enter the Tunnel Axis Orientation and the rock unit weight under the General tab of the Input Data dialog.
Input Data > Joint Orientations - enter the joint orientations under the Joint Orientations tab of the Input Data dialog. Joint orientations can also be imported from a DIPS .DWP file.
Input Data > Joint Properties - enter the joint properties (strength, water pressure) under the Joint Properties tab of the Input Data dialog.
Assign Joint Properties - if your joints have different properties, then assign the desired properties to the joints under the Joint Orientations tab of the Input Data dialog.
3D wedge view - view the results in the 3D wedge view, which provides perspective, top, front and side views of the excavation and all of the possible wedges which are formed. Results can also be viewed in the Multi Perspective View or the End Wedge View.
Wedge Information - detailed analysis results (safety factor, wedge weights etc) are available in the Wedge Information panel of the Sidebar. Also, the Info Viewer provides a comprehensive summary of model input data and analysis results.
Scale Wedges - by default, Unwedge always initially calculates the maximum sized wedges which can form around the excavation. Use the Scale Wedges option to scale down the size of the wedges, according to actual field observations (e.g. observed joint trace lengths).
Support Design (Bolts / Shotcrete / Pressure) - if any wedges require support to achieve the design safety factor, you can add bolts, shotcrete, or pressure support to the model, to determine the support requirements which are necessary. Use the Perimeter Support Design view to define support around the perimeter of the excavation. Use the End Support Design view to define support for the end wedges of the excavation.
Iterate Support Design - Experiment with the support parameters (e.g. bolt spacing, length, properties), until you have achieved a satisfactory support design for the model.
Advanced Features:
Combination Analyzer - if you have more than 3 joint planes of interest, the Combination Analyzer option will automatically analyze all possible combinations of 3 joint planes. A summary of results allows you to determine which joint combinations are the most critical.
Field Stress - with the Field Stress option, you may include the effect of in-situ stress (clamping stress) on the safety factor of the wedges.
Tunnel Axis Plot - a Tunnel Axis Plot (contour, 3D or 2D chart) allows you to optimize the tunnel orientation with respect to any variable (e.g. required support pressure), within any user-defined range of tunnel orientation (trend , plunge).