computer science

UTEXAS

UTEXAS is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand UTEXAS rather than just read about it. In short: UTEXAS is a slope stability analysis program written by Stephen G. Wright of the University of Texas at Austin.

Key takeaways

UTEXAS belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect UTEXAS to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of UTEXAS from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

UTEXAS is a slope stability analysis program written by Stephen G. Wright of the University of Texas at Austin. The program is used in the field of civil engineering to analyze levees, earth dams, natural slopes, and anywhere there is concern for mass wasting. UTEXAS finds the factor of safety for the slope and the critical failure surface. Recently the software was used to help determine the reasons behind the failure of I-walls during Hurricane Katrina.

Methodology UTEXAS uses the limit equilibrium method. The user provides the geometry and shear strength parameters for the slope in question and UTEXAS computes a factor of safety against slope failure. The factor of safety for a candidate failure surface is computed as the forces driving failure along the surface divided by the shear resistance of the soils along the surface. UTEXAS employs a fast automatic search algorithm to find the failure surface with the lowest factor of safety with respect to shear strength. This is the critical failure surface. Alternatively an arbitrary surface can be entered by the user and UTEXAS can determine the factor of safety associated with it. The factor of safety for a shear surface is determined using a procedure of slices. Several different procedures exist and the user can choose among them. Input and output consist of text files. The geologic model is primarily defined using profile lines, which are lines defining the interface between different soil layers. Profile lines are associated with materials, and different materials with different properties can be defined.

Features The following is a list of some of the more distinct features of UTEXAS:

Automatic Search Grid Multi-stage analysis Distributed loads Line loads Non-circular slip surfaces Interpolated pore pressures Internal soil reinforcement

Version history UTEXAS5 - Currently under development UTEXAS4 - Released in 1999. Translated into C++ from Fortran. Microsoft Windows interface Accompanied by TexGraf4 program for displaying results. New features: lateral unit weight variation, import of pore water pressure from GMS/SEEP2D, more shear strength options, ability to contour factors of safety, tension cracks UTEXAS3 - Released in 1990. First version with multi-stage analysis. Accompanied by GRAPHICS3 program for displaying results. New features: Multi-stage analysis. UTEXAS2 - Released in 1986. First version written for PCs. New features: Multiple limit equilibrium procedures, more ways to define shear strength, internal reinforcement, input data format improvements. UTEXAS - Released in 1984. Successor to various programs written by Wright between 1969 and 1984 Features: Multiple piezometric surfaces, nonlinear shear strength envelope, simulation of seismic loading, noncircular slip surface search algorithm

Related software

TexGraf - Reads results from UTEXAS and displays them graphically. Also written by Wright UTEXASED4 - An educational version GMS – has a pre and post processor for UTEXAS

References

External links Home page for STABL. Home page for stabl windows version Archived 2013-01-06 at the Wayback Machine Shinoak Software (UTEXAS Distributor)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with UTEXAS

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what UTEXAS claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to UTEXAS before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about UTEXAS ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of UTEXAS

In research: UTEXAS appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses UTEXAS in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: UTEXAS is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geotechnical engineering software, Hydrogeology software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for UTEXAS outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study UTEXAS in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what UTEXAS means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain UTEXAS out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is UTEXAS in simple terms?

UTEXAS is a slope stability analysis program written by Stephen G. Wright of the University of Texas at Austin.

Why does UTEXAS matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study UTEXAS?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on UTEXAS.