Design and verification of sheet-piles and bulkheads. The problem of dimensioning and verifying these structures is solved by Diadim through a finite differences model (FDM) that has been especially designed to evaluate the interaction between soil and structure.

The distribution and magnitude of the loading and resisting forces exerted on the structure are, in fact, greatly influenced by the deformation of the terrain-structure combination, hence it is necessary to use an advanced numerical method that takes into account both the non-linear behaviour of the materials and the time phases of the excavation operations.

The optimisation of the calculation algorithms and the user interface dedicated to specificity of the problem, enable one to analyse and verify quite complex situations with high precision but in extremly very short times.

Given the stratigraphy of the terrain and the position of the aquifer above and below to the work during the different excavation phases, the program calculates the diaphragm as an elastic beam on elasto-plastic supports.

The characteristics and deformability of the terrain are defined in terms of underground modulus that can be defined directly by the user at each stratigraphic level, or, alternatively, can be calculated automatically using different methods based on the geotechnical characterisation of the terrain.

The elastic characteristics of the structure can be explicitly defined in terms of bending stiffness or be automatically calculated on the basis of a description of the section itself; the program can in fact calculate continuous diaphragms in reinforced concrete, beam bulkheads, sheet piles and piles in reinforced concrete.

The user can also choose various constraint conditions of the top and bottom of the diaphragm. The program also enables one to apply external moments and distributed horizontal loads or point loads to the structures.