ITASCA Software Insights Newsletter
Updates, insights, and ideas from the world of advanced geotechnical engineering software.
November 2026 Issue: Celebrate 3DEC Day & learn about new releases, MPM and AI webinars, & more
Welcome to the November edition of ITASCA Software Insights. December 3 is 3DEC Day, and we’re celebrating with a model contest, a live panel discussion on the Material Point Method, and 15% off all ITASCA Software. This issue also introduces the new Borehole Data Platform (beta) and Griddle 3.1, and invites you to an upcoming webinar on using AI to build ITASCA models. You’ll also find a new hybrid FLAC3D-MPoint case study, a guide to calibrating FLAC3D models with monitoring data, and more.
This Issue At a Glance
- 3DEC Day Events: Model contest and MPM panel webinar
- New Releases: Borehole Data Platform (beta) and Griddle 3.1
- Savings: 15% off all ITASCA Software
- Webinar: Using AI to Build ITASCA Models
- Learn: New FLAC3D-MPoint3D slope failure case study, blog article on integrating monitoring data in FLAC3D and IMAT, and training options
- Academic Program: Resources for educators, students, and researchers
- Get Involved: Beta program, v10 user survey, and forum
Join the 3DEC Day Celebration
It’s our annual celebration of the ITASCA Software community where we showcase great models, innovative applications, and the latest technology in numerical modeling.
How can you participate?
Enter the Model Contest: Send us your most impressive models! Enter our model contest for a chance to win cash prizes and gain recognition for your work in our gallery on December 3. We love seeing what our community is creating!
Attend the Webinar: Join us on December 3, 2026, for a special webinar panel discussing the Material Point Method and MPoint, featuring the people who built, tested, and applied it in real-life projects. ITASCA Software Manager Jim Hazzard will moderate a panel discussion consisting of ITASCA Software Engineer Jibril Coulibaly, ITASCA Senior Geomechanics Engineer Christian Cancino, and Stantec Geotechnical Designer Lauren Talbot, an MPoint beta tester.
Register for the time that works best for you:
➡️ Asia Pacific: 5PM CST / 10AM AEDT
Software Savings
3DEC Day Savings: 15% Off All ITASCA Software
As part of our 3DEC Day celebration, take 15% off all ITASCA Software subscriptions through December 31. It’s our way of thanking the community that uses our software to tackle complex problems in geotechnical engineering.
Use code 3DECDAY26 in your cart at itascasoftware.com or ask your salesperson about the discount.
➡️ Shop now
Save 15% with Perpetual Plus
Looking for the benefits of software ownership without missing out on future updates and support? With Perpetual Plus, you don’t have to choose.
Bundle a Perpetual License and Maintenance into one convenient package that includes:
- Permanent ownership of your software
- Access to updates and enhancements through the Maintenance Plan
- Technical support from our team
- Two licenses (one perpetual + one maintenance)
- 15% savings on the complete package
Offer available for a limited time. Contact your ITASCA Software Reseller or email us at sales@itascasoftware.com.
ITASCA Software Releases
NEW PRODUCT: Borehole Data Platform (Beta)
What if picking televiewer structures took minutes instead of days? The Borehole Data Platform (beta) is a new browser-based service that interprets borehole televiewer images automatically with no software to install. By using machine learning trained by ITASCA geomechanics specialists, simply upload your WellCAD files and the platform will:
- Pick planar structures and report their depth, dip, and dip direction.
- Sort each structure into open or closed with a confidence score and measured aperture.
- Calculate RQD, fracture frequency, and RMR over 3 m intervals.
- Show results in an interactive viewer alongside a stereonet, so you can review, filter, and refine before you export.
A typical borehole is processed in about five minutes, and multiple holes can be processed simultaneously. Engineers spend their time reviewing results instead of manually picking structures one by one.
➡️ Learn more
Griddle 3.1 Now Available
Griddle 3.1 adds new tools in Rhino that make it faster to build, organize, and manage your model geometry:
- GCollapse adds three new operations: MeshToMesh collapses meshes onto a base mesh and automatically resolves any overlaps. FitSurface collapses a volume-like surface mesh onto another surface mesh. InterpolateBetween interpolates a series of meshes between a source mesh and a target mesh.
- GUtil keeps your models organized. ColorObjects colors objects and layers by theme, layer name, or object property. NameObjects renames objects to match their parent layers.
- GFile streamlines batch file management. MultiImport brings in DXF, STL, and 3DM files and assigns geometry to layers named after each source file. MultiExport exports selected objects to DXF or STL and can name and organize the files for you.
➡️ Learn more
Version 9.8 Now Available
Updates across the ITASCA Software suite include a new Dynamic Damping Rapid Tool, modal analysis, axisymmetric fluid and thermal analysis, 3D to 2D export tools, improved remeshing, enhanced Python tools, and several new examples.
Users with an active subscription or maintenance plan can install and start using the new features immediately. Want to know more details? Check out what’s new on our blog or YouTube channel.
➡️ Watch the webinar recording
Webinars & Videos
Follow our YouTube channel to stay updated on the latest from ITASCA Software.
Using AI to Help Build ITASCA Models
Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 10:00 AM CST
Want to learn how AI can speed up your modeling work? In this live webinar, ITASCA Senior Engineer David DeGagne will use Claude to build a coupled FLAC3D-MPoint3D model, from setting up the problem through running the simulation. He’ll also demonstrate how GeoBot, ITASCA’s AI assistant, can streamline your daily work and provide tips for getting the most useful results from an AI assistant.
Whether you’re new to ITASCA Software or have years of experience, you’ll leave with practical ways to bring AI into your workflow.
➡️ Register now
Modeling Large Deformation with MPoint
ITASCA’s new Material Point Method software, MPoint, can continuously simulate extreme deformation processes, including landslides, tailings dam or earth dam failures, liquefaction, and material flow that can challenge conventional numerical approaches. In this webinar, we’ll demonstrate:
- The fundamentals of MPM technology and how it handles large deformation without mesh distortion.
- An overview of pore pressure generation, wall coupling, Rayleigh damping, Python support, and more.
- How MPoint can be coupled with FLAC for an efficient hybrid modeling approach.
- Example applications of slope failure and runout analysis.
ITASCA Software Case Studies
A Hybrid FLAC3D-MPoint Approach to Model Post-Failure Slope Behavior
Where does failed material end up after a slope fails? In this case study first presented at EUROCK 2026, ITASCA engineers investigated three methods of modeling a slope failure at a mine in Peru: a fully FLAC3D model, a fully MPoint (Material Point Method) model, and a coupled FLAC3D-MPoint3D model. In the coupled approach, MPoint’s material points are only used where deformation becomes extreme, and FLAC3D zones are used for the rest of the model. The hybrid model reached the same conclusion as a full MPM simulation, and it ran about 10 times faster and removed unrealistic behavior.
Advanced Tailings Dam Breach Analysis Using the Material Point Method
How do you estimate breach parameters for tailings dams when traditional methods are based on water dams? In a partner case study, Nicolas Pereira Magnere and Sudheer S Prabhu of Geosyntec Consultants use MPoint to model the Brumadinho tailings dam failure. The study examines how the Material Point Method provides a physics-based approach that can connect predicted discharge and mobilized volume directly to geotechnical conditions.
Want to go deeper on MPoint? Visit our full library of case studies and articles.
ITASCA Software Blog
From the Field to the Model: Calibrating FLAC3D Slope Models with Monitoring Data in IMAT
Learn how to use your slope monitoring data to calibrate FLAC3D models in IMAT (ITASCA’s Mining Analysis Toolbox). IMAT is a set of FLAC3D pre- and post-processors built for mine-scale problems that can handle large geometry and monitoring datasets through a simpler interface, with FLAC3D running underneath as the engine. This article shows how to import topography, structures, prism and radar readings, and pore pressure data into a model, which can then be calibrated to assess future excavation and water pressure scenarios with greater confidence.
Coupling ITASCA’s MPoint and FLAC Software
Interested in learning how to couple FLAC and MPoint for large deformation analysis? Visit our blog to read how you can use the hybrid MPoint-FLAC approach to apply each method where it is most effective, creating an integrated workflow for engineers to model from initial deformation continuously through failure and runout.
ITASCA Software Training
Add to your ITASCA Software skillset with our online or in person training course offerings.
Free On-Demand Training Library
Our free online software training videos are available on demand any time, day or night. Develop new skills, discover best practices, and learn at the time and pace that works for you.
➡️ Explore free training resources
Custom Training
Looking for personalized training? Our team will work with you to design a training program to meet your project goals.
➡️ Learn about custom training
ITASCA Academic Program
From classroom instruction and student projects to advanced research initiatives, the ITASCA Academic Program supports the academic community with software, resources, and opportunities that bridge the gap between engineering theory and real-world applications. Educators can bring industry-recognized modeling tools into their courses, students can build practical skills that prepare them for their careers, and researchers can advance understanding of complex engineering challenges with cutting-edge numerical modeling technology.
➡️ Learn more about the ITASCA Academic Program
➡️ Explore ITASCA’s Flexible Numerical Modeling Curriculum
User Feedback Opportunities
ITASCA Software Beta Program
Want to test out upcoming features and innovations? Get early access to ITASCA’s most cutting-edge tools by joining our Software Beta Program, where you can play a role in refining the tools you use for geotechnical analysis by providing user feedback.
➡️ Learn about our Beta Testing Program
Help Shape ITASCA Software Version 10
We want your input while we develop Version 10! Tell us what features, enhancements, or workflow improvements would have the greatest impact on your projects and business. Your feedback will help our development team prioritize innovations and ensure future releases address real-world engineering challenges.
ITASCA Software Forum
Connect with the ITASCA Software User Community
Have a modeling question or looking for practical tips? The ITASCA Software Forum is a community space to ask questions, share answers, and learn from users working with the ITASCA Software suite. Anyone can join and browse discussions, but you’ll need a valid software license to post questions and feedback.
➡️ Visit the Forum and join the discussion.
Stay Connected
Enjoyed this month’s insights? Follow the ITASCA Software Insights LinkedIn Newsletter for monthly updates on webinars, training opportunities, case studies, software releases, and industry events.
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Questions? Contact our team at sales@itascasoftware.com.