Collapse of a riprap wall: washout failure and 3D modeling with Plaxis

The collapse of a riprap retaining wall has highlighted a recurring problem: the sliding of blocks due to washing of the underlying foundation soil. This failure, documented in the field, was analyzed with a 3D pipeline that combined ContextCapture for the point cloud and Plaxis 3D for geotechnical simulation.

Collapsing riprap retaining wall, large stone blocks sliding downwards while the sandy foundation soil is carried away by groundwater flow, colorful digital point cloud superimposed on the failure zone, translucent 3D geotechnical model showing slip surfaces and internal stresses, Plaxis 3D simulation interface with deformed finite element mesh, field camera documenting the washing process, cinematic engineering visualization style, dramatic industrial lighting, realistic textures of rock and eroded soil, photorealistic technical render

3D Pipeline: from point cloud to geotechnical simulation 🏗️

ContextCapture generated a precise three-dimensional model of the collapsed wall and surrounding terrain. This model was imported into Plaxis 3D to model the soil-structure interaction. The results showed that the progressive washing of fine material under the foundation reduced the bearing capacity, causing the blocks to slide. The analysis allowed identifying the critical erosion zone and its impact on global stability.

The soil went on vacation and the blocks followed 🏖️

Apparently, the foundation soil decided to take a break and disappear without notice. The blocks, faithful to gravity, decided to accompany it on its getaway. The funny thing is that nobody asked their permission. Now, with the 3D model, we know exactly where and how the soil escaped. Good thing the programs don't take vacations.