The main applications for CESAR-LCPC in geotechnical engineering are:

• Design of embankments, shallow and deep foundations (settlements and soil failure analysis),
• Slope stability analysis: cut or fill for highways, reinforced slopes, earth retaining structures…
• Design of underground structures, deep excavations…
• Seepage, dewatering and consolidation analyses.

In particular, CESAR is well equipped in both 2D and 3D for the design and analysis of tunnels with various methods (conventional, NATM, TBM or cut-and-cover) and in severe ground conditions requiring reinforcement (radial or front bolts, pipe umbrella…).

The main applications for CESAR-LCPC in structural engineering are:

• Massive concrete structures (phenomena associated with young hardening concrete),
• Ancient buildings with masonry structures.
• Design of pavement structures for airport, tramway or other transport facilities.

History

The UGE, formerly known as the LCPC (Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées / Road and Public Works Research Institute), civil engineering research facility, has been involved with these model-building efforts since the end of the 1960's and over the past thirty years has been focusing on the development of its CESAR-LCPC software package.

Development of the CESAR-LCPC product got underway towards the beginning of the 1980's as a definitive successor to the ROSALIE system (developed and revised by the LCPC between 1968 and 1983); Version 2.0 was initially released in 1986. CESAR-LCPC has been designed for continuous review and update by virtue of its status as a research and development tool.

We present below a few models as illustrations of the version evolutions of CESAR from its early age until now. We focus here on geotechnical applications (foundations, excavation and tunnels). More references on other modelling capacities of CESAR could be found for illustration of analyses of structures of Civil Engineering as bridges, ancient buildings or other expert projects.