PLAXIS 2D is a powerful and user-friendly finite-element (FE) package intended for 2D analysis of deformation and stability in geotechnical engineering and rock mechanics. PLAXIS is used worldwide by top engineering companies and institutions in the civil and geotechnical engineering industry. Applications range from excavations, embankments, and foundations to tunneling, mining, oil and gas, and reservoir geomechanics. PLAXIS is equipped with a broad range of advanced features to model a diverse range of geotechnical problems, all from within a single integrated software package.

PLAXIS 2D Advanced enhances your geotechnical design capabilities with more advanced features and material models to consider creep, flow-deformation coupling through consolidation analysis and steady state groundwater or heat flow. It also solves your problems faster than PLAXIS 2D with the multicore solver.

Plaxis 2D Product Data Sheet

Plaxis 2D product comparison matrix

Operating System requirements

Supported: Windows 10 Professional 64-bit, Windows 11 Professional 64-bit
Recommended: Windows 10 Professional 64-bit (all with latest service packs applied)

Internet Connection

For the Subscription Entitlement Service (SES) Licensing used in all PLAXIS CONNECT Edition software, an internet connection is required.

Graphic Card

Required: GPU with 256 MB OpenGL 3.3
Bentley strongly recommends avoiding simple onboard graphics chips in favour of a discrete GPU from the nVidia GeForce or Quadro range with at least 128-bit bus and 1 GB of RAM, or equivalent solution from ATI/AMD.

Processor

Required: dual core CPU
Recommended: quad core CPU

Hard Disk

At least 2 GB free space on the partition where the Windows TEMP directory resides, and 2 GB free space on the partition where projects are saved. Large projects may require significantly more space on both partitions.
For best performance, ensure that the TEMP directory and the project directory reside on the same partition.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Recommended for PLAXIS 2D: at least 4 GB. Large projects may require more.
Recommended for PLAXIS 3D: at least 8 GB. Large projects may require more.

Video modes

Required: 1280 x 800 pixels, 32-bit colour palette
Recommended: 1920 x 1080 pixels, 32-bit colour palette