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 offers all the essential functionalities to perform everyday deformation and safety analysis for soil and rock that do not require the consideration of creep, steady state groundwater or thermal flow, consolidation analysis, or any time-dependent effects.

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 Ultimate augments the most comprehensive functionality to deal with the most challenging geotechnical projects. Options offered can help you analyze the effects of vibrations in the soil, such as earthquake and traffic loads; simulate complex hydrological ...time-dependent variations of water levels, or flow functions on model or soil boundaries ; and assess the effect of transient heat flow on the hydraulic and mechanical behavior of soil.

Geotechnical Select Entitlement represents the features included in the PLAXIS program under the select agreement. These features will be active in the program as long as the select agreement is renewed. Click for feature list.

Plaxis 2D Product Data Sheet

Plaxis 2D Product Comparison Matrix

Licensing

Bentley Systems products have a cloud licensing model. With the cloud license, the program can be run without the need for a physical software key or network.In addition, in a license with a maintenance agreement, the program can be used on any number of computers at different times and users can be managed from the user management page.

In case the maintenance agreement is cancelled, the program can be run on as many computers as the number of licenses.

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