Research papers
Oasys software is underpinned by the latest engineering research, drawing on work by Oasys specialists, Arup engineers, clients, and independent researchers.
Optimising Foundation Layouts over Existing Tunnels
April 2025
Arthur Chai
An automated foundation layout optimiser was developed and utilises the principles of genetic algorithms to minimise hoop stresses within underlying tunnels. The achieved accuracy of maximum hoop stress values was within ±0.1kPa of the theoretical minimum for a…
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Streamlining Utilities Ground Movement Assessments
February 2024
Ayrton Gill
Ground Movement Assessments (GMAs) involve analysing and mitigating the damage caused by construction related ground movement on strategic utilities, operational tunnels and historically important buildings. Gaining approval from owners of assets located in the densely populated areas around…
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Reality capture research study
May 2023
Sarah Cauldwell | Dmitry Ivakin
Redesigning, repurposing, or reviewing the operation of existing buildings can present challenges including a potential lack of full and accurate 3D spatial records. Arup has worked with in-house and external specialists to use reality capture scanning to develop…
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Automation in geotechnical design
September 2019
Zena Farook | Carol Matthews | Mark Skinner | Matthew Brown
Automation – the use of computers to repeat tasks – is becoming increasingly important in engineering. The application of automation can provide technical and commercial benefits to an engineering design project: Costs and calculation time can be reduced,…
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Assessing utilities for large infrastructure projects
October 2018
Francesc Miranda | Ricciardo Impiumi | Zeena Farook
Geotechnical Engineers are faced with huge challenges in predicting the movements caused by tunnelling and excavations and their impacts on utilities. Furthermore the number of parties involved in infrastructure projects often requires multiple iterations to come to a…
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Evaluation of building use scenarios by crowd simulations
July 2018
S. Mastrolembo Ventura | T. Hilfert | M. Archetti | M. Rizzi | A. Spezia | L.C Tagliabue | E. Oliveri | A.L.C. Ciribini
Virtual reality (VR) is becoming common in the simulation; Immersive virtual environment; BuildingAEC/FM industry, closely linked to BIM performanceimplementation. VR tools can be used to anticipate operational issues, simulating them in a virtual prototype since early design. The…
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Sensitivity analysis for the evacuation modeling of road tunnels using MassMotion
March 2017
Giordana Gai | Piergiacomo Cancelliere
In order to reproduce through numerical models the emergency egress of people from road tunnels in case of critical events (such as fire, explosion, toxic release, etc.) several assumptions and approximations must be made on the human behaviour…
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Optimizing Structural Building Elements in Metal by using Additive Manufacturing
August 2015
Salomé Galjaard | Sander Hofman | Neil Perry | Shibo Ren
In order to explore the possibilities of using Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques for the production of metallic structural elements for the Building Industry research has been carried out by the international engineering firm Arup. The research is based…
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Technical and economical feasibility of using GGBS in long-span concrete structures
November 2014
Kangang Tang | Steve Millard | Greg Beattie
China accounts for nearly half of the global steel production. As a waste material or a by-product in the manufacture process, a large amount of blast furnace slag is generated every year. The majority of recycled blast furnace…
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Structural Analysis of the Femur: A Collaborative Tool for Surgeons and Engineers
September 2014
Alice Young
Finite element (FE) modelling has been widely used to create and assess models of the musculoskeletal system. However to achieve a high degree of resolution in describing the structural behaviour of the system, significant computational power and time…
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Slope Stability Analysis
May 2014
Carol Matthews | Zeena Farook | Peter Helm
Since the 1930s, the limit equilibrium (LE) approach has-been used to analyse slopes. This approach makes use of a number of differing analysis methods depending on the type of problem (circular vs non-circular) to be solved and the…
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Efficient sparse matrix multiple vector multiplication
February 2014
Ramaseshan Kannan
The problem of obtaining high computational throughput from sparse matrix multiple–vector multiplication routines is considered. Current sparse matrix formats and algorithms have high bandwidth requirements and poor reuse of cache and register loaded entries, which restrict their performance.…
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A Panel Element for Parallel Finite Element Analysis
August 2013
Thomas Li
This paper presents a panel element that can be large in size without compromising analysis results. The development of this element is to help overcome the conflict requirements in finite element analysis. Finite element analysis principle requires element…
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Design of a piled raft for a tall building founded on granular soil
April 2013
Allievi L. | Ferrero S. | Mussi A. | Persio R. | Petrella F.
The process followed in designing the piled raft foundation of a tall building is discussed. This entails analysing the governing limit states, assessing the geotechnical characterisation of the soil deposit as well as deploying the appropriate modelling tool…
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MassMotion A Step In The Right Direction Interflam
April 2013
Dermot O’Donnell | Tim Roberts | Peter Debney
The use of advanced evacuation modelling has become an integral part of the performance based design process to ensure buildings remain ‘safe’ for their occupants. There is currently a number of existing evacuation modelling packages on the market…
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Footfall Induced Vibration In Longspan Composite Steel Beams
February 2013
V.N. Patel | R.J. Built
Floor vibration due to human activity has become increasingly recognised by structural engineers, architects, and building owners as an inherent issue in long-span steel framed floor systems. In the past, attention was primarily focused on strength and deflection…
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Prediction and measurement of stadia dynamic properties
January 2012
Paul Reynolds | Aleksandar Pavic | Michael Willford
This paper describes an investigation of the dynamic behaviour of the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester in the UK. A programme of pre-test numerical modelling, ambient and shaker modal testing and post-test FE modelling is described, with…
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The Architecture Of The Dragonfly Wing
November 2011
Maria Mingallon | Sakthivel Ramaswamy
This paper studies the smart behaviour observed in dragonfly wing combining advanced digital modelling techniques with non-linear structural analysis. The morphology of the dragonfly wing is an optimal natural construction built by a complex patterning process, developed through…
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Using Case Study Data To Validate 3D Agent-Based Simulation Tool (MassMotion) for Egress Modeling
August 2011
Eric Rivers | Carla Jaynes | Amanda Kimball | Erin Morrow | Micah Zarnke
This paper describes how data collected from observed evacuation drills were used to validate the 3D agent-based pedestrian simulation tool, MassMotion, for egress modeling. MassMotion employs 3D environments and behavioural profiles to model and analyze pedestrian movements and…
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Detecting the Causes of ill Conditioning in Structural
June 2011
Ramaseshan Kannan | Stephen Hendry | Nicholas J. Higham | Fran¸coise Tisseur
In 2011, version 8.6 of the finite element-based structural analysis package Oasys GSA was released. A new feature in this release was the estimation of the 1-norm condition numberκ1(K) =K1K−11of the stiffness matrixKof structural models by using a…
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Efficiently Using Pedestrian Microsimualtion
December 2010
Erin Morrow
At major transit terminals large, volumes of people, intricate operational procedures, and complex built environments present significant challenges to effective pedestrian facility design. Transbay Terminal in San Francisco is a prime example of layered complexity. It is a…
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Seismic earth pressures – a technical note
October 2009
Merrick Taylor
This brief technical note summarises the key methods in codes and the literature and how they are applied. It is a synthesis of papers presented by the author last year at the New Zealand Geotechnical Symposium and recent…
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Importance of material properties in fabric structure
June 2009
Benjamin N. Bridgens | Peter D. Gosling | Caroline H. Patterson | Stuart J. Rawso | Newton Hove
Coated woven fabrics are used in state-of-the-art structures yet broad assumptions are made in both material testing and analysis. Design is not codified and relies heavily one experience and precedent. Increasingly architects are moving away from conventional fabric…
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Innovative Approaches to Pedestrian Planning
October 2007
Jeff Bateman | Tim Laspa | Erin Morrow
Union Station is the most important transportation hub serving the Greater Toronto Area. The revitalization of Union Station is intended to improve the delivery of local, regional and national rail passenger services. The revitalization process is being facilitated…
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The Use of Advanced Evacuation Modelling for Building Design
September 2006
Gabriele Vigne | Felipe Herrera | Jimmy Jönsson | Dermot O'Donnell
Evacuation and human behaviour in emergency situations is one of the most important aspects when designing “safe” buildings. A thorough understanding of the building, its means of escape, the amount and types of occupants, its alarm and detection…
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Structural Optimization of Free Form Grid Shells
April 2026
Milos Dimcic | Jan Knippers
In the 21st century, as free-form design gains popularity, free-form grid shells are becoming a universal structural solution, enabling merger of structure and façade into a single layer – a skin. This paper shows some of the results…
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