[GeoMechanicsApplication] User input translator for Civil Engineers

[indigocoral]

As a civil/geotechnical engineer,
I want to use familiar engineering parameters when defining a Kratos model,
So that I can create models more efficiently and with fewer input conversions when translating inputs from tools such as D-Sheet Piling and a commercial FE package.

Description

Many engineers are used to defining soil, structural, interface, and anchor properties using the terminology and parameters available in common geotechnical software packages such as D-Sheet Piling and commercial FE package. Currently, Kratos often requires different input variables, forcing users to manually convert engineering properties into Kratos-specific parameters. This process is time-consuming, error-prone, and creates an unnecessary barrier for adoption.

The goal of this initiative is to introduce a user-friendly input layer that accepts commonly used geotechnical engineering parameters and automatically translates them into the underlying Kratos inputs.

Examples include:

Soil properties

Allow the use of:

• Saturated weight
• Unsaturated unit weights

instead of requiring DENSITY_SOLID.

Investigate support for D-Sheet Piling style parameters such as modulus of subgrade reaction(?).

Interface properties

Continue supporting direct input of normal and shear stiffness.
Explore automatic derivation of interface stiffness parameters from soil inputs where possible.

Sheet pile properties

Allow engineers to provide:

• Unit weight
• Axial stiffness (EA)
• Bending stiffness (EI)
• Poisson's ratio

Reduce the need to specify parameters such as YOUNG_MODULUS and THICKNESS when equivalent engineering properties are already known.
Long-term goal: provide a library of common sheet pile profiles/classes that users can directly select from.

Anchor properties

Allow engineers to define anchor parameters using familiar quantities such as:

• Spacing (L_spacing) (for axisymmetric models fixed-end anhors: in unit of length)
• Axial stiffness (EA)

Minimize the need for inputs such as CROSS_AREA and DENSITYwhen they are not the primary engineering design parameters.

Acceptance Criteria

• Users can provide common geotechnical engineering parameters instead of Kratos-specific material parameters where applicable.
• The system converts supported engineering parameters to the required Kratos inputs in the back.
• Support is available for soil properties defined using saturated and unsaturated unit weights.
• Support is available for sheet pile properties defined using EA and EI.
• Interface properties can be defined through direct engineering stiffness values or derived automatically when applicable.
• Anchor properties can be defined using engineering quantities such as spacing and axial stiffness.
• The design is extensible to support future additions such as predefined sheet pile profile libraries.