Abstract
SUMMARY Employing the simple iterative technique of adjusting the element positions using computed potentials to locate the free surface can lead to finite elements with large aspect ratios as the free surface drops towards the base of the mesh. In particular, free surface modelling of earth dams with base drains su⁄er from this problem. The paper suggests a number of steps which can be taken to alleviate mesh distortion problems and improve the numerical stability of the iterative finite element analysis. This leads to a mesh deformation algorithm which adjusts element widths in a simple fashion depending on the free surface height as the iterations proceed. The algorithm is specialized to the sloped earth dam problem, but may find application to other geometries. ( 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Numer. Anal. Meth. Geomech., Vol. 21, 817—824 (1997) (No. of Figures: 4 No. of Tables: 1 No. of Refs: 9)
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