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A simple model of a phreatic surface through an earth dam

T. V. Hromadka
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Abstract

A simple numerical model for estimating a phreatic surface in an earthen dam is presented. The numerical approach is based upon the Complex Variable Boundary Element Method (CVBEM). By expanding the CVBEM approximation geometric functions into a first order Taylor series, the unknown phreatic surface location geometrics can be approximated without iteration by solving a single matrix system. The developed technique provides for the numerical solution of the inverse problem of locating the phreatic surface coordinates. A comparison of results produced from this simple approach to results produced from a finite element analog and an iterative CVBEM analog for an example problem is presented.

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T. V. Hromadka. 1984. A simple model of a phreatic surface through an earth dam. https://doi.org/10.1016/0309-1708(84)90044-7

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