Orthotropic Seepage Analysis using Hybrid Finite Element Method

Abstract

A solution procedure using the hybrid finite element method is presented for two-dimensional steady-state linear seepage analysis of orthotropic dams. In the present algorithm, fundamental solutions for orthotropic seepage problems are employed to construct the element interior hydraulic head field and the conventional shape functions are used for the element frame hydraulic head field, then these two independent fields are connected by a hybrid functional. According to the physical definition of fundamental solutions, the elemental interior field can naturally satisfy the orthotropic seepage governing equation and as a result, all twodimensional element domain integrals in the present algorithm can reduce to one-dimensional element boundary integrals. Finally, the present hybrid finite element method with orthotropic fundamental solution kernels is verified by way of analytical solutions and subsequently, numerical experiment is carried out for a practical seepage problem of an orthotropic dam.