| Abstract: | An approximate step-by-step procedure is presented for the finite element analysis of transient unconfined flow problems. At each step the free surface is modelled by means of segments coinciding with sides of the elements. This leads to an approximate but extremely simple solution scheme which can be readily incorporated into standard codes for confined analysis. The solutions of some significant problems are presented and compared with other non-approximate solutions. They show that the technique, in spite of its approximation, is capable of giving meaningful results from an engineering viewpoint. |
