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The boundary finite-element method (BFEM) is extended for steady-state analyses of dam-reservoir system problems. In this study, the dam is assumed to be rigid and subjected to horizontal ground motions, and the liquid in the reservoir is assumed to be semiinfinite. The semiinfinite reservoir domain is partitioned into two subdomains: a near-field domain and a far-field domain. In it, the near-field domain is modeled by using the finite-element method (FEM), whereas the far-field domain is modeled by BFEM and is treated as a layered semiinfinite fluid domain. A BFEM/FEM coupling procedure is employed to solve the steady-state response of the reservoir. The coupling procedure is easy to implement and suitable for all frequencies, be it real or complex. The BFEM/FEM coupling procedure is validated in the frequency domain. Numerical results that are based on the present procedure are in good agreement with analytical and other available numerical solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a truly meshless approximation strategy for solving partial differential equations based on the local multiquadric (LMQ) and the local inverse multiquadric (LIMQ) approximations. It is different from the traditional global multiquadric (GMQ) approximation in such a way that it is a pure local procedure. In constructing the approximation function, the only geometrical data needed is the local configuration of nodes fallen within its influence domain. Besides this distinct characteristic of localization, in the context of meshless-typed approximation strategies, other major advantages of the present strategy include: (i) the existence of the shape functions is guaranteed provided that all the nodal points within an influence domain are distinct; (ii) the constructed shape functions strictly satisfy the Kronecker delta condition; (iii) the approximation is stable and insensitive to the free parameter embedded in the formulation and; (iv) the computational cost is modest and the matrix operations require only inversion of matrices of small size which is equal to the number of nodes inside the influence domain. Based on the present LMQ and LIMQ approximations, a collocation procedure is developed for solutions of 1D and 2D boundary value problems. Numerical results indicate that the present LMQ and LIMQ approximations are more stable than their global counterparts. In addition, it demonstrates that both approximation strategies are highly efficient and able to yield accurate solutions regardless of the chosen value for the free parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]