• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.683-698
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• 2006

The accurate dynamic analysis of concrete arch dams relies heavily on employing a three-dimensional semi-infinite fluid element. The usual method for calculating the impedance matrix of this fluid hyper-element is dependent on the solution of a complex eigen-value problem for each frequency. In the present study, an efficient procedure is proposed which simplifies this procedure amazingly, and results in great computational time saving. Moreover, the accuracy of this technique is examined thoroughly and it is concluded that efficient procedure is incredibly accurate under all practical conditions.