Weak Form Quadrature Element Analysis of Diaphragm Walls

In combination with Rankine's earth pressure theory, a weak form quadrature element formulation is established for analysis of diaphragm walls. Results are compared with those of Paroi2, a finite element software package for diaphragm walls, to demonstrate the effectiveness and the advantages of the present formulation. Accurate results are obtained with only a few weak form quadrature beam elements, contrasting with dense finite element division that is needed for complex load distributions over the diaphragm wall.