A novel interface element with asymmetric nodes and its application on concrete-faced rockfill dam

Based on the Goodman element, the Guyan reduction method is introduced to develop the interface element with asymmetric nodes, which accomplishes the coarse-fine mesh transition between soil and structure in finite element models by providing a different number of nodes on the two sliding surfaces. The number of Gauss points is greater than that of the traditional Goodman element, which ensures its accuracy. The developed interface element is employed in the dynamic elasto-plastic analysis of CFRDs. The results indicate that the use of the constructed interface element can significantly decrease the number of elements with little influence on the accuracy.