TY - EJOU AU - Rashed, Youssef F. TI - Green's First Identity Method for Boundary-Only Solution of Self-Weight in BEM Formulation for Thick Slabs T2 - Computers, Materials \& Continua PY - 2004 VL - 1 IS - 4 SN - 1546-2226 AB - The present paper develops a new technique for treatment of self-weight for building slabs in the boundary element method (BEM). Due to the use of BEM in the analysis, all defined variables are presented on the slab boundary (mesh is defined only along the slab boundary). Self-weight, however, is usually defined over slab domain, hence domain discretisation is required, which spoils the main advantage of the BEM. In this paper a new method is presented to transform self-weight domain integrals to the boundary for such slabs. The proposed method is based on using the so-called Green's first identity. All new kernels for generalized displacements, stress-resultants, and tractions are derived and listed explicitly. The present formulation is implemented into computer code and several examples are tested. Results are compared against results obtained from other numerical method to prove the accuracy and validity of the present formulation. KW - Boundary element method KW - self-weight KW - plate bending KW - slabs KW - Green's first identity DO - 10.3970/cmc.2004.001.319