7 Seepage Through Soils
7 Seepage Through Soils
7 Seepage Through Soils
7.1 Introduction
'Seepage' is defined as the flow of a fluid, usually water, through a soil under a hydraulic
gradient. A hydraulic gradient is supposed to exist between two points if there exists a difference
in the ' hydraulic head ' at the two points. By hydraulic head is meant the sum of the position or
datum head and pressure head of water. The discussion on flow nets and seepage relates to the
practicql aspect of controlling groundwater during and after construction of foundations below
the groundwater table, earth dam and weirs on permeable foundations.
The interaction between soils and percolating water has an important influence on:
1 . The design of foundations and earth slopes,
2. The quantity of water that will be lost by percolation through a dam or its subsoil.
Foundation failures due to 'piping' are quite common. Piping is a phenomenon by which the soil
on the downstream sides of some hydraulic structures get lifted up due to excess pressure of
water. The pressure that is exerted on the soil due to the seepage of water is called the seepage
force or pressure. In the stability of slopes, the seepage force is a very important factor. Shear
strengths of soils are reduced due to the development of neutral stress or pore pressures. A
detailed understanding of the hydraulic conditions is therefore essential for a satisfactory design
of structures.
To derive the Laplace differential equation of continuity, let us consider a single row of sheet
piles that have been driven into a permeable soil layer, as shown in Figure a. The row of sheet
piles is assumed to be impervious. The steady state flow of water from the upstream to the
downstream side through the permeable layer is a two-dimensional flow.
For flow at a point A, we consider an elemental soil block. The block has dimensions dx, dy, and
dz (length dy is perpendicular to the plane of the paper); it is shown in an enlarged scale in
Figure b. Let Vx and v2 be the components of the discharge velocity in the horizontal and vertical
directions, respectively.
The rate of flow of water into the elemental block in the horizontal direction is equal to Vx dz dy,
and in the vertical direction it is v2 dx dy. The rates of outflow from the block in the horizontal
and ve1iical directions are, respectively,
av.
(v, + ;]~' ti::) d.1 d"
., • ···· Sh,·et pik
T
111
J_
., J_n J_
ft
t
J_
lf,
cir
/ O?-i
I
i
T
/ !
-*---------- --- - ----
-r-
·11.cd::.t!r ___.
I
I
L---------~ (v, +
.
rn;
~:/ <h) d.:. dr
"~
+- - ----- - - ---------
\ l mpcrmenblc l~ycn
I
I
I
I
I
(
J_/,/,/ l
_
I I
-+: d,l :+ 1' + - - d.> - 11
v~ dr dr·
01 (~
Figt1re ra) Sing le-row sheet piles driYcn into P<~rmeable layer: (b) flow at A
( Vx + dVr
(); dx ) dz d y
and
av. )
( V z + az' dz dx dy
Assuming that water is incompressible and that no volume change in the soil mass occurs, we
know that the total rate of inflow should equal the total rate of outflow. Thus, "
avx avz
or ---- + ---- =0
ax az
With Darcy's law, the discharge velocities can be expressed as
ah
Vx = k .,/,x = kx-;-
vX
and
ah
Vz = k.i, = k, -
" ' < oz
where kx and kz are the hydraulic conductivities m the horizontal and vertical directions,
respectively.
Thus, we can write a1h a1h
kx-2 + k , - 2 = 0
ax az
If the soil is isotropic with respect to the hydraulic conductivity-that is, kx= kz-the preceding
continuity equation for two-dimensional flow simplifies to
..
a2h <:Ph
-+-=O
ax2 iJz 2 ,'\
The above equation is the Laplace Equation for homogeneous soil. It says that the change of
gradient in the x-direction plus the change of gradient in the z-direction is zero. The solution of
this equation gives a family of curves meeting at right angles to each other. One family of these
curves represents flow lines and the other equipotential lines.
Equipotential lines are lines that intersect the flow lines at right angles. At all points along an
equipotential line, the water would rise in piezometric tubes to the same elevation known as the
piezometric head.
A combination of a number of flow lines and equipotential lines is called a flow net.
The properties of a flow net can be expressed as given below:
1. Flow and equipotential lines are smooth curves.
2. Flow lines and equipotential lines meet at right angles to each other.
3. No two :flow lines cross each other.
4. No two flow or equipotential lines start from the same point.
There are many methods that are in use for the construction of flow nets. Some of the important
methods are
1. Analytical method,
2. Electrical analog method,
3. Scaled model method,
4. Graphical method.
The analytical method, based on the Laplace equation although rigorously precise, is not
universally applicable in all cases because of the complexity of the problem involved. The
mathematics involved even in some elementary cases is beyond the comprehension of many
design engineers. Although this approach is sometimes useful in the checking of other methods,
it is largely of academic interest.
The electrical analogy method has been extensively made use of in many important design
problems. However, in most of the cases in the field of soil mechanics where the estimation of
seepage flows and pressures are generally required, a more simple method such as the graphical
method is preferred.
Scaled models are very useful to solve seepage flow problems. Soil models can be constructed to
depict flow of water below concrete dams or through earth dams. These models are very useful
to demonstrate the fundamentals of fluid flow, but their use in other respects is limited because
of the large amount of time and effort required to construct such models.
The graphical method developed by Forchheimer (1930) has been found to be very useful in
solving complicated flow problems. A. Casagrande (1937) improved this method by
.! incorporating many suggestions. The main drawback of this method is that a good deal of
practice and aptitude are essential to produce a satisfactory flow net. In spite of these drawbacks,
the graphical method is quite popular among engineers.
equal, then the flow net must consist of squares. The square block referred to here does not
constitute a square according to the strict meaning of the word ; it only means that the average
width of the square blocks are equal.
The area bounded by any two neighboring flow lines is called a flow channel. If the flow net is
constructed in such a way that the ratio of width of square blocks (alb) remains the same for all
blocks, then it can be shown that there is the same quantity of seepage in each flow channel.
-T
4.50m hp "" 3.33m
-:'
li.h = Equipotential drop
Flow lines
fStrt'am lincsJ
Nd= Number of equipotential drops, that is, number of squares between two adjacent
N1 = Number of flow channels that is, number of squares between two adjacent equipotential
lines from one boundary streamline to the other boundary streamline
tiq =flow through one flow channel (between two adjacent streamlines)
tih = head loss between two adjacent equipotential lines
q = kH (Nt) (~)
~
Nd b
If a=b, then
q = kH (;.)
I~ L ----
Determination of uplift pressure
y
Ue
Ua
..
Uplift-pressure distribution
In other words, the profile is to be transformed according to the relationship between x and Xr
and the flow net sketched on the transformed section.
From the transformed section, the rate of seepage can be determined using with exception that ke
rk· T[!J
is to be substituted for k
1+-z.~+1
I
+·
I~ ~ 1 ·
I •
The seepage line may therefore be defined as the line above which there is no hydrostatic
pressure and below which there is hydrostatic pressure. Therefore phreatic line is the top flow
:
line which separates saturated and unsaturated zones within the body of the earth dam.
In the design of all earth dams, the following factors are very important.
1. The seepage line should not cut the downstream slope.
2. The seepage loss through the dam should be the minimum possible.
The two important problems that are required to be studied in the design of earth dams are:
1. The prediction of the position of the line of seepage in the cross-section.
2. The computation of the seepage loss.
If the line of seepage is allowed to intersect the downstream face much above the toe, more or
less serious sloughing may take place and ultimate failure may result. This mishap can be
prevented by providing suitable drainage arrangements on the downstream side of the dam.
....
Therefore the problem of computation of the seepage loss through an earth dam
primarily involves prediction of the position of the line of seepage in the cross-section.
lr
Figure Basic parabola and the phreatic line for a homogeneous earth dam
Z! ~ Directrix
Locating Phreatic Line I
It has been noticed from experiments on homogeneous ~- -1 ----- B
earth dam models that the line of seepage assumes more
or less the shape of a parabola. Also, assuming that \\
\
~----- c
\
hydraulic gradient i is equal to the slope of the free FA= AB '
\
surface and is constant with depth (Dupit' s theory), the \ '!!.
AB= (2p + x)
x2 + z2 = (2p + x) 2
Thus,
z2 _ 4p 2
x = 4p
In the case of a homogeneous earth dam resting on an impervious foundation with no drainage
filter, the top flow line ends at some point on the downstream face of the dam; the focus of the
base parabola in this case happens to be the downstream toe of the dam itself as shown in Figure
below:
..
,.,. A 1111
:
\1.
--
fl
rorrt.:ction
11 ti ' " YI
The following are the steps in the graphical determination of the top flow line for a homogeneous
dam resting on an impervious foundation without filters:
~
1. Draw the earth dam section and upstream water level (H) to some convenient scale. Let
Point-2 is the point on the upstream face coinciding with water level.
2. Let .6. be the horizontal distance between point- 2 and upstream heel of the dam. Locate
Point-1 at a distance of 0.3 times .6. from Point-2 on the water surface. That is distance 1-
2 is 0.3.6..
3. Focus of the base parabola is located at the downstream toe of the dam, that is Point-0
(distance 0 - 1 is d). Select x-z reference axis with focus 0 as origin.
4. Directrix of the parabola is at distance 2p from the focus 0, where p is given by,
:
considering from point 1,
p= !_ (Jd 2 + H2 - d)
2
5. By choosing suitable values of z-ordinates (for example; 0.2H, 0.4H, . .. & H) compute
the x-ordinates of the base parabola using the relation,
z2 - 4pz
x=----
4p
6. Join all these points to get base parabola starting from Point-1 and concluding at a point
midway between focus-0 and directrix. This parabola will be correct for the central
portion of the top flow line. Necessary corrections at the entry on the upstream side and
at exist on the downstream side are to be made.
7. Upstream correction: The portion of the top flow line at entry is sketched visually to meet
the boundary condition there that is phreatic line meets perpendicularly with the upstream ""
face, which is a boundary equipotential and the phreatic line is made to meet the base
parabola tangentially at a convenient point. ..:;
d -~ d
2 1
For P<30° L=-- - -H- ·
' cosp cos 2 p sin 1 p'
"'
.
(a) (b)
1. Draw the earth dam section and upstream water level (H) to some convenient scale.
2. Locate Point-B, the point on the upstream slope coinciding with water level.
3. Let L1 be the horizontal distance between point- B and upstream heel of the dam. Locate
Point-A at a distance of 0.3 times L1 from Point-B on the water surface. That is distance
AB is 0.3L1 [Refer to Figure (a)]
4. Select Fas the focus of the parabolic phreatic line, Point-Fis located at the intersection
of the bottom flow line and the downstream toe filter. Let horizontal distance between
points A & Fbe d i.e., AF= d
! 0.3A :
~ .~ ·:·-~-----~-~. ~~ Figure (a)
s: -~·._,.,,,.. B /f
H 'i ~
~ t.ilii!ilil_!L~oe
'
:'
_ A .J''
filter I
I : ... ..
: B Figure(b)
~.
·~ F:
~ d
For reference only (Make your own notes) 11
So il Mechanics Material by SKY
Z Figurc(c)
0
0
0 . ...,~
.i--~~--~~~~- .:~
Z2
x z, ::
"4-x;-~~-p
... , , ._
.. X4
X3
..
x F; K
;sl
Figure (e)
x
l'igure : Phreatic line for an earth dam with toe filter
5. Locate Point-G on the directrix of the parabola, located a distance 2P from the focal
point, Point-F, that is FG 2P where, [Refer to Figure (b)]
p=.!:(-Jd 2 +H 2 -d)
2 ':.
7. By choosing suitable values of z-ordinates (for example; 0.2H, 0.4H ... & H) compute
the x-ordinates of the base parabola using the relation, ~
zZ - 4p2
x=----
4p
Thus z, , z,, z,, z, ...... are computed for the ordinates x, , x,, x, , x, ...... respectively
[Refer to Figure (c)].
8. Join all such located points to get basic parabola. This parabola meets toe filter
(equipotential line) orthogonally at midpoint of FG that is at a distance p from F (vertex
K of the parabola). Joint points K-0-1-2-3-4-A to get parabola ABK [Refer to Figure (d)].
9. Apply modification to phreatic line at the entry Point-B on the upstream slope which is
an equipotential line. Draw line perpendicular to upstream slope starting from B and
meets the base parabola smoothly and tangentially at a convenient point say, C. Complete
the phreatic line BCK (top flow line) by joining BC erase remaining portion of the base
parabola [Refer to Figure (e)].
10. Finally the quantity of seepage flow through may be compute from the following
equations,
Let the distance between F & G is S
i.e., the distance between focus and directrix, :. S = 2x p
Then the quantity of seepage through unit length of dam is,
q = kS = k x(2x p) = 2kp
Where, k is the coefficient of permeability of the dam material.
~\ ~~~-
rn.:.s.-:
primarily by the less pervious soil whereas in
the case of flow parallel to the strata, the rate of
flow is essential controlled by comparatively ,,.----IV- '-..
Filter drains are required on the downstream sides of hydraulic structures and around drainage
pipes. A properly graded filter prevents the erosion of soil in contact with it due to seepage
forces. To prevent the movement of erodible soils into or through filters, the pore spaces between
the filter particles should be small enough to hold some of the protected materials in place. ~
Taylor (1948) shows that if three perfect spheres have diameters greater than 6.5 times the
.:
diameter of a small
sphere, the small spheres can move through the larger as shown in Fig. (a). Soils and aggregates
are always composed of ranges of particle sizes, and if pore spaces in filters are small enough to
hold the 85 per cent size (D85) of the protected soil in place, the finer particles will also be held
in place as exhibited schematically in Fig. (b ).
The requirements of a filter to keep the protected soil particles from invading the filter
significantly are based on particle size. These requirements were developed from tests by
Terzaghi which were later extended by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1953). The resulting
filter specifications relate the grading of the protective filter to that of the soil being protected by
the following;
D15 filter D15 filter D50 filter
~
4, 4 < ~
20, ~
25
D85soil DIS soil D50soil ..,
The criteria may be explained as follows:
~
I. The 15 per cent size (D 15) of filter ~
the piping ratio. ••·, ·.< .. s .-.. fUJJ So.ii which has migrated into
2. The 15 per cent size (D 15) of a filter and •~ held by DES sit.e
soi I particles
filter material should be at least 4
times the 15 per cent size (D 15 ) of
a protected soil but not more than ·~ ;;: .~· :;·:···:·
801 1- r· I I 'XI
... ~ 60 '
100 10 1.0
Grnin size D mm
Figure Grain size distribution curves for graded filter and protected materials
..