Soil Mechanics I

CE-225
Water in soil: Seepage and flow nets

1
 Teton dam failure sequence 2

Newly completed Teton Dam as it appeared in mid May 1976,

as the reservoir was filling at the rate of 3 feet per day. The rate of
filling is usually limited to no more than 1 foot per day. This view is
looking towards right abutment.

Mid May 1976

Newly completed
Teton Dam
 Teton dam failure sequence 3

Leakage was initially noted around 7:00 AM on Saturday June 5, 1976.

This view shows a dozer being sent down to fill in the hole at
elevation 5200 around 10:45 AM

June 5, 1976
10:45 am
Teton dam failure sequence 4

The dozer is lost in the expanding hole, around 11:20 AM on

June 5th. Note turbid nature of outflow along the abutment.

June 5, 1976
11:20 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 5

Rapidly deteriorating situation as it appeared around 11:30 AM. A

massive hole has developed in the downstream face of the
embankment and is migrating upward.

June 5, 1976
11:30 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 6

The hole continues to enlarge and rise toward the crest of the right
abutment. This is about 11:50 AM.

June 5, 1976
11:50 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 7

Dam crest beginning to breach at 11:55 AM on Saturday June 5,

1976. Note increasing discharge.

June 5, 1976
11:55 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 8

Maximum flood discharge emanating from gap in dams right abutment,

just after noon on June 5th , 1976.

June 5, 1976
After noon
Present day Teton dam site 9
Deriving groundwater flow 10

equation

Principle of Darcy's Law

mass
conservation

Groundwater flow equation

(Laplaces equation of continuity)
 Groundwater flow equation 11

Single-row sheet pile driven into permeable layer

See
next
slide
for flow
at A
Groundwater flow equation 12

Flow at point A
 Groundwater flow equation 13

Rate of inflow in horizontal v x Area v x dydz

direction
v z Area v z dxdy
Rate of inflow in vertical
direction

z
x

Inflow Outflow
 Groundwater flow equation 14

v x
Rate of outflow in horizontal vx dx dydz
direction x
v z
vz dz dxdy
Rate of outflow in vertical x
direction
z
x

Inflow Outflow
 Groundwater flow equation 15

Assuming that water is incompressible and that no

volume change in the soil mass occurs, then total
rate of inflow should equal the total rate of outflow,
thus
v x v z
vx dx dydz v z dz dxdy v x dydz v z dxdy 0
x z
v x v z
0 (i)
x z

With Darcys law, the discharge velocities can be

expressed as h
h
v x k xix k x an v z k z iz k z (ii)
x d z
Groundwater flow equation 16

v x v z
0 (i)
x z
h
v x k xix k x
x
(ii)
h
v z k z iz k z
z
From equation (i) and (ii), we can write

2h 2h
kx 2 kz 2 0
x z
If soil is isotropic w.r.t hydraulic conductivity, i.e., k x
= kz, then 2 h 2 h
2 0 Laplaces Equation of
x 2
z Continuity
 Flow net 17

A Flow Net consists of two groups of curves:

Equipotential lines: Equipotential lines are lines that pass
through points of equal head.
Flow lines: Flow lines (aka stream lines) represent the
path that a particle of water takes as it travels through the
soil mass. Laplaces
h h
2 2
2 0Equation of
x 2
z Continuity

Equipotential lines

Flow
lines
Flow net Equipotential lines 18

The space between two adjacent equipotential

lines represents a drop in head.
The space between two adjacent equipotential
lines is called an equipotential space.
Flow net Flow lines 19

The space between two adjacent flow lines is

called a flow path

Flow
lines
 Flow net 20

An equipotential line means potential head at all

points is equal (i.e. total head is constant).
Water in a piezometer (placed at different points along
an equipotential line) will rise to the same elevation.

h
h
Flow Net 21

k1 k1
k2 < k 1
 Flow net 22

Impounded
water
An equipotential
line means Tail water
potential head
at all points is
equal (i.e. total
head is
constant).

Water in a
piezometer
(placed at
different points
along an
equipotential line)
will rise to the
Flow net 23

A combination of flow lines & equipotential lines is

called flow net

Tail water
Impounded
water
Flow net 24

A combination of flow lines & equipotential lines is

called flow net
 Flow net under a dam 25

Impounded
water Tail water
Flow net under a dam with toe
26

filter
Flow net under a dam with sheet
27

pile
Seepage and flow net through
28

dam
 10 m 20 m 10 m
29
Head: 10 m

Seepage analysis using

10 m SEEP/W
Kx = 1.0 e -005 m/sec
kx = ky

Head: 1 m
30 21

3 .3 3 7 7 e - 0 0 5
20 m
26

40 m
 10 m 20 m 10 m
30
Head: 10 m

Seepage analysis using

10 m SEEP/W
Kx = 1.0 e -005 m /sec
Kx = Ky

Head: 1 m
30 21

29

2 .4 7 6 6 e - 0 0 5
20 m

40 m
Sample flow nets 31
Sample flow nets 32
Sample flow nets 33
Construction of flow nets 34

Equipotential lines intersect flow lines at right angles

(there is no flow along an equipotential line, therefore,
all of the flow must be at 90 to it)
Just like contour lines, flow lines cannot cross other
flow lines & equipotential lines cannot cross other
equipotential lines.
The flow elements form an
approximate curvilinear square .
Although the sides may curve, a
curvilinear square is as broad as it
is long, so that a circle inscribed
in it touches all four sides.
Hence, each equipotential space
must represent an equal drop in
head.
 Construction of flow nets 35

The upstream
and downstream
surfaces of the
permeable layer
(lines ab and de)
are
equipotential
lines.

Since ab & de are

equipotential
lines, all the flow
lines intersect
them at right
angles.
 Construction of flow nets 36

The boundary of
the impervious
layer (line fg and
line acd) are flow
lines,

Since fg & acd

are flow lines, all
the equipotential
lines intersect
them at right
angles.
 Seepage calculation from flow net 37

In any flow net, the strip between any two adjacent

flow lines is called flow channel.
Since there is no flow across the
flow lines,
q1 = q2 = q3 = q
 Seepage calculation from flow net 38

h1 h2 h2 h3
q kiA k
From Darcys law l1 1 k l2 1
l1 l2
If flow elements are approx.
squares, the drop in piezometric
level between any two adjacent
equipotential lines is same. This is
called equipotential drop.
Seepage calculation from flow net 39

If flow elements are approx. squares, the drop in

piezometric level between any two adjacent
equipotential lines is same. This is called
equipotential drop.h h h h h h H
1 2 2 3 3 4
Nd
H
q k where H = head
Nd difference
between
upstream and
downstream
sides

Nd = number of
potential drops
Seepage calculation from flow net 40

If number of flow channels in a flow net is equal to

Nf, the total flow rate through all the channels per
unit length can be given by
H
qk Nf
Nd
 Example 41

A flow net for flow around a single row of sheet piles in a

permeable soil layer is shown. Given that kx = kz = k = 4.2
106 cm/sec, determine
1) How high (above
the ground
surface) the water
will rise if
piezometers are
placed at points a,
b, c, and d.

2) The rate of
seepage through
flow channel II per
unit length
(perpendicular to
the section shown.
 Flow nets in anisotropic soil 42

2h 2h
kx 2 kz 2 0
x z
For anisotropic soils, kx kz. In this case, the equation
represents two families of curves that do not meet at
90o. However, we can 2rewrite
h 2h
0
kz k x x 2
z 2

x
Substituting kz kx x
2h 2h
2 0
x z
2
 Flow nets in anisotropic soil 43

2h 2h H
2 0 q kxkz Nf
x z
2
Nd
To construct the flow net, use the following procedure:

1. Adopt a vert. scale for drawing the cross section.

scale
2. Adopt a horiz. scale such that horiz. kz kx
vert. scale.

3. With scales adopted in steps 1 & 2, plot the vertical

section through permeable layer parallel to the
direction of flow.

4. Draw the flow net for permeable layer on the section

obtained from step 3, with flow lines intersecting
 44

Transform
ed section

True
section
 45

Mathematical
solution
for
seepage
around a
single sheet
pile
 46

Mathematical
solution
for
seepage
under a dam
Uplift pressure 47
 10 m 20 m 10 m
48
Head: 10 m

Seepage analysis using

10 m SEEP/W
Kx = 1.0 e -005 m/sec
kx = ky

Head: 1 m
30 21

3 .3 3 7 7 e - 0 0 5
20 m
26

40 m
 10 m 20 m 10 m
49
Head: 10 m

Seepage analysis using

10 m SEEP/W
Kx = 1.0 e -005 m /sec
Kx = Ky

Head: 1 m
30 21

29

2 .4 7 6 6 e - 0 0 5
20 m

40 m
Uplift pressure 50
Seepage through an earth dam 51
on an impervious base

Dupuit
1863
Casagrande (1932)
 Seepage through an earth dam 52
on an impervious base
A step-by-step procedure to obtain the seepage rate q
(per unit length of the dam) is as follows:

1. Obtain .
2. Calculate (see
figure below)
and then 0.3 .
3. Calculate d.
4. With known
values of and
d, calculate L.
5. With known
values of L, q kL sin 2
Staged dewatering through well-
53

points