Assessing The Efficient Control

of Groundwater Through
Dewatering Systems

By
Karim Roshdy
BSc (Hons), MSc Structural Engineering
Resident Engineer | AECOM - UAE
 1. Uncovering the challenges of
dewatering and underground
infrastructure

2. Establishing suitable dewatering

systems to manage high
groundwater level in construction

3. Acknowledging dewatering
subsidence and how to eliminate it
effectively

4. Exclusive case study

 1
Uncovering the
challenges of dewatering
and underground
infrastructure
 The Purposes of Groundwater Control “Dewatering”

1. Intercepting seepage that could emerge the bottom of the excavation.

2. Increasing the stability of excavated slopes
3. Reducing lateral loads on retaining structures.
4. Eliminating or reducing the need for air pressure in tunneling.
5. Improving the excavation and backfill characteristics of sandy soils.
6. Preventing rupture or piping of the bottom of the excavation.
 Groundwater can be controlled by means of one or more
types of the following dewatering systems
1.Surface dewatering from sumps and ditches.

Advantages
1. Inexpensive and simple
2. particularly effective in clean coarse soils.
Disadvantages
1. low drawdown capacity 0.50 to 1.0 m
2. May not prevent seepage leading to instability.
 Well point systems.

Advantages
1. E ffective in s andy s oils .
2. Provides drawdown up to
5- 6 meters in s and, and 4
meters in s ilty s oil.
3. R elatively cheap and flexible.
4. E as y ins tallation

Disadvantages
1 Not effective beyond 4- 6 meters of drawdown
2. Might require s tages of well ins tallation..
 Deep Well systems.

Advantages
1. No limit on drawdown
2. Fewer wells required than the well point s ys tem

Disadvantages
1. E xpens ive to ins tall
 Cutoffs
using Cement and chemical grout curtains wall, slurry wall, concrete wall, sheet pile wall.

This method generally can be used with out any water pumping works in case permeable layer
followed by impermeable one. In some other cases dewatering system usually includes combined of
cutoff and deep wells.
 2
Establishing suitable
dewatering systems to
manage high groundwater
level in construction
Factors Controlling Selection of Dewatering System

1. The location, type, size, and depth of the excavation.

2. Geologic and soil conditions.

3. Depth of ground water lowering.

4. Effect of groundwater lowering on adjacent structures.

1. The location, type, size, and depth of the excavation
2. Geologic and soil conditions
 3. Depth of ground water lowering

Sr. Required drawdown Dewatering method

1 Less than 1.00 m
2. 1.00 m to 3.00 m
3. 4 .00 m to 6.00 m
4 More than 6
Sump and ditches with
submersible pump
Well point system
Step well point system
Deep wells
 3
Acknowledging
dewatering subsidence
and how to eliminate it
effectively
Effect of groundwater lowering on adjacent structures

1. Settlement resulting from the instability of excavations.

2. Ground settlements caused by loss of fines.

3. Ground settlements induced by increases in effective stress.

 Tentative limits of building settlement and damage.
(from Preene, 2000)

1. less than 10mm Settlement, Damage is unlikely.

2. 10mm to 50mm Settlement, Possible damage.

3. 50mm to 75mm Settlement, Expected superficial damage, possible structural effects, possible
damage to rigid pipelines.

4. More than 75mm Settlement, Expected structural damage to the buildings and expected
damage to rigid pipelines or possible damage to other pipelines.
Flowchart for dewatering system design
Minimize the dewatering effect on the adjacent structures

1. Using of recharging wells.

2. Using of barriers.

3. Studying the effect of well screen location on drawdown curve.

4. Studying the proper location for dewatering wells which produce a maximum
drawdown at the construction area and minimize the drawdown under the
adjacent structures.
1. Using recharging wells.
1. Using recharging wells.

-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

0

-1

-2
Drawdown (m)

-3

-4

-5
Drawdown without Recharging well (m)
-6 Drawdown with Recharging well (m)

-7
Distance (m )

Drawdown with and W/O Recharging Well

The recharging well is affecting drawdown curve reducing the drawdown value by 8%
and 70% at dewatering well centerline and recharging well respectively
2. Using barriers.
2. Using barriers.

-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

0

-1

-2
Drawdown (m)

-3

-4

-5

-6 Drawdown without Barrier (m)

-7 Drawdown with Barrier (m)

-8

Distance (m)

Drawdown with and W/O Barrier Wall

The analysis of the above drawdown curve is showing that the barrier wall increases the drawdown
value at the dewatering well by 6% and reduced the value of drawdown outside of barrier wall by 55%.
3. The effect of well screen location on drawdown curve.
 3. The effect of well screen location on drawdown curve.

-2

-4
Drawdown (m)

-6

Drawdown for (40 m) Screen Length

-8
Drawdown for (30 m) Screen Length
Drawdown for (20 m) Screen Length
-10
Drawdown for (10 m) Screen Length
-12
-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Distance from well (m)

Drawdown Curves for diffrent Screen Lengths

Changing of screen length is affecting the drawdown curve (drawdown increases as the screen length
decreases) in the area around the dewatering well. The drawdown values away from the well are almost same.
 4
Exclusive case study
1. Three Underground Basments

10 St ory Builing
1. Three Underground Basments

Average pumping rate for wells = 12 m3/hr

No. of wells = 20 Wells Soil layers:

Depth of well= 16.5m below ground water table 5 m sand layer K = 3e-3 m/sec
Depth of secant piles = 16.5m below ground water table 18m weak Calcarenite = 4.22e-6 m/sec
 Drawdown plan and section

Maximum drawdown inside = 16.00m

Maximum drawdown outside= 3.00m

2. Resedential Building with Two Basments

Subst at ion
2. Resedential Building with Two Basments

No. of wells = 14 Wells

Depth of well= 11.5m below ground water table
Depth of secant piles = 11.5m below ground water table

Soil layers:
18 m sand layer K = 1e-4 m/sec

Average pumping rate for wells = 15 m3/hr

 Drawdown plan

Maximum drawdown inside = 6.0m

Maximum drawdown outside= 2.00m

THANK YOU

Karim.roshdy@aecom.com