CHAPTER 1

FLOW IN SOIL

1
Example of flow nets
FLOW NET OF SEEPAGE BENEATH A CONCRETE
DAM

h
H
 FAILURE DUE TO THE FLOW IN SOIL

Static Liquefaction, Boiling & Piping

• Static liquefaction – the state which the
effective stress becomes zero, the soil loses its
strength and behaves like a viscous fluid.
• Liquefaction – can be produced by dynamic
events such as earthquakes
• Boiling, quicksand, piping and heaving are
used to describe specific events connected to
the static liquefaction state
• Boiling, quicksand, piping and heaving are
used to describe specific events connected to
the static liquefaction state
a. Quicksand – existence of a mass of sand in a state
of static liquefaction
b. Boiling – the upward seepage force exceeds the
downward force of the soil
c. Piping – the subsurface “pipe-shaped” erosion
that initiates near the toe of dams and similar
structures. High localized hydraulic gradient
statically liquefies the soil, which progresses to the
water surface in the form of a pipe, and water
then rushes beneath the structure through the
pipe, leading to instability and failure
d. Heaving occurs when seepage forces push the
bottom of an excavation upward.
Example of piping failures
Exit hole of a soil pipe

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 Piping Through Foundation

• Water, through the foundation of dam, may start seeping at a huge rate when highly
permeable cavities or fissures or strata of coarse sand or gravel are available in the
foundation of the dam. This concentrated flow at a high gradient, may erode the soil.
• This leads to increase flow of water and soil, ultimately resulting in a rush of water and
soil, thereby creating hollows below the foundation. The dam may sink down into
hollow so formed, causing its failure.

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 Piping Through the dam body

• When the concentrated flow channels get developed in the body of the dam, soil may
be removed in the same manner as was explained in the foundation piping, leading to
the formation of hollows in the dam body, and subsequent subsidence of the dam.
• These flow channels may develop due to faulty construction, insufficient compaction,
cracks developed in embankment due to formation of settlement, shrinkage cracks,
animal burrows etc.

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PIPING FAILURE
 iexit
At the downstream, near the dam,
h
the exit hydraulic gradient iexit 
l

hL
datum
concrete
dam l
h = total head drop

soil
10
impervious strata
 icr
If iexit exceeds the critical hydraulic gradient (icr), firstly
the soil grains at exit get washed away.
This phenomenon progresses towards the upstream, forming a
free passage of water (“pipe”).
 '  Gs  1   w Gs  1
icr    
 w  1 e   w 1 e

h
datum
concrete
dam
no soil; all water

soil
11
impervious strata
 FACTOR OF SAFETY
Piping is a very serious problem. It leads to downstream
flooding which can result in loss of lives.
Therefore, provide adequate safety factor against piping.

icr
FS 
iexit

concrete
dam Piping will not occur if :

iexit / imax < icr

soil
12
impervious strata
Example of CONCRETE DAM:
A flow net under a concrete dam is drawn in Figure below.
(a) Calculate and plot the water pressure distribution along the base of
the dam.
(b) Compute the resultant uplift force against the base of the dam.
(c) Calculate the point of application of the resultant uplift force.

DATUM
ANSWER (a):

Hp = H - h (Nd) – hz
[guna terus formula ni, lagi cepat]
ANSWER
ANSWER (b):
ANSWER (C):

FORMULA
Example DAM WITH SHEET PILE

A dam, shown below, retains 10 m of water. A sheet pile wall (cutoff curtain) on the
upstream side, which is used to reduce seepage under the dam, penetrates 7 m
into a 20.3-m-thick silty sand stratum. Below the silty sand is a thick deposit of
practically impervious clay. The average hydraulic conductivity of the silty sand is
2.0 x 10-4 cm/s.
Assume that the silty sand is homogeneous and isotropic.

DATUM

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(a)
(b)
(d)
 (g)

(h)
imax or iexit

(i)