‘Requirements’ or ‘desirable characteristics’ of drain and filter

It is needed to satisfy two conflicting requirements

1. Piping requirement :
The pore spaces in drains and filters that are in contact with
erodible soil and rocks must be small enough to prevent particles
from being washed in or through them.

2. Permeability requirement :
The pore spaces in drains and filters must be large enough to
impart sufficient permeability to permit seepage to escape freely
and thus provide a high degree of control over seepage forces and
hydrostatic pressure.

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Granular filter

 When small quantities of seepage are to be removed, a

single layer of well graded, moderately permeable
material meeting the ‘piping’ and ‘permeability’
requirements may serve the dual role of filter and drain.

 When large quantities of seepage are to be removed, a

fine filter layer is usually needed for the prevention of
piping and a coarse layer is needed for the removal of
water. Such system are called graded filters.

 Sometimes granular filters may contain more than two

layers.

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Design criteria for Granular filter

Fig.5.1 is on next slide

Seepage, drainage and Flow nets, by Harry R Cedergren

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The above criterion is applicable to all soils except plastic clays
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River bank erosion Initial
scouring/ erosion near toe
followed by slope failure

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CC-Blocks are placed on top
of slope for protection
against wave action

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River bank protection work
Damage due to
washout of soil from
bottom of CC-block

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 Preparation of
design slope

Placement of
Geotextile / Geojute

Placement of
sand layer

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Aggregate layer
placed over geo-
textile / Geo-jute

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