CIVL 3730 Fundamentals of Geotechnics 45 11. Filter requirements (from Lambe and Whitman, 1979) There are certain situations in earth structures that require filters. First, water cannot be permitted to exit on the slope of a dam. Second, the movement of particles from one soil to another or from a soil into a drainage structure by flowing water cannot be permitted. If this were permitted, the resulting soil erosion could cause serious stability difficulties with the earth structure. Soil erosion is prevented by soil layers, called filters. The design of a proper filter consists of choosing the dimensions of the filter and of choosing a material for the filter such that: 1. Ensuring free drainage of water entering the filter 2. No significant invasion of soil is permitted into the filter. 3. Sufficient head is lost in flow through the filters. The selection of a filter to meet the first requirement depends on both the type of soil and the flow pattern in the earth structure under consideration. The requirements of a filter to keep 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 Corps of Engineers at Vicksburg. The resulting filter specifications relate the grading of the protective filter to that of the soil being protected by the following: D,; Filter Dg Soil