Example – Calculating pore pressures

The figure below shows a long vessel, 20 metres wide, stranded on a sand bank. It is proposed to
pump water into a well point, 10 metres down, under the centre of the vessel to assist in towing the
vessel off. The water depth is 1 metre.

The sand has a permeability of 3 10-4 m/sec. Assuming that a head of 50 m can be applied at the
well point calculate:

1. The pore pressure distribution across the base of the vessel

2. The total upthrust due to this increase in pore pressure
3. The rate at which water must be pumped into the well point.

Stranded Vessel

Water Supply

Soft Sea Bottom

Reaction Pile
Well Point

Figure 10 Schematic diagram of vessel on sandbank

Figure 11 Flow net for situation in Figure10

Step 1: Choose a convenient datum. In this example the sea floor has been chosen

Then relative to this datum the head at the well point, H1 = 40 m

And the head at the sea floor, H2 = 1 m.

The increment of head, h = 39/9 = 4.333 m

6.10
Figure 12 Enlarged view of flownet in the vicinity of the base of the vessel

Step 2: Calculate the head at points along the base of the vessel. For convenience these are chosen
to be where the EPs meet the vessel (B to E) and at the vessel centerline (A). Hence
calculate the pore water pressures.

A B C D E
Head (1) H1 – 4.5 h H1 –5 h H1 – 6 h H1 – 7 h H1 – 8 h
Head (2) H2 + 4.5 h H2 + 4 h H2 + 3 h H2 + 2 h H2 + h
Head (1 and 20.5 18.33 14.0 9.67 5.3
2) (m)
Pressure 201.1 179.8 137.3 94.9 52.3
(kPa)
w(h – z)

Step 3: Measure the lengths off the flow net (Note that diagram must be drawn to scale) and hence
calculate force from pressure distribution. For simplicity assume linear variation in pressure
between points. Then the TOTAL UPTHRUST (per unit length of the vessel) is

201.1 179.8 179.8 137.3 137.3 94.9 94.9 52.3

2 5 2.5 1.8 0.7
2 2 2 2
= 3218 kN/m

Without pumping Upthrust = 20 1 9.81 = 196 kN/m

Upthrust due to Pumping = 3218 – 196 = 3022 kN/m

Nf 14
Flow required, Q kH = 3 10 4
39 1.8 10 2
m3/m/sec
Nh 9

6.11