Design of Weir in permeable Foundation

Weir or other hydraulic structures on permeable foundation fails

due to mainly piping and uplift force. Investigation of this
failure and remedies had been investigated in India long
back when in 1895.
Bligh’s Creep Theory
According to Bligh’s theory, water creeps along the bottom
contour of the structure. The length of the path of water is
called the length of creep and the loss of head is proportional to
the length of creep. If HL is the total head loss between upstream
and downstream and L is the length of the creep, then the loss of
head per unit of creep length (i.e. H L / L ) is called the hydraulic
gradient. Bligh’s theory makes no discrimination between
horizontal and vertical creeps.
Consider a section as shown in the figure below . Let H be
the difference of water levels between upstream and
downstream ends (no water is shown in the
downstream end). Water starts percolating at A and
emerges at B. We design foundation not seepage,
therefore, the total head water upstream H will be the
total head lose through the foundation (𝐻 = 𝐻𝐿).

Bligh’s theory stated that unless the cut off walls or Sheet
piles extend up to the impervious soil layer, percolation
cannot be stopped.
Bligh’s Creep Theory
Total creep length (𝐿) = 2d1 + 𝐿1 + 2d2 + 𝐿2 + 2d3
= (𝐿1 + 𝐿2) + 2 ( d1 + d2 + d3)
If b = 𝐿1 + 𝐿2
 Safety against Piping or Undermining

Safety against piping can be ensured by

providing sufficient creep length given by
L=CH
Where, C = Bligh’s coefficient for the soil.
𝐻/𝐿 = 1/𝐶
 Table of Bligh’s coefficient for the soil

Safety against Uplift Pressure

If the uplift head at any point is H1 (meter of water) then uplift
head has to be counterbalanced by the weight of floor thickness.
Uplift pressure
 Lane’s Weighted Creep Theory
From the analysis of 200 dams all over the
world, Lane’s concluded that horizontal creep is
less effective in reducing uplift than vertical
creep. Therefore, he suggested a factor of 1/3 for
horizontal creep against 1 for the vertical creep.
Lane’s Weighted Creep Theory
𝐿𝑤 > 𝐶𝐻

Hydraulic gradient 𝐻 / 𝐿𝑤 should be less than 1/ C

Slopes steeper than 45º are taken as verticals.