‘THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN TIT M.B. Jaksa SEEPAGE ANALYSIS - WORKED PROBLEMS Fig. 2.19 shows the cross-section of concrete dam founded on permeable soil, below which tere isan ipermeable stramm. Make 4 sketch ofa flow net, assuming the soil tobe isotropic. Calculate (a) the rate of seepage of water under the dam, if forthe soil = 12.5 x 10°? mas, and () the uplift pressure on the base, How would the flow net be drawn ifthe soil were anisoropie and its permeability in the horizontal direction found 1 be four times that in the vertical direction? Figure 2.19 Solution The competed flow aet is shown on Fig. 2.20. An isotropic sit ‘i one which has the sume properies in all directions. From the flow net N= Ma From equation (2.18) % ‘ area cepage q = th Te 12s x10" 12 @ x 60 x 2s = BSI” 535-15) x2 OX Ox Ms ow oT day £78 m'day per m run of dam From equation (2.17) drop in head between adjacent equipotent lines an = BSNS — 9.444 m of water w pressure head under base at upstream face = hp — m= ft = (13S — 15) — 4 04ad = 10.228m fand_ pressure head under base at dovinstroam face (135 = 15) = 23 3 0488 = 1.788 From the shape of the flow net it can be seen that the drop in uplift presse between the two faces i lneae as shown on Fig, 2.20. The total uplift forcefm eun of dam = area of pressure diagram = HOFMLLTEE 41g x 10 = 1080 kN Figure 2.20 If the permeability ofthe soi ia the horizontal direction = &, and inthe vertical direction = tthe sectional drawing of the site must be dravn to a distorted seal, The horizontal dimensions are altered by the factor a tion t the veri In this case, ky = 4k, horizontal scale would be = VF vertical scale = Fertcal sale, “The flow nets then drawn on this diagram inthe usual way. The seepage computed from such a flow net willbe the corect seepage for a soil having, an average coecint of permeability hg = Vig = in both dizetions.Make a neat sketch of a flow net of seepage under the shet pling shown in Fig 2.24 and estimate approximately the quantity of seepage ‘in m/min por m ran of piling if the permeability ofthe sind is 18 > 10"? ms Ifthe unit weight ofthe of “piping” in font of the piles? 1S ic 18.5 kN/m?, i here any’ likelihood (ace) Figuee 2.24 soon Te ow ati own on Fie, 225. From te ee yee mate (on) 18 x 10? 10 = 1.730 x 1079 tm per m ran of wall Piping isthe term applied to an unstable condition which can occur in & soil mass when the upward seepage pressure of the water is equa 1 the Submerged weight ofthe soil above it (see solution 2.5). 6m x 498 x Figure 2.25 hasbeen found that, in the case ofa sheet pile wall, piping is ost Hikely to occur within a width infront ofthe wall equal to about haf the depth of ‘penetration of the piles. It willbe seen from the flow pet that this s the place where the water is seeping upwards and the lines are very closely spaced — lays a danger signal. ‘To determine the factor of safety agains piping, consider the prism of soit of unit thickness abed (Fig. 2.26). dad = depth of penetration of piles = 1.88 m ‘ab = fod ~ 094m — Figure 2.26 “The dowaward force W = force duet submerged desiy of sin the prism = ta) X 1.88 % 0.94 = (18.5 — 9.81) x 1.88 x 0.98 Om 15.36 4N “The upward seepage force on plane ab is found from the Now net. The seepage pressure on ab willbe equal tothe loss of head between ab and ed inmof water. This head loess eqalo the average numberof drops in head ri between plane ab and plane cd divide by the total amber of head drops fom inlet outlet Ng and multiplied by the tua head loss The pwd seepage force = SP i ay X are of plane ab 45 *3% y 9a4 x 096 x = any downward force Factor of safety against piping F = Sommmard force