MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY

CIVIL ENGINEERING III

SOIL MECHANICS – CIE 352

May 2023

FAS 2023 1
THE EFFECT OF SEEPAGE ON IN-SITU
STRESSES IN SOILS

FAS 2023 2
Stresses in soils with upward seepage
• The effective stresses in soils where seepage
occurs will be different from when water is static.
• Recall, the consolidation analogy and pore water
dissipation.
• Depending on the direction of seepage, the
effective stress will increase or decrease.
• This can be demonstrated by an example of soil
in a tank where water is added from the bottom.
FAS 2023 3
Stresses in soils with upward seepage
• If rate of the water
supply is constant, then
the head difference
between A and B is h.
• Bear in mind that the
effective stress at any
point is the weight of
soil and water above
that point.
FAS 2023 4
Stresses in soils with upward seepage
At point A,
▪ 𝜎𝐴 = 𝐻1 . 𝛾𝑤
▪ 𝑢𝐴 = 𝐻1 . 𝛾𝑤
▪ Effective stress, 𝜎 ′ = 𝜎𝐴 − 𝑢𝐴 = 0

At point B,
▪ 𝜎𝐵 = 𝐻1 . 𝛾𝑤 + 𝐻2 . 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡
▪ 𝑢𝐵 = 𝐻1 + 𝐻2 + ℎ . 𝛾𝑤
▪ 𝜎 ′ = 𝜎𝐵 − 𝑢𝐵 = 𝐻2 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝛾𝑤 − ℎ. 𝛾𝑤
FAS 2023 5
Stresses in soils with upward seepage
Therefore, the stresses at a point C, located at
depth z from the water table is,
▪Total stress, 𝜎𝐶 = 𝐻1 . 𝛾𝑤 + 𝑧. 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡
▪Pore pressure, 𝑢𝐶 = (𝐻1 + 𝑧 + ℎൗ𝐻2 . 𝑧)𝛾𝑤
▪𝜎 ′ = 𝑧 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝛾𝑤 − 𝑖. 𝑧. 𝛾𝑤
where i is the hydraulic gradient.

FAS 2023 6
Stresses in soils with upward seepage
• When the seepage and hydraulic gradient both
gradually increase, they will reach a limit point.
• At this limit, the total effective stress will be equal
to zero.
• This is known as the critical hydraulic gradient.
• Here, soil stability is lost.
• The soil thereby said to be at a boiling or quick
condition.
FAS 2023 7
Seepage Force
• When the seepage occurs, the seeping water
transfers a frictional drag onto the solid particles.
• This energy transfer is called the seepage force.
• The gravitational forces acting on the soil
together with the seeping water produces a
resultant body force.
• This resultant body force determines the effective
stress in a soil through which seepage occurs.
FAS 2023 8
Seepage Force
• We can observe the square
element of the soil ABCD.
• Seepage flows at an angle
θ.
• The square is such that the
sides are parallel and
normal to the direction of
flow.

FAS 2023 9
Seepage Force
• This square can be considered a flow net element.
• Δh is the drop in total head between sides AD
and BC.
• The pore water pressure at points A, B, C and D
are uA, uB, uC and uD.
• The difference in pore water pressure between A
and D is the difference in elevation head only.

FAS 2023 10
Seepage Force
• The difference in pore water pressure between A
and B or C is due to the difference in elevation
head and change in total head.
• Let the total head at A be hA then by Bernoulli’s
eqn.:
𝑢𝐴 = [ℎ𝐴 − 𝑧𝐴 ]𝛾𝑤

𝑢𝐵 = ℎ𝐴 − ∆ℎ − 𝑧 − 𝐿. 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝛾𝑤
FAS 2023 11
Seepage Force
𝑢𝐶 = ℎ𝐴 − ∆ℎ − 𝑧𝐴 − 𝐿. 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 − 𝐿. 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝛾𝑤

𝑢𝐷 = ℎ𝐴 − 𝑧𝐴 − 𝐿. 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝛾𝑤
We can now compute the pressure differences at
each point.
𝑢𝐵 − 𝑢𝐴 = 𝑢𝐶 − 𝑢𝐷 = −∆ℎ + 𝐿. 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝛾𝑤

𝑢𝐷 − 𝑢𝐴 = 𝑢𝐶 − 𝑢𝐵 = 𝐿. 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝛾𝑤
FAS 2023 12
Seepage Force
• Seepage force can be written as the difference
between static and seepage pressures, expressed
as:
Seepage force, 𝐽 = ∆ℎ. 𝛾𝑤 . 𝐿

• The seepage force, J, acts in the direction of flow.

• Since the hydraulic gradient , 𝑖 = ∆ℎΤ𝐿, the
equation above can be re-written.
FAS 2023 13
Seepage Force
𝐽 = 𝑖. 𝛾𝑤 . 𝐿2
Or seepage pressure, 𝑗 = 𝑖. 𝛾𝑤

• These are the same expressions used for seepage

pressure derived in the lectures on Seepage.
• Seepage and gravitational forces acting on a flow
net element can be shown by using a vector
diagram.
FAS 2023 14
Seepage Force
Forces acting on flow element:
1. Weight of soil = 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 . 𝐿2 -
vector ab
2. Force on CD = 𝛾𝑤 . 𝐿2 . 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 –
vector bd
3. Force on BC = 𝛾𝑤 . 𝐿2 . 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 −
∆ℎ. 𝛾𝑤 . 𝐿 = vector de
4. Resultant body force = vector
ea.
FAS 2023 15