Mechanics of Soil (CE2021)

Lecture – 20
Application of Seepage Analysis

Dr. Soukat Das

Assistant Professor
National Institute of Technology Rourkela

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 Stress due to self weight
The vertical stress on element A can be determined simply from the mass of the
overlying material.
If represents the unit weight of the soil, the vertical stress is
z  z

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 Stress due to self weight
With uniform surcharge on infinite land surface

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 Vertical Stresses
Vertical stresses due to self weight increase with depth.

There are 3 types of geostatic stresses:

a. Total Stress (σtotal)
b. Effective Stress (σ’)
c. Pore Water Pressure (u)

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 Critical Hydraulic Gradient (ic)
Effective stress reduces due to the upward flow of water.
When the head causing upward flow is increased, a stage is reached when the
effective stress is reduced to zero. This condition is known as quick sand condition.

   sat L      w L

u   w H w1   w L  h 

    u      w L   w L  h 
   L w h

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 Critical Hydraulic Gradient (ic)
   L w h
h
   L w L    L   w iL
L
 0    L   w ic L
 G 1 
  w
   1 e 
 ic  
w w
G 1
 ic 
1 e
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 CAPILLARY SIPHONING
The water rises in the outer shell due to capillary action. If the crest (top level)
of the impervious core is in the reach of capillary rise, water flows from the
storage reservoir to the downstream over the core. Considerable quantity of
stored water may be lost due to capillary siphoning. To prevent this, the
difference of top level of the core and water level in the reservoir should be
more than the capillary rise in soil of the shell.

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 Piping failure
Hydraulic structures, such as weirs and dams, built on pervious
foundations sometimes fail by formation of a pipe-shaped channel in
its foundation known as piping failure. The failure occurs when water
flowing through the foundation has a very high hydraulic gradient and
it carries soil particles with it.

There are two types of such failures:

(1) Backward Erosion Piping
(2) Heave Piping

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 Piping failure
(1) Backward Erosion Piping.
This type of piping begins with
the removal of soil particles by
flowing water near the exit
points. A scour hole forms near
the exit when the hydraulic
gradient is high. The hole
extends upstream along the
foundation. The failure occurs as
soon as the scour hole
approaches the upstream
reservoir.
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(2) Heave Piping. This type of
piping occurs in the form of a
rise or a heave of a large mass
of soil due to seepage pressure.
When the seepage force due to
upward flow of water at any
level is greater than the
submerged weight of the soil
above that level, the entire soil
mass in that zone heaves up and
is blown put by the percolating
water. This type of failure is
known as heave piping failure.
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If k = 3.8 × 10-6 m/s, Find the quantity of flow (in cm3/sec) under the
dam per meter of the dam is _________.

7.182

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k = 0.09 m/day (isotropic), G = 2.70 and e = 0.85. Find (i) seepage
loss (m3/day), (ii) factor of safety.

(i) 0.38
(ii) 2.6
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K=
3.2 x 104
cm/s

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 Thank You

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