Chapter 18

Flow Analysis

Introduction
When water is flowing through the soil
We require to find the quantity of water flowing and the pore
water pressures that are induced in the flow space.

Different flow situations occur because of:

1. Flow can occur in one direction, or two, or all three
directions
2. Flow can occur under steady state or under transient
conditions
3. Variety of soil profiles
4. Soil itself is homogeneous or heterogeneous, uniform or
non-uniform, and isotropic or anisotropic.

One Dimensional Steady Sate Flow

Flow through homogeneous deposit
Ex.18.1) Determine the quantity of water
flowing into the lake in m3/hour from the
clay layer per m2 of the lake bed in the
profile shown in fig. 18.20.

-Darcy Law

Sol: Clay: k = 10-8 m/sec;

Thickness of clay layer, L = 10 m
Lake bed area A = 1 m2
Water will rise to EL. +10 m in a stand pipe
located at the bottom of the clay layer in
the sand.
Water will rise to El. 0 m in a standpipe
located on top of the clay layer.
Head causing flow through the clay layer
in the upward direction,
H 10m
H
8 10
5
3
A 10
1 60 60 3.6 10 m / hrFig. 18.20Soil profile below lake
L
10

Q k

One Dimensional Steady Sate Flow

Flow through Layered deposit

-Darcy Law

-- Flow along layers of different homogeneous soils

One Dimensional Steady Sate Flow

Flow through Layered deposit

-Darcy Law

-- Flow across layers of different homogeneous soils

In the above two figures, shows the behavior of flow of

current through conducting media under an electrical
potential difference. Fig.1 is in parallel and Fig.2 is in
series. So the flow of fluids through the porous media is
mathematically analogous to flow of electricity through a
conducting material.
This mathematical equivalence of voltage to head, current
flow to water flow, and conductivity to permeability enables
the problems through porous media to be solved using
electrical analog models.

When water flow occurs along the stratification, flow takes

place in high permeability layer.
When water flow across the stratification, the same water is
forced to pass through all the layers.

Ex.18.2) the flow is occuring in the three soils under a head difference of
1 m. the cross sectional area for each soil is 100 mm 2 and the length of
each soil is 500 mm. Determine how much water per hour will flow
through each of three soils and the total flow. Which soil contributes the
most to the total quantity of flow and why?
soil

1-clay

K (m/s) 10-9

2- silt

3-sand

10-6

10-4

H 1m, L 0.5, and A 100 mm

1
H
9
3
3
A 10
100 10 60 60 0.72mm / hr
L
0 .5
1
H
6
3
3
Q2 k 2
A 10
100 10 60 60 720mm / hr
L
0 .5
Q1 k1

1
H
4
3
3
A 10
100 10 60 60 72000mm / hr
L
0.5

Q3 k3

Q = Q1 +Q2+Q3 = 72720.72 mm3/hr

Max. Flow: Sand Layer, because
it has more permeability.

(18.3) the flow is occurring through three soils under a head difference of 1
m. the cross sectional area for each soil is 300 mm 2 and the length of each
soil is 167 mm. Determine how much water per hour will flow through each of
the three soils and the total flow. Which soil is controlling the total quantity of
flow and why?
soil

1-clay

K (m/s) 10-9

2- silt

3-sand

10-6

10-4

H1 H 2 H 3 1000mm, L 167mm, and A 300 mm

H1
9 H 1
3
3
A 10
300 10 60 60 mm / hr
L
167

Q k1

H 2
6 H 2
3
3
A 10
300 10 60 60 mm / hr
L
167

Q k2

H 3
4 H 3
3
3
A 10
300 10 60 60 mm / hr
L
167

Q k3

103
100
10 2
H1
; H1
; H1
1.00101
1.00101
1.00101
3
Q 6.46mm / hr

Clay Layer controls, because it

has less permeability.

Two Dimensional Steady State Flow Laplace Equation

Condition of continuity for steady state flow follows that there is no
change in any condition with time. As such there is neither storage nor
depletion with time in the amount of water in any soil element in the
flow space.
The condition of continuity thus reduces to
For 2 D flow:
Darcys Law is valid:

Soil is Homogeneous:
Kx and kz are constants

Soil is Isotropic

Thus the condition of continuity for two dimensional steady

state flow in homogeneous isotropic soils for which Darcys
law is valid will be:
- Laplace Equation
A solution of this equation for a set of boundary conditions will
describe how the head causing flow is dissipated in the flow
space. (i.e., how h is a function of x and z)

Flow Nets
For one dimensional flow in the x direction the laplace
equation reduces to
A general solution can be obtained by integrating twice

Boundary conditions:

Flow Nets

Fig. 18.3General solution of Laplace Equation in graphical form

Fig. 18.4Flow lines and equipotential lines in a two-dimensional

constant head permeameter

Fig. 18.5Flow lines and equipotential lines drawn so

as to get square figures

Fig. 18.6Flow net for flow through the pervious foundation

of a weir with a sheet-pile cut-of

Fig. 18.7Peculiar squares of flow net of Fig. 18.6 magnified

Fig. 18.8Flow net for flow through pervious foundation of

a weir with nd = 10.5

Fig. 18.9Homogeneous earth dam with a filter drain founded

on an impervious stratum

Fig. 18.10The feature of phreatic line utilized to determine its location

Fig. 18.11Guidance for locating position of phreatic line

Fig. 18.12 Flow net for unconfined flow through a homogeneous earth dam with
a filter drain founded on impervious stratum

Fig. 18.13Determination of pore water pressure under conditions of confined fl

. 18.14Determination of pore water pressure under conditions of unconfined flo

Fig. 18.15Radial flow into a well in a confined aquifer

Fig. 18.16Radial flow into a well in an unconfined aquifer

Fig. 18.17Lowering of ground water table with two wells in

an unconfined aquifer

Fig. 18.18Lowering of ground water table with four wells

and the de-watered zone