EXAMPLE 5.

SOLUTION 5.1
STEP1: Draw the dam to
scale.
…Next Slide….

1
STEP1: Draw the dam to
scale.

2
STEP2: Identify the permeable and impermeable boundaries.
AB and EF are permeable: equipotential lines.
BCIJDE and GH are impermeable: flow
STEP3: lines.
Draw the flow net.
STEP4: Calculate the flow.
H  10 m, N d  14, N f  4
Nf 4 4
q  k H  2  10  (10  100)   0.057 cm 3 /s
Nd 14
STEP5: Determine the pore water pressure under the base of the dam.
Select the downstream end EF as datum.
Divide the base into a convenient number of equal intervals.
Let us use 10 intervals; that is:
30.6
x   3.06 m
10
Determine the pore water pressure at each nodal point. Use
a table for convenience or, better yet, use a spreadsheet.
H 10
h    0.714 m
N d 14
3
Parameters Under base of dam
x (m) 0 3.06 6.12 9.18 12.24 15.3 18.36 21.42 24.48 27.54 30.6
Nd 5.60 5.80 6.20 6.90 7.40 8.00 8.80 9.40 10.30 11.10 12.50
Nd h (m) 4.00 4.14 4.43 4.93 5.28 5.71 6.28 6.71 7.35 7.93 8.93
hz(m) -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.40
hp(m)= H  N d h  hz 8.40 8.26 7.97 7.47 7.12 6.69 6.12 5.69 5.05 4.47 3.48
u (kPa) = hp  w 82.3 80.9 78.1 73.2 69.7 65.5 59.9 55.7 49.4 43.9 34.1

STEP6: Calculate the uplift force. Using Simpson’s rule (Eq.5.17):

3.06
Pw  82.3  34.1  2(78.1  69.7  59.9  49.4)  4(80.9  73.2  65.5  55.7  43.9)  1946.4 kN/m
3
4
STEP7: Determine the pore water pressure distribution on the sheet pile
wall. Divide the front face of the wall into six intervals of 7/6 = 1.17 m and the back face
into one interval. Six intervals were chosen because it is convenient for scaling using
the scale that was used to draw the flow net. The greater the interval the greater the
accuracy. Only one interval is used for the back face of the wall because there are no
equipotential lines that meet there. Use a table or spreadsheet to compute the pore
water pressure distribution and the hydrostatic forces. Use Simpson’s rule to calculate
the hydrostatic force on the front face of the wall. The pore water pressure distribution
at the back of the wall is a trapezoid and the area is readily calculated.

Parameters Front of wall Back of wall

z (m) 0 1.17 2.33 3.50 4.67 5.83 7.00 7.00 0.00
Nd 0.70 1.00 1.30 1.60 1.90 2.40 3.00 5.00 5.60
Nd h (m) 0.50 0.71 0.93 1.14 1.36 1.71 2.14 3.57 4.00
hz(m) -2.40 -3.57 -4.73 -5.90 -7.07 -8.23 -9.40 -9.40 -2.40
hp(m)= H  N d h  hz 11.90 12.85 13.81 14.76 15.71 16.52 17.26 15.83 8.40
u (kPa) = hp  w 116.6 126.0 135.3 144.6 154.0 161.9 169.1 155.1 82.3
Front Back Difference
Pw (kN/m) 1011.7 830.9 180.8

5
 6

Front Back
STEP8: Determine the maximum hydraulic gradient.
The smallest value of L occurs at the exit. By measurement Lmin=2 m.
h 0.714
imax 
  0.36
Lmin 2
STEP9: Determine if piping would occur.
G s  1 2.7  1
icr    0.94
1  e 1  0 .8
Since imax<icr, piping will not occur.

STEP10: State the effect of reducing the depth of penetration of the sheet pile wall.
If the depth is reduced, the value of h increases and imax is likely to increase.
EXAMPLE 4.1
SOLUTION 4.1
Step 1: Determine the appropriate stress condition and write the
appropriate equation. The soil element is likely to be under the
plane strain condition. (ε2 = 0); use Eq. (4.21).
 1  5000 1  0.3 0.3  0.0005 
   0.3 1  0.3  0.001
  3  (1  0.3)(1  2  0. 3)   

Step 2: Solve the equation.

 1  9615.4 (0.7  0.0005)   0.3  (0.001)  0.5 kPa

 3  9615.4 (0.3  0.0005)   0.7  (0.001)   5.3 kPa
the negative sign means reduction.

Step 3: Calculate the lateral force per unit length

 3   x
6
Px    5.3(dx  1)    5.3x  0   31.8 kN/m
6

0
EXAMPLE 4.2
SOLUTION 4.2
Step 1: Draw a diagram of the problem.
Step 2: Decide on a stress condition.
The element is directly under
the center of the tank, so the
the axisymmetric condition
prevails.
Step 3: Choose the appropriate equation and solve.
Use Eq. (4.24)
 1  1  1  0.6 50 
   3   20
  3  20  10   0 .3 0 . 7  
1
 1  1  50  0.6  20  1.9  10 3
20  10 3

1
 3    0.3  50  0.7  20   5  10 5

Step 4: Calculate the 20  10 3

vertical displacement
 1   z
 
5
5
z    z dz  1.9  10 3 z 0  9.5  10 3 m  9.5 mm
0