Chapter 1 Flowinsoil

CHAPTER 1
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FLOW IN SOIL
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Learning Objectives
 This chapter introduced of meaning of permeability of soil.
 To study the application of the concept to real-life problems in

geotechnical engineering.
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Learning Outcomes
 Be able to construct a flow net and be able to calculate the

seepage flow.
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Introduction
 The seepage taking place around sheet – piling, dams, water

retaining structures and through embankments ,earth dam is two
dimensional.
 Many catastrophic failures in geotechnical engineering are due to

instability of soil mass brought about by groundwater flow.
 Improper drainage system was found to be one of the contributing

factors behind the collapse.
 We will learn the forces that provoke geotechnical failure due to

groundwater flow and learn of how to design geotechnical systems
where groundwater flow can lead to instability
Figure 1: Possible blow out failure due to seepage
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Cont…
• To begin with, the general case will be considered of two-
dimensional flow in a homogeneous and isotropic (i.e. k H =
kv) soil mass, and then the graphical representation known as a

flow net will be introduced
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Drawing flow net
 To draw the flow net, we need to understand two important

terminologies:
 Flow line- a line along which water particles will flow from upstream
to downstream through the permeable medium such as sand.
 Equipotential line- a line along which the potential head is equal. If
Sunday, November 28, 2021
we place a tube (piezometer) along this line, the water level will rise
to the same elevation (height).

Figure 2: Typical flow net diagram
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Flow net sketching technique
A flow net must meet the following criteria:
A) a boundary conditions must be satisfied:
 The flow lines and equipotential lines must intersect at a right angle.
 The area between the flow lines and equipotential lines must be curvilinear
squares.
 There must be constant flow through the flow channel.

 There must be constant head loss between the equipotential lines.

 The flow lines cannot intersect one another.
 The equipotential lines cannot intersect one another.

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Drawing the flow net for sheet pile
 Procedures for drawing the flow lines (you will need a graph paper).
 Draw the structure and the soil mass to scale.
 Identify the permeable and impermeable boundaries.
 The soil-impermeable boundaries are the flow lines because water can flow along
these interfaces (eg. Flow line A).
 The soil-permeable boundaries are the equipotential lines because the total head is
constant along these lines (eg. Equipotential line 1).
 Sketch a series of flow lines (four or five).

 Sketch an appropriate number of equipotential lines such that a curvilinear square

is obtained between two equipotential and flow lines.
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Construction of flow nets
Step 1:
 Draw the structure and soil mass to scale. Identify the

permeable and impermeable boundaries.
 a) the soil-impermeable boundaries are the flow lines because

water can flow along these interfaces (eg. Flow line A)
 b) the soil-permeable boundaries are equipotential lines

because the total head is constant along these lines (eg.

Equipotential line 9)
Figure 3:Scale showing the boundaries
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Step 2:
 Sketch a series of flow lines.
 In this case, there are four flow lines (A,B,C and D).
 These lines represent the paths along which water will travel
through the permeable stratum (left to right) as shown.

Figure 4:Sketching the flow lines
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Step 3:
 Draw the equipotential lines.
 The line should be drawn perpendicularly to the flow lines as shown.
 They should form a quasi-square where the equipotential lines and

flow lines intersect (approximately equal in length and width).
 We can draw a circle inside the square as indicated in the diagram.

 Readjust the net if necessary.
 All the intersections should be at right angles as shown.

Figure 5: Final sketch of flow nets
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Calculation of seepage flow
 The calculation for the seepage flow is carried out after drawing
the flow nets.
 Let examine the flow of water in the flow channel shown in

figure 5 and figure 6.
 The flow through the flow channel is constant and equal to q.
 According to Darcy’s law:

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Calculation of seepage flow
 After substituting we will get equation as stated:
 If the number of flow channels is Nf, then the total seepage through all the
channels is given by:
 Where; Nd = number of equipotential drops

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Reference
 Das, B.M. (1990). Principle of Geotechnical Engineering, 5th ed.,

Thomson Learning, Inc., USA.

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Chapter 1 Flowinsoil

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CHAPTER 1

 This chapter introduced of meaning of permeability of soil.

 To study the application of the concept to real-life problems in

 Be able to construct a flow net and be able to calculate the

 The seepage taking place around sheet – piling, dams, water

 Many catastrophic failures in geotechnical engineering are due to

 Improper drainage system was found to be one of the contributing

 We will learn the forces that provoke geotechnical failure due to

• To begin with, the general case will be considered of two-

dimensional flow in a homogeneous and isotropic (i.e. k H =

kv) soil mass, and then the graphical representation known as a

 To draw the flow net, we need to understand two important

to the same elevation (height).

A flow net must meet the following criteria:

A) a boundary conditions must be satisfied:

 There must be constant flow through the flow channel.

 There must be constant head loss between the equipotential lines.

 The flow lines cannot intersect one another.

 The equipotential lines cannot intersect one another.

Drawing the flow net for sheet pile

 Draw the structure and the soil mass to scale.

 Identify the permeable and impermeable boundaries.

 Sketch a series of flow lines (four or five).

 Sketch an appropriate number of equipotential lines such that a curvilinear square

 Draw the structure and soil mass to scale. Identify the

 a) the soil-impermeable boundaries are the flow lines because

 b) the soil-permeable boundaries are equipotential lines

because the total head is constant along these lines (eg.

 Sketch a series of flow lines.

through the permeable stratum (left to right) as shown.

 Draw the equipotential lines.

 The line should be drawn perpendicularly to the flow lines as shown.

 They should form a quasi-square where the equipotential lines and

 We can draw a circle inside the square as indicated in the diagram.

 Readjust the net if necessary.

 All the intersections should be at right angles as shown.

 Let examine the flow of water in the flow channel shown in

 According to Darcy’s law:

 After substituting we will get equation as stated:

 Where; Nd = number of equipotential drops

 Das, B.M. (1990). Principle of Geotechnical Engineering, 5th ed.,

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