Geotechnical Engineering and Applications CE 3413

Jie Huang, Ph.D., PE University of Texas-San Antonio

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Topic 7 Permeability & Seepage (Chapter 7 & 8)

Chapter 7 Permeability
Bernoulli Equation (7.1) Darcys Law (7.2) Permeability (hydraulic conductivity) (7.3) Lab testing (7.4) Tests for permeability (7.4) Field testing (7.9) Equivalent permeability in stratified soil (7.8)
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Bernoullis Equation

Total head

Unit: inches, feet, yards

Pressure head

Velocity head

Elevation head

Even though the units of these heads are the same as the units of length, they represents the energy.
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Hydraulic Gradient
Point A:

Point B:

Hydraulic gradient (In reality it is the energy loss per unit flow distance). 5

Darcys Law

Permeability (hydraulic conductivity)

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Application of Darcys Law

(Darcys Law)

Darcys Law

Real velocity (seepage velocity)

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Permeability
Fluid viscosity Pore size distribution Grain size distribution Void ratio Roughness of mineral particles etc. K= f(fluid, viscosity, size distribution, void ratio,)

Typical Permeability Values

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Lab Tests for Permeability

Constant Head Test Falling Head Test

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Constant Head Test

Given: Flow distance, L Cross-section area, A Water head, h Measurements: Time, t Volume of water, Q

constant

Falling Head Test

Given: Flow distance, L Cross-section area, A Standpipe cross-section, a Measurements: Time, t Water head, h1 and h2

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Falling Head Test

Given: Measurements: L, A, a t, h1, h2

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Exercise

Given: the sketch Ask: q

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Equivalent Hydraulic Conductivity in Stratified Soil

Flow perpendicular to layers Flow parallel to layers

SW, k1 SC, k2 SP, k3 MH, k4

SW, k1 SC, k2 SP, k3 MH, k4 How to determine k

Then, how to use Darcys law,

Flow Perpendicular to Layers

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Flow Parallel to Layers

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Exercises

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Field Tests for Permeability Pumping from Wells

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1: Underlain by Impermeable Layer

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2: Confined by Impermeable Layer

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Chapter 8 Seepage
Laplace Equation for continuity (8.1) Continuity Equation to solve simple problems (8.2) Flow net (8.3) Seepage calculation from flow net (8.4) Uplift pressure under hydraulic structures (8.7)

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Laplace Equation of Continuity

Governing equation:

&, if

(isotropic)

Continuity equation

Using Continuity Equation to Solve Simple Problem

(A1 and A2 are constants .)

Flow Net
Flow line: the path water particle travels Equipotential line: a line along which the water heads are equal

Principle of flow net: flow lines are perpendicular to equipotential lines

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Flow Net Components

Equipotential line Flow line

After Philip Bedient Rice University

Flow Net Formulation

Nf: number of flow channels Nd: number of potential drops

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How to Draw Flow Net

Drawing Method: 1. Draw to a convenient scale the geometry of the flow field. 2. Establish constant head and no-flow boundary conditions 3. Draw one or two flow lines and equipotential lines near the boundaries. 4. Sketch intermediate flow lines and equipotential lines by smooth curves adhering to right-angle intersections and square grids. Where flow direction is a straight line, flow lines are an equal distance apart and parallel. 5. Continue sketching until a problem develops. Each problem will indicate changes to be made in the entire net. Successive trials will result in a reasonably consistent flow net. 6. In most cases, 5 to 10 flow lines are usually sufficient. Depending on the number of flow lines selected, the number of equipotential lines will automatically be fixed by geometry and grid layout.
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After Philip Bedient Rice University

Non-square Grid Flow Net

(square grids)

(rectangular grids)

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Example

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Questions!!!

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