SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Mathematical Modelling
in Civil Engineering

BUCHAREST

No. 4 -December- 2011

CONTENTS
PREFATA
HARMONICS ANALYZER IN LABVIEW ......................................................................... 7
Florin Daniel Anton, Alexandru Mircea Iatan

MESH DEPENDENCE STUDY USING LARGE EDDY SIMULATION

OF A VERY LOW REYNOLDS CROSS-SHAPED JET .................................................. 16
Florin Bode, Ilinca Nastase, Cristiana Croitoru

GEOCOMPOSITE-REINFORCED GRANULAR WORKING PLATFORM IN SITU TESTING ................................................................................................................ 23

Natalia Butnarciuc

IMPROVING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND INDOOR COMFORT OFAN

OLD PRIMARY SCHOOL ................................................................................................... 31
Tiberiu Catalina

CONSTITUTIVE LAWS AND NECESSARY GEOTECHNICAL PARAMETERS

FOR OPTIMUM DESIGN OF DEEP EXCAVATIONS ................................................... 38
Ctlin Cpraru

COMPARATIVE STUDY FOR ESTABLISHING THE MOST APROPRIATE

FOUNDATION SOLUTION FOR LOW, FRAMED BUILDINGS ................................. 46
Sorina Constantinescu

THE INFLUENCE OF THE GEOMETRIC FORM OF THE VIRTUAL THERMAL

MANIKIN ON CONVECTIVE FLOW ............................................................................... 55
Cristiana Croitoru, Ilinca Nastase, Florin Bode

NONLINEAR MODELLING FEATURES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE SHEAR

WALLS.................................................................................................................................... 65
Ionut Damian

COMMAND AND CONTROL OF SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS USED IN

RETROFITTED BUILDINGS ............................................................................................. 75
Radu Calin Donca, Mihai Petru Draghici

PIPING PHENOMENA AT OSTROVUL CORBULUI DIKE ......................................... 81

Daniel Andrei Gaftoi

THE INTRODUCTION OF GNSS METEOROLOGY IN ROMANIA MONITORING

2D&3D WATER VAPOR DISTRIBUTION VIA GNSS ................................................... 88
Raluca Ianoschi, Alexandru Lepdatu

NUMERICAL MODELLING FOR IN-SEWER BED PROFILES .................................. 94

Elena Iiatan, Alexandru Iatan

SEISMIC RESPONSE OF DUAL STEEL ECCENTRICALLY BRACED

FRAMES WITH REMOVABLE LINKS .......................................................................... 101
Adriana Ioan

BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMNS UNDER NUMERICAL

VALIDATION OF A FREE-CONVECTIVE CELL SUBJECTED
TO AN AIR FLOW .............................................................................................................. 111
Claudia-Florentina Iorgoiu, Rzvan-Silviu tefan

PIPING PHENOMENA AT OSTROVUL CORBULUI DIKE

DANIEL ANDREI GAFTOI - PhD Student, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Faculty of
Hydrotechnics, e-mail: daniel_gaftoi@yahoo.com
Abstract: Iron Gates II hydropower plant includes, for the protection of Ostrovul Corbului area,
an embankment dam founded on highly permeable and easily trained alluvial soils. The initial
protection dike project did not supply a cutoff wall and the solution adopted to maintain a
certain water level within the enclosure area was to pump the excessive water over the dike and
out in the lake. Groundwater movement between the retention arrangement and lower levels
created by pumped water lead to damages brought to the soil structure. Such a phenomenon is
reported near the pumping station, which is emphasized by changes in water levels after the
drainage process. This study aims to identify the potential causes of the piping phenomena
which have appeared at Ostrovul Corbului dike and the possible remedial solutions using the
available data and mathematical modeling. To confirm the assumptions regarding the piping
causes and to establish the appropriate solutions, a transient 2D model was realized using the
finite elements method. Following the mathematical modeling some of the assumptions were
confirmed and others were determined. To remedy the situation, two complementary solutions
have been proposed: interventions on the pumps in order to be able to adjust the flow and to
realize a cutoff wall which modifies the flow so that the current lines move away from the
sensitive area near the pumping station.
Keywords: seepage analysis, finite element method, cutoff wall, embankment dike

1. Introduction
An increasing part of the hydro development in the world faces seepage phenomena through
the embankment or through the foundation. This phenomenon accompanied by hydrodynamic
picking up of the fine material is threatening dam stability and may cause unforeseen failure.
The ground conditions and the geological features of the dam site influence greatly the
amount of seepage and its relevant effects.
The seepage problem (prevention, determination of the causes and remedial solutions) has
been the main subject for many researchers in recent years. For example, Uromeihy and
Barsegari [1] evaluated the seepage problems at the Ghapar-Abad Dam and selected the
proper method for water-proofing prior to construction, Jin-Yong Lee et al. [2] investigated
the possible seepage paths and potential damaged areas within the Unmun Dam a rockfill
dam with clay core from Korea, Stematiu and Teodorescu [3] studied the causes and proposed
the remedial solutions for the significant damages that occurred at Bilciuresti Dam, Ping Li et
al. [4] modeled seepage through fractured rock mass.
This study aims to identify the potential causes of the piping phenomena that have appeared at
Ostrovul Corbului dike and the possible remedial solutions using the available data and
mathematical modeling.
2. Site Description
Iron Gates II hydropower plant includes, on the left side of the Danube, a 7 km long
embankment dike. The dike was executed by blocking the Old Danube branch at both ends in
order to protect the Ostrovul Corbului area (fig. 1). It was founded on highly permeable and
easily trained alluvial soils. The initial project of the dike did not supply a cutoff wall and the
adopted solution to maintain a certain water level into the protected area was to pump the
excessive water back into the lake. As part of this solution, the former Old Danube riverbed which drains water from adjacent terraces and from seepage was designed as a drainage
Mathematical Modelling in Civil Engineering, no.4 - 2011

81

channel. A pumping station with 2 high capacity pumps (4 m3/s each) was built for pumping
the water over the dam.

Dike

Fig. 1 Plan view of the Ostrovul Corbului dike

The pumping station was placed on a caisson founded on the bed rock at the base of the
coarse silt (sand and gravel) at approx. 18 20 m depth. The water access from the channel
into caisson is made through gaps within its wall.
The ground level for the pumping station area is about 4.00 m below the water level of the
storage lake (42.00 maSL) and the water level from the drainage channel is 1.00 m below the
ground level (fig. 2). Pumping water from the canal is intermittent 2-3 rounds of pumping a
day. The total duration of a pumping round consists in about 3 4 hours during which the
water level from the channel lowers with 2.00 2.50 m. The pumping round is followed by a
break, during which the water level returns to its maximum level.

Danube

FT and FA
Test holes

Pumping
Station

Drainage
Channel

Transformer
Station
Fig. 2 Plan view of the pumping station area

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Mathematical Modelling in Civil Engineering, no. 4/2011

The groundwater movement between the retention level and the lower levels created by water
pumping lead to soil structure damages. Such a phenomenon is reported near the pumping
station, which is exacerbated by changes in the water level after the drainage procedure.
Since the summer of 2003 repeatedly ground subsidence was observed near the pumping
station caisson - transformer station site. In order to bring the land field to its original level,
the hole was filled repeatedly with selected gravel but this measure has no influence on
stopping the piping phenomena. The ground subsidence continued over time, so now the
transformer station is affected.
Because these phenomena can be a real threat to the stability and the functionality of the
transformer station and the pumping station, including the risk of taking out of service the
pumping station and flooding of the Ostrovul Corbului area, the causes had to be identified
and corrective actions had to be established.
3. Site Geology
In order to determine the geologic characteristics of the dam site we used the existing
documentation realized by GEOTEC and INCERC in 1996 1997 and 2 new test holes (FT
and FA represented in fig. 2). Based on the analysis and interpretation of the information
obtained from documentary sources and additional drilling, it has been found that:
-

The route dam foundation soil consists of a discontinuous layer of silty sandy earth,
with horizontally passes to silty sandy clays. The thickness of this layer varies from
0 to 7-8 m.

The lithological profile at the pumping station site is characterized by the following
lithological succession: from 0.00 to 3.30 m there is a layer of gravel and sand filling,
followed by a layer of gray silty sand to a depth of 10.20 m. Next, to a depth of 18.10
m only coarse sediments - gravel with boulders and gray-brown sand was found. Note
that this lithology corresponds to studies performed during the 1996 1997 period.

The FT drilling positioned next to the transformer station is characterized by a layer

made of heterogeneous fillers (compensation settlements) followed by purple
micaceous sands and gravel with boulders. Lithological profile of the FA drilling
positioned near the antenna is characterized by a filling layer made of sand with
gravel. The lack of the sand fraction in the FT drilling highlights the hydrodynamic
effect involvement in this area with large gradients.

The size analysis (fig. 3) showed that the silty sand present in the range of depth from
3.30 m to 10.20 m (noted with I in the figure) is characterized by a coefficient of
uniformity Un = 20 - 25 and for the coarse silt layer (depth interval from 10.20 to
18.10 m), noted with II and III in the picture, the coefficient of uniformity is Un = 50 150. According to the value of the coefficient of uniformity, the sands from the dam
foundation are classified as irregular.

Hydro geological investigations carried out have shown that the values of the
permeability coefficient are high and very high, reaching hundreds of m/day and at the
pumping station site varies between 71 m/day and 982 m/day.

According to the values of the coefficient of uniformity (Un = 20 - 150), based on the
ISTOMINA diagram (fig. 4), it results that the critic gradient for the sands from dam
foundation is greater than 0.18 0.30.

Mathematical Modelling in Civil Engineering, no.4 - 2011

83

Hydraulic gradient ( i )

Fig. 3 Size analysis for the silty sand and for the coarse silt layer

Dangerous zone
for piping

Safe zone
Coefficient of uniformity ( Un)
Fig. 4 ISTOMINA diagram

4. Causes of Piping Phenomena

4.1. Considered Assumptions
Based on the existing data, it is estimated that the piping phenomena of the sand from the
pumping station area has the following causes:
-

Dam foundation soil that up to 18-20 m depth is composed of irregular sand and gravel,
unstable in terms of hydrodynamic picking up,

Pumping station caisson which represents an obstacle in the flow net of the groundwater
flow from the dam to the drainage channel. This is materialized through the diversion and
concentration of flow lines to the sides of the pumping station caisson,

Water pumping from the drainage channel into the storage lake takes place as a transient
flow with 2 high capacity pumps so there is no correlation between the pumped flow and
the water level from the channel, which favors hydrodynamic picking up.

4.2. Mathematical Model

To confirm the assumptions on the causes of the phenomenon, a transient 2D horizontal
model was realized using the finite element method. The meshed region includes a large zone
in order not to influence the results by domain limit boundary conditions. The mesh is finer in
the pumping station area and near its surroundings in order to have better results in the
interested area (fig. 5).
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Mathematical Modelling in Civil Engineering, no. 4/2011

Danube
Pumping station
area

Drainage
Channel

Fig 5 Finite element model

The model was realized with Seep/w and the mesh had 2707 elements. The transmissivity
coefficient adopted for the permeability zone was 1200 m2/day, which means a permeability
coefficient equal to 0.0016 m/sec and a saturated volume water content of 20%.
4.3. Simulation to Verify the Assumption
To highlight the increase in hydraulic gradients induced by pumping, first the situation before
the pumps were starting was modeled high water level in drainage channel, and then the
situation after the pumping round was modeled low water level in drainage channel. The
initial head boundary conditions adopted were:
- H = 42.00 maSL in the storage lake;
- H = 37.00 maSL in the drainage channel.
Fig 6 and fig 7 illustrate the lines of constant head (left side), the hydraulic gradients and the
flow vectors (right side) for the analyzed situations. It has been discovered that geometrical
features of the drainage channel cause concentrations of large gradients when seepage water
exits within the channel. The barrier created by the pumping station caisson has a second role.
These results explain why the ground subsidence appeared close to the transformer station and
near the end of the drainage channel.
39

0.06

0.06

38

0.0

SP

0.08

8
0.1

SP

37

37
.5

0.
18

0.12

0.
1

.5
38

Fig. 6 Model results before pumping round (37.00 maSL - channel water level)
38

0.08

37.5

0.1

0.1 4

SP

35

35.5

36

0.2

SP

0.18

1
0.
0.14

0.12
.5
36

0.1

37

Fig. 7 Model results after a pumping round (35.00 maSL - channel water level)
Mathematical Modelling in Civil Engineering, no.4 - 2011

85

5. Corrective Surgery
Two types of interventions have been proposed as corrective surgery:
-

Changes to the pumps so as to create the possibility of adjusting the flow in order to limit
the water level offset into the channel and the lowering speed of the water.
- Create a sheet pile cutoff wall on an alignment parallel to the canal bank and then rotated
to the limit of the drainage channel, behind the pumping station, in order to create a
hydraulic barrier to reduce the flow gradients below the critical values.
The effect of changing the pumping regime was highlighted by analyzing a transient model
controlled pumping, which leads to lowering water levels from the drainage channel from
37.00 maSL to 36.00 maSL in 3 hours. After analyzing the results, it was found that this
intervention by itself does not change the seepage regime. The difference between the actual
pumping regime and the proposed one is insignificant the value of the hydraulic gradient
decreases from 0.26 to 0.22 but the risk of hydrodynamic picking up still remains.

The cutoff wall leads to radical changes within the infiltration flow net. First we determine the
effect of the cutoff wall in case the current pumping scheme remains unchanged and fig. 8
represents the constant head lines (left side), the hydraulic gradients and the flow vectors
(right side) for this analysis. It is noticed that the values of the hydraulic gradient are a lot
smaller than the actual conditions - without the cutoff wall. At the end of the pumping
process, the hydraulic gradient in the critical area is 0.15, about half that of current situation.
Certain levels of concentration of gradient lines appear at the extremities of the cutoff wall but
they are not dangerous since the flow path to the drainage channel is long and the gradients
decrease significantly. In the second phase we determine the combined effect of the
installation of the cutoff wall and the change of pumping regime (lowering the water level
from the drainage channel from 37.00 maSL to 36.00 maSL in 3 hours). In fig. 9 we present
the same representations for this analysis as in previous cases and it can be observed that this
corrective measure leads to stopping the hydrodynamic picking up. The maximum value for
the gradient is 0.1, providing a safety factor of about 1.8 to the critical hydraulic gradient.
.5
35

0.1

37.5

36

37

36
.5

38

5
0.1

35

0.1

SP

0.0
5

5
0.1

5
0.1

SP

36

.5
36

05
0.

37

35.5

35

Fig. 8 The effect of the cutoff wall without changing the pumping regime
39
38

.5
37

37

38.5

0.
1

36.5

0.15

0.1

05
0.

SP

05
0.

38

0.1

SP

37

.5
37

36.5

Fig. 9 The combined effect of the cutoff wall and the change of pumping regime
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Mathematical Modelling in Civil Engineering, no. 4/2011

6. Conclusions
This paper aims to identify the causes of the subsidence phenomena observed near the
transformer station of the Ostrovul Corbului drain system and to define the remedial solution.
From the available hydrogeological and geological studies it appears that the coarse silt presented
in the dam foundation is characterized by high and very high values for the permeability
coefficient, reaching hundreds of m/day. According the values of the coefficient of uniformity
results that the critic gradient for the sands from the dam foundation is 0.18 0.30.
The analysis on the mathematical model showed that hydrodynamic picking up of the sand
from the dam foundation has 4 principal causes:
-

the configuration of the terminal area of the drainage channel which ends close to the
transformer station and forms a concentration area of flow lines and gradients;

the presence of the caisson which represents a barrier for the groundwater movement;

the presence of easily trained alluvial soils;

the pumping regime characterized by an important oscillation of the channel water

level (2.00 2.50 m) in a very short time (3 hours) which favors the hydrodynamic
picking up of the dam foundation materials.

To control the seepage phenomena, which may jeopardize the integrity of the pumping
station, are proposed : the development of a sheet pile cutoff wall on an alignment parallel to
the canal bank and then rotated to the limit of the drainage channel, behind the pumping
station, in order to create a hydraulic barrier to reduce the flow gradients below the critical
values and changes to the pumps so as to create the possibility of adjusting the flow in order
to limit the water level offset into the channel and to lower the speed of the water.
A numerical simulation on a 2D horizontal model showed that the cutoff wall has the
maximum effect in stopping hydrodynamic picking up of the sand from the foundation. The
combined solution installation of the cutoff wall and change of pumping regime is
recommended.
Acknowledgements
Thanks are expressed to the Institute of Hydroelectric Studies and Design for the opportunity
provided to the author to work on this project.
References
[1] Uromeihy, A., Barzegari, G. Evaluation and treatment of seepage problems at Chapar-Abad Dam, Iran,
Science Direct, in Engineering Geology, No 91, 2007, pp. 219-228
[2] Jin-Yong, L., Hyoung-Soo, K., Yea-Kwon, C., Jeong-Woo, K., Jeong-Yong, C., Myeong-Jae, Y.
Sequential tracer tests for determining water seepage paths in a large rockfill dam, Nakdong River basin,
Korea, Science Direct, in Engineering Geology, No. 89, 2007, pp. 300-315
[3] Stematiu, D., Teodorescu, D. The damage of Bilciuresti diversion dam, in Hidrotehnica, Vol 51, 2006, pp.
12 - 22
[4] Ping, L., Wenxi, L., Yuqiao, L., Zhongping, Y., Jun, L. Seepage analysis in a fractured rock mass: The
upper reservoir of Pushihe pumped-storage power station in China, Science Direct, in Engineering Geology,
No 97, 2008, pp. 53-62
[5] Krahn, J. Seepage modeling with SEEP/W, User Guide, 2004

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