Scribd
Upload
15 views8 pages

Tutorial 6-Additional Problems(1)

The document discusses methods for determining hydraulic conductivity in soil, particularly through pumping tests that measure groundwater level changes. It includes examples of calculations for permeability based on observed data from pumping tests and introduces concepts such as flow nets and hydraulic gradients. Additionally, it covers the calculation of seepage quantities and pressure heads in flow nets, providing practical applications related to dam engineering.

Uploaded by

lemi asefa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views8 pages

Tutorial 6-Additional Problems(1)

The document discusses methods for determining hydraulic conductivity in soil, particularly through pumping tests that measure groundwater level changes. It includes examples of calculations for permeability based on observed data from pumping tests and introduces concepts such as flow nets and hydraulic gradients. Additionally, it covers the calculation of seepage quantities and pressure heads in flow nets, providing practical applications related to dam engineering.

Uploaded by

lemi asefa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

Pumping Test to Determine the Hydraulic Conductivity


Laboratory permeability tests have some shortcomings, and the sample size is so small that the
measured values may not be necessarily true representatives of field conditions, which may
include non-uniformity and fissures. An alternative way to obtain a more representative and
reliable k (coefficient of permeability) value is to use field methods, although these may be
relatively expensive. One common method of determining the hydraulic conductivity in the field
is by pumping water at a constant flow rate from a well and measuring the decrease in
groundwater level at observation wells (Figure). As seen in Figure below, a well is excavated
through the permeable layer, and two observation wells are installed at r1 and r2 distances from
the center of the center well hole. Water is pumped out at a steady rate until the height of the
water level at the center well as well as at the two observation wells becomes stable.
The equation, called the simple well formula, is used to determine the k value (refer your
lecture material how the equation is derived):

where
q: amount of pumped water per unit time
r1 and r2: distances of observation wells from the center of the center well hole
h1 and h2: observed water heights at observation wells as defined in Figure

FIGURE: Field permeability test for unconfined permeable layer underlain by the impervious layer.

ASTU 2021/22 Page 1 of 8


Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

Examples (Determine the Hydraulic Conductivity from Pump Test):


1. A 9.15m thick layer of sandy soil overlies an impermeable rock. Groundwater level is at a
depth of 1.22m below the top of the soil. Water was pumped out of the soil from a central
well at the rate of 5680kg/min and the drawdown of the water table was noted in two
observation wells. These two wells were on a radial line from the center of the main well at
distances of 3.05 and 30.5m. During pumping the water level in the well nearest to the pump
was 4.57m below ground level and in the furthest well was 2.13m below ground level.
Determine an average value for the permeability of the soil in m/s.

2. A pumping test was carried out in a soil bed of thickness 15m and the following
measurements were recorded. Rate of pumping was 10.6x10-3m3/s; drawdowns in
observation wells located at 15m and 30m from the center of the pumping well were 1.6m
and 1.4m, respectively, from the initial groundwater level. The initial groundwater level was
located at 1.9m below ground level. Determine k.
Strategy You are given all the measurements to directly apply Equation (6.24) to find k. You
should draw a sketch of the pump test to identify the values to be used in Equation (6.24).

Solution

 Draw a sketch of the pump test with the appropriate dimensions—see Figure E6.8.
 Substitute given values in the appropriate equation to find k

r1 = 30m, r2 = 15m
h2 = 15-(1.9+1.4) = 11.7m
h1 = 15-(1.9+1.6) = 11.5m

ASTU 2021/22 Page 2 of 8


Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

Flow nets

The flow of water through a soil can be represented graphically by a flow net, a form of
curvilinear net made up of a set of flow lines intersected by a set of equipotential lines.

Flow lines: The paths which water particles follow in the course of seepage are known as flow
lines. Water flows from points of high to points of low head, and makes smooth curves when
changing direction. Hence we can draw, by hand or by computer, a series of smooth curves
representing the paths followed by moving water particles.

Equipotential lines: As the water moves along the flow line it experiences a continuous loss of
head. If we can obtain the head causing flow at points along a flow line, then by joining up
points of equal potential we obtain a second set of lines known as equipotential lines.

Hydraulic gradient

The potential drop between two adjacent equipotentials divided by the distance between them is
known as the hydraulic gradient. It attains a maximum along a path normal to the equipotentials
and in isotropic soil the flow follows the paths of the steepest gradients, so that flow lines cross
equipotential lines at right angles. Figure a) shows a typical flow net representing seepage
through a soil beneath a dam. The flow is assumed to be two dimensional, a condition that covers
a large number of seepage problems encountered in practice.

From Darcy‟s law q = Aki, so if we consider unit width of soil and if Δq = the unit flow through
a flow channel (the space between adjacent flow lines), then:

∆q = b×l×k×i = b ki where b = distance between the two flow lines.

In Fig. a) below the figure ABCD is bounded by the same flow lines as figure A1B1C1D1 and by
the same equipotentials as figure A2B2C2D2. For any figure in the net Δq = bki = bkΔh/l,

where
Δh = head loss between the two equipotentials
l = distance between the equipotentials (see Fig. b).

Fig. a) Flow net for seepage beneath a dam Fig.b) Section of a flow net.

ASTU 2021/22 Page 3 of 8


Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

Referring to Fig. b:

Flow through A1B1C1D1 = ∆q1 = k∆h1b1/l1


Flow through A2B2C2D2 = ∆q2 = k∆h2b2/l2
Flow through ABCD = ∆q = k∆hb/l
If we assume that the soil is homogeneous and isotropic then k is the same for all figures and it is
possible to draw the flow net so that b1 = l1, b2 = l2, b = l. When we have this arrangement the
figures are termed „squares‟ and the flow net is a square flow net. With this condition:

Since square ABCD has the same flow lines as A1B1C1D1,


∆q = ∆q1

Since square ABCD has the same equipotentials as A2B2C2D2,

∆h = ∆h2
⇒ ∆q2 = k∆h2 = k∆h = ∆q = ∆q1
i.e.
∆q = ∆q1 = ∆q2 and h∆ = ∆h1= ∆h2
Hence, in a flow net, where all the figures are square, there is the same quantity of unit flow
through each figure and there is the same head drop across each figure.
No figure in a flow net can be truly square, but the vast majority of the figures do approximate to
squares in that the four corners of the figure are at right angles and the distance between the flow
lines, b, equals the distance between the equipotentials, 1.

Calculation of seepage quantities

Let
Nd = number of potential drops
Nf = number of flow channels
h = total head loss
q = total quantity of unit flow.3
Then

ASTU 2021/22 Page 4 of 8


Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

Pressure Heads in Flow Net


Total heads at any points on the same equipotential line should be the same. As seen
in Figure below, if standpipes are placed all along the first equipotential line, the water
levels in the pipes are the same since the total head is expressed in Bernoulli’s equation:
total head (ht) = water height in the pipe (hp) + elevation head (hz).

Fig. Pressure heads in flow net.

Fig. Examples of flow net for dams. (From Terzaghi, K., 1943, Theoretical Soil Mechanics, John
Wiley & Sons, New York.)

ASTU 2021/22 Page 5 of 8


Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

Examples (Flownet Seepage)


1. Using Fig. below, determine the loss through seepage under the dam in cubic meters per year
if k = 3×10-6m/s and the level of water above the base of the dam is 10m upstream and 2m
downstream. The length of the dam perpendicular to the plane of seepage is 300m.

2. A flow net under a concrete dam is shown in Figure below.


(a) Calculate and plot the water pressure distribution along the base of the dam.
(b) Compute the resultant uplift force against the base of the dam.
(c) Calculate the point of application of the resultant uplift force.

The datum is chosen at the top of the impervious layer:


Δh = 17 - 12 = 5.0 m
Nd = 8
Δhi = Δh/Nd = 5.0/8 = 0.625 m
a) Points “a” through “g” at the base of the dam are labeled in Figure below.
Computation of the water pressures along the base is made in Table. The result is
plotted in Figure below.

ASTU 2021/22 Page 6 of 8


Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

b) Horizontal distances “x” of those points from Point “a” are read from the graph and
shown in Column C in Table below. Forces of trapezoids made by the two adjacent
pressure readings (Column E) and the moment of the forces about Point “a” (Column
G) are also computed in Table. From the last row in Table below:
Resultant uplift force P = 926.2 kN/m (per dam length)
TABLE 2: Computation of Heads and Water Pressure for Figure 1

ASTU 2021/22 Page 7 of 8


Soil Mechanics I Additional Tutorial Problems

c) Point of application of P = Σ(moment)/P = 6478.2/926.2 = 6.99 m from Point “a.”


If a single trapezoid for the entire near-linear pressure distribution is used for
the problem,
P = ½(77.25 + 40.47) × 15.5 = 912.3 kN/m2
(1.5% off from the preceding computation)
Point of application = 1/3 × 15.5 × (77.27 + 2 × 40.47)/(77.27 + 40.47) = 6.94 m (0.7% off
from the preceding computation)
TABLE 1: Computation of Forces and Moments from Pressure Distribution in Figure 1

ASTU 2021/22 Page 8 of 8

You might also like