4.1. SEEPAGE THROUGH SOIL
SEEPAGE THROUGH SOIL: · Is a process in which liquid leaks through a porous medium from high head towards low head. · Although flow velocity of water during seepage is very small (as this flow is Laminar) but in reality, it poses many problems such as: o Losses of water reservoir o Reduction in effective weight of soil o Uplift pressure below dam o Piping failure, which can lead to sudden structural collapse Because of these risks, it is important to calculate and control seepage flow. FLOW NETS: · Seepage flow is calculated with the help of flow nets and is based on Laplace’s equation of continuity. 3D flow is complex; thus, we cover 2D dimensional seepage flow. A flow net consists of two sets of curves: Flow lines → represent the path followed by water particles Equipotential ...