CHAPTER THREE

THEORIES OF SEEPAGE

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3.1 Bligh’s Creep Theory for Seepage Flow
 According to Bligh’s Theory, the percolating water

follows the outline of the base of the foundation of the

hydraulic structure.
 i.e. water creeps along the bottom contour of the structure.
 The length of the path traversed by water is called the

length of creep.
 The hydraulic gradient is given by H /L
l

Where
Hl – the total head loss between the upstream and
downstream.
L – the length of creep
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 3.1 Bligh’s Creep Theory for Seepage Flow

.
Fig.3.1Bligh’s creep

 Based on Bligh’s Theory the total length of creep of the figure

shown above will be;

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3.2 Lane’s Weighted Creep Theory
 Bligh had calculated the length of the creep by simply
adding the horizontal creep length and the vertical length.
But Lanes give weightage for horizontal creep 1/3 and for
vertical creep 1.
 i.e. from fig3.1 the total Lane creep length is given by :

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3.3 Khosla’s Theory and Concept of Flow Nets
The main principle of this theory are:
 The seeping water does not creep along the bottom contour of pucca

floor as stated by Bligh instead the water moves along a set of

streamlines.
 The steady seepage in a vertical plane for homogeneous soil can be

expressed by Laplacian equation.

 This equation represents two sets of curves intersecting each other

orthogonally, Namely Streamlines and Equipotential lines.
 The resultant flow digram showing both the sets of curves is called Flow

Net.

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 3.3 Khosla’s Theory and Concept of Flow Nets
 The streamlines represent the paths along which the water flows
through the sub-soil.
 Equipotential line is a line which join points that have equal residual
head.
 If piezometers were installed on an Equipotential line , the water will
rise in all of them upto the same level.

Fig.3.2
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3.5 Uplift Pressure and Piping
.

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 3.5 Uplift Pressure and Piping

.
.

this
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 3.5 Uplift Pressure and Piping
Khosla’s method of independent variables for determination of
pressures and exit gradient for seepage below a weir or a barrage
A. Exit gradient
 Is the gradient of pressure of water at the exit end, dp/dl

B. Critical exit gradient

 Exist gradient is said to be

critical when the upward

disturbing force on the grain is
just equal to the submerged
weight of the grain at the exist.

Fig.3.3

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 3.5 Uplift Pressure and Piping
 The submerged weight (Ws) of a unit volume of soil is given as:
 Ws = Ƴs (1 - n) (Ss - 1)

Where Ƴs = unit weight of water

Ss = sp. Gravity of soil particles
n = porosity of the soil material
For critical condition to occur at the exit point,
F = Ws
where F is the upward disturbing force on the grain

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3.5 Uplift Pressure and Piping

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 C. Khosla’s method of independent variables
 Is a simple, quick and accurate approach which is important for designing hydraulic
structures.

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C. Khosla’s method of independent variables

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C. Khosla’s method of independent variables

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C. Khosla’s method of independent variables

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C. Khosla’s method of independent variables

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Curve plate 11.1a

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.

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