GE 5471 ROCK ENGINEERING
CH 4 – Groundwater 1. Describe the similarities and differences between porous media
Dr. Norbert H. Maerz
Missouri University of Science
and Technology
(573) 341-6714
norbert@mst.edu
Positive Aspects of Groundwater
1. Source of water supply
– drinking (domestic)
– irrigation (farm)
– industrial (washing aggregates, solution
mining, solvent for chemical processing)
2. Medium for hydroelectric production
3. Production of geothermal steam
4. Barrier for gasses on hydrocarbons stored
in caverns
Instructional Objectives
and fractured media flow.
2. List positive and negative aspects of groundwater in engineering.
3. Propose engineering solutions to problems related to groundwater.
4. Design a pressure measurement system for a given situation.
5. Explain the chemistry of groundwater as it pertains to engineering
problems.
Negative Aspects of Groundwater
1. Dissolves and transports toxic contaminants
2. Fills excavations and construction sites;
unwanted inflows must be disposed of
3. Triggers landslides and slope or roof failures
4. Erodes soils and weak rock
5. Acid drainage from mines is a powerful
solvent that strips toxic metals from rock and
concentrates them
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 Engineering Solutions: DRY +
REDUCE PRESSURES
• Keep excavations dry during construction -
bull dozers don’t work well under water
• Dry basements - prevent hydrostatic uplift
on slabs / swelling / frost heave
• Slope stabilization – effective stresses
• Excessive seepage in dams - loss of water,
piping, catastrophic dam breech
• Preserve water quality during excavation

Review Porosity

Permeability Water Pressures

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 Hydrogeological Setting

González de Vallejo and Ferrer

González de Vallejo and Ferrer

Pressure and Flow

Adverse Effects of Water

dh
Q  K A
dl

3
 3.2 Parallel plate model
Principle of Effective Stress
• q = flow rate, per unit
length of fracture
•  = unit weight water

n = ‘n + u
•  = dynamic viscosity
• b = aperture
• dh/dl = hydraulic gradient
• v = average true velocity
• n = total stress
 dh  • ‘n = effective stress
q b 3
v b2
dh
12  dl
• u = pore pressure
12  dl

PRESSURE AND FLOW Pressure

MEASUREMENTS Measurement
• Overhead Standpipe

Pressure
Pressure Measurement
Measurement
• Hydraulic Twin Tube Piezometer • Electric Piezometer

4
 Pressure
BourdonTube
Measurement
• Pneumatic Piezometer

Flow Measurement
Pressure Measurement • Tracer Testing

• Nested Piezometers
• Multiport Piezometers

http://toxics.usgs.gov/photo_gallery/photos/capecod/CapeCodTracerTestDiagram_l.png

Hydraulic Conductivity
Well Testing

5
 Electric Analogs

Hydrogeological Modeling
Chemistry - Corrosive

Chemistry –Corrosive and Slide Show – Water Influx

Incrusting

6
 Water Influx Water Influx

Water Influx Permeability Tests

Pressure Transducer
Flow
Modeling

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 Piezometer Truman
Dam

/
http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/ht
William Brown

Gallery/Pressure relief boreholes