CEE3321A

Two-Dimensional Seepage
Read: Coduto et al. (2011) Chapter 8

Two-dimensional (2D) Seepage

Topics (Chapter 8 of Coduto et al. 2011)

a) La Place Equation

b) Flownet

c) Sketching a Flownet

d) Flownet in Anisotropic Soils

e) Flownet for Unconfined Conditions

f) Hydraulic Uplift

g) Numerical Modeling of 2D Seepage

h) Physical Modeling of 2D Seepage

i) Seepage Analysis of Wells

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2D Seepage: Multi-Dimensional Seepage

2D flow

1D flow

3D flow

2D Seepage: Multi-Dimensional Seepage

2D flow 3D flow

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2D Seepage: La Place Equation

Multi-dimensional flows: LaPlace Equation

Describes energy loss of flow through a medium.

∂ 2h ∂ 2h ∂ 2h ∂ 2h ∂ 2h
2D flow: + =0 3D flow: + + =0
∂x 2 ∂y 2 ∂x 2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2

Assumptions:
1) Darcy’s Law is valid.
2) Soil is completely saturated (Sr = 100%)
3) Soil does not contract or expand.
4) Soil is homogeneous (k is the same).
5) Soil is isotropic (kx = kz = ky)

Solution:
1) Flownets
2) Numerical methods

2D Seepage: Flownet
Flow nets: a graphical solution of LaPlace’s equation.

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2D Seepage: Flownet

2D Seepage: Flownet
Flow nets: how to calculate flow rate (Q)?

• Flownet is to scale.
• b/a ratio is constant.
• boundary conditions are met.

 N  b 
Q = kL∆h F  
 N D  a 
L: length of aquifer
perpendicular to the page

Flow in each flow tube (Qi)?

flow net cell

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2D Seepage: Example
Example 13: Compute the total flow rate (Q) under the following concrete dam in
m3/day. Assume that the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer is 10-2 cm/s, L = 150 m,
and the total head loss from the reservoir to the tail water is 8 m..

2D Seepage: Example

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2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net?

Rules:
• No two flow lines can intersect.
• No two equipotential lines can intersect.
• Flow lines and equipotential lines intersect at right angles.
• The width to length ratio must be the same for all cells
(except near the ends of the flow area)
• Flow and equipotential lines are smooth.

2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 1) Draw cross-section to scale

Homogeneous
and isotropic soil

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2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 2) Identify boundary conditions

Homogeneous
and isotropic soil

2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 3) Select number of flow tubes (NF)
(NF = 2 – 3, or 3 – 6 for more precision)

Homogeneous
and isotropic soil

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2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 3) Sketch the initial flow lines
(NF = 2 selected)

2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 4) Add the equipotential lines
(a) Should be perpendicular to flow lines

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2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 4) Add the equipotential lines
(a) Should be perpendicular to flow lines

2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 4) Add the equipotential lines
(b) b/a ratio must be the same for all cells (easier to have b/a = 1)

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2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 5) Check for errors and adjust
(b) exception: the last row of cells may have a different b/a ratio.

2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 6) Revise and refine your flow net
Add extra flow and equipotential lines to refine the flow net.

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2D Seepage: Sketching a Flownet

How to draw a flow net? 6) Revise and refine your flow net
Check b/a = 1 by drawing circles.

2D Seepage: Flownet in Anisotropic Soils

Flow net for an Anisotropic Soil (kz ≠ kx):
1) Transform the cross-section into a space where kx = kz by dividing
the horizontal scale by kz kx
2) Draw the flow net for the transformed cross-section.
3) Inverse the transformed sketch to the original scale.

Cross-section in true scale

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2D Seepage: Flownet in Anisotropic Soils

Flow net for an Anisotropic Soil (kz ≠ kx):

Cross-section transformed by scaling the horizontal dimensions by 2

2D Seepage: Flownet in Anisotropic Soils

Flow net for an Anisotropic Soil (kz ≠ kx):

Flow net for the transformed cross-section

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2D Seepage: Flownet in Anisotropic Soils

Flow net for an Anisotropic Soil (kz ≠ kx):

Transformed cross-section scaled back to the original scale

 N  b 
Q = keq L∆h F   keq = k x k z
 N D  a 

2D Seepage: Unconfined Flownet

Flow net for Unconfined Conditions: The upper flow line is unknown

The upper flow line depends on the height of the reservoir water level

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2D Seepage: Unconfined Flownet

Flow net for Unconfined Conditions: The upper flow line is unknown

The upper flow line depends on the depth of the liquid in the pond

2D Seepage: Unconfined Flownet

Flow net for Unconfined Conditions: The upper flow line is unknown

The upper flow line depends on the well pumping rate

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2D Seepage: Example
Example 14: A 6-ft diameter, 2000 ft long sewer drain pipe is to be installed 24 ft
below the ground surface as shown in the figure. To build this pipe, a long trench must
be excavated below the groundwater table. Steel sheet piles will be installed to keep the
sides from collapsing and the trench will be dewatered with pumps. After the pipeline is
installed, the pumps will be removed, the trench will be backfilled, and the sheet piles
will be removed. The dewatering pumps will be placed at 100 ft intervals along the
trench. Assuming that the sheet piles are perfectly watertight, draw a flow net and
compute the Q for each pump.

2D Seepage: Example
Example 14: flow net

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2D Seepage: Example
Example 14: What is the pore water pressure at A?

2D Seepage: Example

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2D Seepage: Hydraulic Uplift

Uplift Pressure:

When there is no seepage: u = hydrostatic pressure = γwzw

With seepage: use the flow net to calculate uplift

zw

Uplift pressure
= γ wz w

Uplift of buried manhole

2D Seepage: Notes

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2D Seepage: Example
Example 15: A sewage pump is to be located in an underground vault. The
site will be temporarily dewatered during construction, but afterwards, the
groundwater table will be allowed to return to its natural level. The highest
probable level during the life of the project is shown. The vault will be made of
reinforced concrete and waterproofed so very little groundwater will enter. The
vault and overlying soil has a mass of 30,000 kg, exclusive of the floor. A sump
pump will eject any water that might accumulate inside.

2D Seepage: Example
Example 15: Find the required thickness of the vault to provide factor of
safety of at least 1.5 against buoyant uplift. Neglect the weight of the pump and
any sliding friction between the sides of the vault and the soils.
Vault length is 3.0 m

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2D Seepage: Example

2D Seepage: Example
Example 16: Compute the uplift pressure acting on the concrete spillway
below.

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2D Seepage: Example

2D Seepage: Example
Example 16: Compute the uplift pressure acting on the concrete spillway
below.
Equipotential line h (ft) hz (ft) hp (ft) u (psf)
0 (downstream) 193.3 - - -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
15
16

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2D Seepage: Numerical Modeling

Numerical Modeling of Flow Net: can solve complex
problems
Finite Element Methods (FEM):
Seep/W (available at UWO computer labs)
Finite Difference Methods (FDM)

2D Seepage: Numerical Modeling

Numerical Modeling of Flow Net: FEM or FDM
Flow regime is divided into thousands of small elements

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2D Seepage: Numerical Modeling

Numerical Modeling of Flow Net: FEM or FDM
Darcy’s Law is applied to each element.

2D Seepage: Numerical Modeling

Numerical Modeling of Flow Net: FEM or FDM
Thousands of equations are solved simultaneously.

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2D Seepage: Physical Modeling

Physical Modeling of Flow Net (Lab D):

Pumping water from a well Steady-state groundwater flow

2D Seepage: Seepage Analysis of Wells

Wells:
Water supply

Control groundwater flow in civil engineering projects

Flow into Wells:

Axisymmetric flow condition

Radial coordinate system

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2D Seepage: Seepage Analysis of Wells

Flow into Wells: confined aquifer

2D Seepage: Seepage Analysis of Wells

Flow into Wells: confined aquifer

Darcy’s Law for the well?

If we know the pumping discharge rate (Q):

Q r 
h0 − h = ln 0 
2πkH a  r 

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2D Seepage: Seepage Analysis of Wells

Flow into Wells: unconfined aquifer

2D Seepage: Seepage Analysis of Wells

Flow into Wells: unconfined aquifer

Darcy’s Law for the well?

Height of groundwater surface at a distance of r:

Q  r0 
h = h02 − ln 
πk  r 

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2D Seepage: Seepage Analysis of Wells

Flow into Wells: mixed aquifer

2D Seepage: Seepage Analysis of Wells

Flow into Wells: mixed aquifer

Darcy’s Law for the well?

Height of groundwater surface at a distance of r:

Q  r0 
h = 2 H a h0 − H a2 − ln 
πk  r 

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2D Seepage: Notes

2D Seepage: Example
Example 17: A municipal water supply is to be installed in the aquifer shown
below. This well will have an 8 inch diameter casing in a 24 inch diameter
boring with a submersible pump that draws the water level down to a depth of
62 ft below the ground surface. Compute the maximum flow rate that could be
produced by this well.

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2D Seepage: Example

2D Seepage: Field Pumping Test

Flow into Wells: field pumping tests to determine in-situ k

Well 2 Well 1

r2 r1

h2 h1

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2D Seepage: Field Pumping Test

Flow into Wells: determining k from a pumping test

After a steady-state flow condition is established:

Q ln(r1 r2 )
Confined aquifer: k=
2πH a (h1 − h2 )

Q ln (r1 r2 )
k=
( )
Unconfined aquifer:
π h12 − h22

Q ln (r1 r2 )
k=
( )
Mixed aquifer:
π 2 H a h1 − H a2 − h22

2D Seepage: Example
Example 18: A pumped well and two observation wells have been installed
through a fine-to-medium sand as shown below. A pumping test has been
discharging water from the pumped well for a sufficient time to achieve steady-
state conditions. The water levels in observation wells A and B were then
observed to be 20 and 35 ft below the ground surface, respectively. Compute
the hydraulic gradient conductivity of the aquifer.

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2D Seepage: Example

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