3- Lane’s Weighted Creep Theory for Seepage Flow

Bligh’s method, there is no distinction between the two creeps vertical and horizontal.
Lane’s method, on the basis of his analysis carried out on about 200 dams all over the world, specified that
the horizontal creep is less effective in reducing uplift (or in causing loss of head) than the vertical creep.
He, therefore, suggested a weightage factor of 1/3 for the horizontal creep, as against 1.0 for the vertical
creep.
The total Lane’s creep length (Lℓ ) is given by
Lℓ = (d1 + d1) + (1/3) b1 + (d2 + d2) + (1/3) b2 + (d3 + d3)
= (1/3) (b1 + b2) + 2(d1 + d2 + d3)
= (1/3) (b) + 2(d1 + d2 + d3)
= ∑b + 2× ∑d

or H.G or Lℓ

If θ ≥ 45 → vertical → taken the vertical project = (x1)

θ ˂ 45 → horizontal → taken the horizontal project = (x2)
3- Lane’s Weighted Creep Theory for Seepage Flow / Check & Design
(A) Safety against piping or the exit gradient:
To check the piping must be computed
1- The actual creep length “Lℓ ” of hydraulic structure according to any theory
2- The critical length “ ” of hydraulic structure
Lc= Cℓ .Hs
where
Cℓ is the Lane’s Coefficient for the soil. Type of soil Cℓ
c1 Very fine sand or silt 8.5
Fine sand 7.0
Course sand 5.0
Gravel & sand 3.5-3.0
Boulders gravel and sand 3.0-2.5
3- Comparison between them: Clay soil 3.0-1.6
Lℓ The hydraulic structure is safe against piping.
Lℓ The hydraulic structure is unsafe against piping.
Lℓ The hydraulic structure at the critical case
3- Lane’s Creep Theory for Seepage Flow / Check & Design
(A) Safety against piping or the exit gradient: “anther way”
To check the piping must be computed
1- The hydraulic gradient “H.G” of hydraulic structure according to any theory

2- The critical hydraulic gradient “ ” of hydraulic structure

Cℓ
3- Comparison between them:

The hydraulic structure is unsafe against piping.

The hydraulic structure is safe against piping.
The hydraulic structure at the critical case
3- Lane’s Creep Theory for Seepage Flow / Check & Design
(B) Safety against uplift pressure: “According to linear relationship between the head (Hs) and creep (L)”

From similarities of triangles

A

@ Lℓ @
Lℓ

Lℓ @ = creep length from U/S to a specific point

Note: To design or analysis, you can find the thickness based on previous law

By using the same method to find the x1, x2, and x3 and draw the hydraulic gradient
line (H.G.L)
Ex.3: A hydraulic structure as shown in fig below, determine whether the structure is safe against
piping & design the thickness of the floor by Lane’s method? “Cℓ =5”
H.W.1/ Calculate the maximum difference of
head in the structure, where the soil is coarse
sand then draw the hydraulic gradient diagram
using Lane’s method.

H.w.2/ Find the minimum length of the floor

for the structure shown below if the thickness of
the floor at A and B equal to 2.5 m and 1.6 m
respectively. Cℓ =6
H.W.3/ Find the water level U/S in the structure shown below when the thickness
of the floor at point A equal to 1 m by 1) Lane’s method 2) Bligh’s method.
Assume the soil is fine sand.
4- Khosla’s Method
To solve the percentage of the total head as nonlinear, The flow net must be drowned for the
hydraulic structure. “Bligh and Lane methods are linear relationships”
Flow net method is difficult
Khosla has developed a simple, quick and accurate approach, called Method of Independent
Variables.
From Laplace differential equation the pressure head “P” at point of floor is Ø of total head “Hs”

Where
b is the total length of the floor
x is the distance from the center of the floor to the point
where the uplift pressure head “P”.
4- Khosla’s Method
Khosla suggested three standard charts to find the percentage of pressure as below
1- U/S or D/S sheet pile 2- Intermediate sheet 3- A straight horizontal floor
pile with depressed floor below
the land but without cut-off
4- Khosla’s Method
1. A straight horizontal floor of neglected thickness 2. A straight horizontal floor of neglected thickness
with sheet pile at either ends as shown. with intermediate sheet pile as shown.
4- Khosla’s Method Corrections the percentage of total head at key points and
(A) Correction for the Mutual interference of Piles:

b′ = Distance between sheet pile “horizontal projected”

D =Depth of intermediate sheet pile its influence on
pressure distribution on the side pile and depth “ d ”
d = The depth of the pile on which the effect is considered
b = Total floor length “horizontal projected”

The correction is positive for the points in the rear of

back water Adding (i.e. +ve ) to value of pressure “ ”
Or subtractive for the points forward in the direction of
flow Adding (i.e.-ve ) to value of pressure “ ”

The interference action correction “C” may be neglected if D˂d and

4- Khosla’s Method Corrections the percentage of total head at key points and
(B) Correction for the thickness of floor:
The thickness correction is interpolated linearly over the length of pile.

@ @ @ @

: depth of sheet pile

t : thickness of floor at specific point ∅𝐸 ∅𝐶

Since the corrected pressure at E1 should be less than the calculated pressure at E1, the
correction to be applied for the joint E1 shall be negative. Similarly, the pressure calculated C1
is less than the corrected pressure at C1, and hence, the correction to be applied at point C1 is
positive.
4- Khosla’s Method Corrections the percentage of total head at key points and
(C) Correction for the slope of the floor
The slope correction is only applicable to the key points of the pile line fixed at the beginning or the end of
the slope.
Slope Slope factor
Less than 1:7 Nil
1:7 2.3%
1:6 2.5%
1:5 2.8%
1:4 3.3%
1:3 4.5%
1:2 6.5%
1:1 11.2%

: is the horizontal projected of slope

: is the horizontal projected between two piles
This correction is additive for down slopes (following the direction of
seepage flow) and subtractive for rising slopes.
bd
4- Khosla’s Method
Exit gradient ( 𝒆 )
It has been determined that for a standard form consisting of a floor length (b) with a vertical
cutoff of depth (d), the exit gradient at its downstream end is given by

d : is the depth of D/S sheet pile

b : Total length of the floor “horizontal projected”

Type of soil Shingle Coarse sand Fine sand

Safe exit gradient
(GE)
bd
Ex4: For the hydraulic structure below, find the percentage pressure at the key points and under
the gate? Is the structure safe against the exit gradient?

8m
5m

5m 5.5 m 6m

18 m 22 m
bd
H.W:-Determine the percentage pressure for various key points shown in the fig. Calculate the
exit gradient and plot the H.G.L