Equation of Continuity

• Use Laplace’s equation of continuity

• 2-D flow
• water is incompressible
• Use Darcy’s law
• assume soil is isotropic

Continuity equation:

 h  h
2 2
 2 0
x 2
z 1
Flow line & Equipotential line

upstream

downstream

2
Flow net
• Equipotential line intersects flow line at right angles
• Flow elements are approximate squares

3 4
2

1 2 3 4 5 6

3
• Equipotential line intersects flow line at right angles
• Flow elements are approximate squares

4
2 3
1

1 2 6 7 8
3 4 5

4
Seepage Calculation
Square element

Darcy's Law:
q  k i A

Rate of flow:

 h 1  h 2   h 2  h 3   h 3  h 4 
q  k  l q  k  l q  k l
 l1  1  l2  2  l3  3
     

5
 For a single channel:
H
q  k Square element
N
d
H  H1  H2

For all channels:

Total rate of seepage/flow

H N
f
q  k
N
d

6
 Rectangular element

For rectangular element:

 N f 
q  k H n
 Nd 
 
b b b
1 2 3
n  n  n 
l l l
1 2 3

7
 k
What is Nd and Nf ? q   H ( 2.38)
N
d
k
q1  H
N
d

k
q2  H
N
d
1
2
k
q3   H ( 0.38)
N
d
3

b
3 0.38
n= 
l 1
3

8
Anisotropic (kx = kz)

3 x
HN f
q  kxkz
Nd

9
Uplift pressure

N  2 N  7 H  7 m
f d
H 7

Loss of head for each potential drop: N 7
d

10
Uplift force per unit length = area of the pressure diagram

11