JAIN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

RESEARCH BELAGAVI
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
“TECHNICAL SEMINAR”
On
“GROUND IMPROVEMENT BY
DEWATERING TECHNIQUES
(By sump pit and well point method)”

Under the guidance of:

Presenting By: Prof. Suryadev Wagatti
Shreyas S . Kamat
Dept. of Civil Engg. JCER, Belgavi
Contents:
 Introduction

 Purpose of dewatering

 Process of dewatering

 Methods of dewatering

 References
Introduction :

 “The process in which in-situ soils are improved  for the support of the foundations in
known as ground improvement”.

 As more and more land becomes subject to urban or industrial development, good
construction sites are difficult to find and the soil improvement alternatives becomes the best
option, technically and economically.

 Ground improvement is carried out for various objectives: to improve bearing capacity and
reduce settlement of soft ground, control groundwater, prevent deformation of surrounding
ground, or clean up contaminated ground
 “Dewatering is the term used for the control of groundwater by pumping”.

 The process of dewatering can be defined as :

“ Control of groundwater , to allow excavations to be made in dry and stable

conditions”.

 On construction sites it may be called as “ Construction dewatering”, the method is also

used on mine sites “Mine dewatering”

 Purpose for dewatering :

 To provide a dry excavation and to proceed construction efficiently.

 To improve supporting characteristics of foundations materials.

 To provide dry basements.

 To reduce the uplift pressure on bottom slabs.

 To control seepage and pore pressure below pavement .

Process for dewatering :

Collection of water.

Pumping .

Filtering and removing silt and impurities.

Discharge at proper location .

Sources of unwanted water on
construction site :

 Sources of surface water:

A. Rainfall

B. Construction operations(E.g.- concreting , washing of plants)

C. Seepage through cut off walls.

 Other source is groundwater.

Methods of dewatering:

• Sump pumping

• Well points

• Deep wells

• Ejector wells
 Sump pumping method:

 A sump is merely a hole in the ground from which water is being pumped for the

purpose of removing water from the adjoining area.

 Sump pumping is process of removing the water using pumps.

 Sump pumping is used when groundwater seeps into the excavation and is

allowed to collect in sumps .

 They are used with ditches leading to them in large excavations. Up to maximum

of 8m below pump installation level; for greater depths a submersible pump is

required.
 This method is used for shallow bases in waterlogged areas. The ditches are dug

on both the sides of the trench . The size of the ditches is 20 cm diameter in

semicircle.

 The sump size is kept as 1mx1mx1m. The water flows into the ditches and gets

collected in the sumps , which is removed using pumps .

Why to use sump pit method:

 This method is widely used .

 It is appropriate for small depth lowering.

 Most economical method for installation and maintenance procedures.

 This method can be applied for most of soil and rock conditions.

Disadvantages :

 Water reaches the ditches with high head hence there is risk of collapse of
sides.

 In open excavations there is risk of instability.

Well point method:

 Wells are systematically drilled around the construction area and

submersible pumps are placed in these wells.

 A well point is 5.0-7.5cm diameter metal or plastic pipe 60cm or 120 cm long

which is covered with a screen. The lowered end of pipe has water holes for

jetting purpose as shown in the figure.

 Well points are connected to a 5.0-7.5 cm diameter pipes called as riser pipes

and are inserted into the ground by driving.

 The upper ends of the riser pipes lead to a header pipe which, in turn, connected

to a pump.

 The ground water is drawn by the pump into the well points through the header

pipe and discharged.

 This type of dewatering system is effective in soils constituted primarily of sand

fraction. In gravels spacing required may be too close and impracticable. In clays

it is also not used because it is too slow.

Why to use well point method:

 Effective in sandy soils.

 Relatively cheap and flexible.

 Installation is very rapid.

 Less risk of collapse of sides , as compared with sump pit method.

 water is filtered and carries little or no soil particles.

Disadvantages :

 Water reaches the ditches with high head hence there is in open
excavations there is risk of instability.
Points to be considered during dewatering:

 Dewatering must be done properly to avoid eroding of soil on the

construction site.

 It is important to choose the best location for discharge .

 Most economical method for installation and maintenance procedures.

 This method can be applied for most of soil and rock conditions.

 Water should not be pumped directly into slopes.

 Avoid dewatering under heavy rains because the infiltration rate is

minimum ( water will move slower).

 Never discharge water that has been contaminated with the oil, grease

chemical products directly , in such conditions oil water separator is

necessary .

 Additional permits may be required from the state, local or federal agencies.
References :

[1] Nimisha kachra ,megha k Patel ,shraddha D Patel, ground improvement

techniques, GRD journal for engineering | recent advances in civil engineering for
global sustainability | march 2016 e-issn: 2455-5703.

[2] Nicoleta calin , cristian radu, ioan bica, dewatering system of a deep of
excavation in urban area, urban subsurface planning and management week, SUB-
URBAN 2017, 13-16 march 2017.

[3] John a. Wickham, H.A. HATCH, dewatering and groundwater control , unified
facilities criteria (UFC), UFC 3-220-05 16 January 2004
Thank you