GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

SEEPAGE ANALYSIS

SUBMITTED TO :
SHAILENDRA HARIOUDH

SUBMITTED BY: GANGA RAI

HARSH KUMAR CHAURASIA
HARSH SHAKYA
HARSH VERDHAN SINGH
HARSHIT RATHOR
 Introduction
What is Seepage?

Seepage is phenomenon of movement of fluid through permeable

medium for example water on one side of dam comes out from the other
side through seepage in ground. One more thing need to focus is that you
can control seepage by many processes.

Difference between seepage & permeability

Permeability is the property of any medium that can’t be Change. It is

the property of medium that allows movement of fluid through it and also
decides at what rate it can flow. It has the unit of cm/sec. while seepage is
the flow of the fluid through that medium.
What is Seepage Pressure?

When water flows through soil pores a viscous friction is exerted on it

which causes transfer of energy between soil and water. This water
pressure applied on soil which tends it to percolate is called as seepage
pressure.

Seepage Pressure Formula (Ps) :

Where,
h = hydraulic head
L = length over which head is lost
i = hydraulic gradient
γw = unit weight of water
Seepage Force :
Also, Seepage Force (Fs) is given by :

Where,
A = total cross sectional area of soil mass

Seepage force per unit volume is given by :

Seepage in Earth Dam

Seepage in Earth Dams and seepage control are important aspects of dam
design and construction. Seepage flow in the dam is defined as the
movement of water from the upstream side of the dam to the downstream
side through embankment of below the foundation or base.
Cause of Seepage in Earth Dams :

The seepage in dams primarily depends on the properties of soil such as

the plasticity of soil, the gradation, the degree of compaction, etc. Plastic
clay with a plasticity index less than 15 mostly (for well compacted too)
venerable to seepage.

Also, poorly graded soil most often shows less resistance to seepage. It is
also considered that the poor design practices will permit the seep of
water through the embankment and then leads to the discharge to the
downstream side.