Volume no :2, Issue no: 1, March 2016 In Progress

VALIDITY OF SCHAFFERNAK AND CASAGRANDE'S ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR SEEPAGE THROUGH A HOMOGENEOUS EARTH DAM

Author's: Farzin Salmasi and Fatemeh Jafari
Pages: [15] - [28]
Received Date: October 28, 2015
Submitted by: Constantine I. Sachpazis.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18642/sajcce_7100121563

Abstract

Study of seepage from earth dam is important due to its applications in reservoir management. The loss of water due to seepage constitutes a substantial. The seepage loss results not only in depleted fresh water resources but also causes water logging, salinization, groundwater contamination, and health hazards. This study presents both a numerical and analytical solutions for seepage from a homogeneous earth dam resting on an impervious base. For this purpose, a steady-state two-dimensional flow through a homogeneous earth dam has been analyzed. Phreatic line location is computed by numerical simulation, using Seep/w software based on finite elements. Numerical simulation results are compared with Schaffernak and Casagrande’s analytical solutions. Results showed that numerical solution gives more seepage rate than the two other solutions, i.e., Casagrande and Schaffernak’s methods. In most cases, Schaffernak’s solution has more than error and Casagrande‘s solution has more than error.

Keywords

Earth dam, phreatic line, homogeneous embankment, seepage.