Development of Piping Analysis Method for Embankment Including Time-Dependent Change in Permeability Coefficient
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21, Issue 6
Abstract
The permeability of a saturated porous medium is regarded as a constant during the seepage process in traditional seepage analysis theory. However, it changes constantly during the piping process. This study will consider the porosity dependent changes in the permeability of a saturated porous medium during piping. The critical hydraulic gradient of piping will be deduced and the relationship between the permeability coefficient and the porosity will be considered using Kozeny–Carman's formula during the piping process in this study. The transient seepage finite element program will be applied to simulate the initial seepage field, and then whether the piping occurs in the elements will be judged. The relationship between the seepage flow and the sediment content will be used to calculate the sediment loss quantity in the piping element, and the change of the porosity in the piping element will be further calculated. Moreover, the permeability coefficient of the piping element will be adjusted according to the formula between the permeability coefficient and the porosity. With the repetition of the aforementioned process, the piping process will finally be achieved. By comparing the numerical example with the experimental result, the validity of the proposed method will be verified.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51979225), Project funded by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019M663943XB), Project Supported by Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (Grant No. 2020JQ-627), Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department (Grant No. 18JK0548), and Doctoral Scientific Research Foundation of Xi'an University of Technology (Grant No. 107-256081705). The financial support provided by these sponsors is greatly appreciated.
References
Chang, D. S., and L. M. Zhang. 2013. “Critical hydraulic gradients of internal erosion under complex stress states.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 139 (9): 1454–1467. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000871.
Cividini, A., and G. Gioda. 2004. “Finite-element approach to the erosion and transport of fine particles in granular soils.” Int. J. Geomech. 4 (3): 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2004)4:3(191).
Dang, F. N., H. W. Liu, X. W. Wang, H. B. Xue, and Z. Y. Ma. 2015. “Empirical formulas of permeability of clay based on effective pore ratio.” Chin. J. Rock Mech. Eng. 34 (9): 1909–1917.
Dang, F. N., Y. H. Liu, J. Q. Chen, Z. A. Zheng, and Z. Y. Wang. 2006. “Muddy water seepage theory and its application.” Sci. China Ser. E: Technol. Sci. 49 (4): 476–484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-006-2011-4.
Fleshman, M. S., and J. D. Rice. 2014. “Laboratory modeling of the mechanisms of piping erosion initiation.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 140 (6): 04014017. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001106.
Kohno, I., M. Nishigaki, and Y. Takeshita. 1987. “Levee failure caused by seepage and preventive measures.” Nat. Dis. Sci. 9 (2): 55–76.
Liu, C. J., L. Q. Ding, D. Y. Sun, and Q. L. Yao. 2012. “Model test and numerical analysis of piping erosion process in single-stratum dike foundations.” China Civ. Eng. J. 45 (8): 140–147.
Liu, Y. B. 2012. “Prediction methods to determine stability of dam if there is piping.” IERI Procedia 1: 131–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ieri.2012.06.021.
Lomine, F., L. Scholtes, L. Sibille, and P. Poullain. 2013. “Modeling of fluid–solid interaction in granular media with coupled lattice Boltzmann/discrete element methods: Application to piping erosion.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech. 37 (6): 577–596. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.1109.
Madoff, КГ, Z. X. Wang, and X. Y. Xia. 2001. “The automation of the chemical piping prototype observation of the foundation for hydraulic structure.” Express Water Resour. Hydropower Inf. 22 (8): 17–18.
Mao, C. X. 2003. Seepage computation of analysis and control. Beijing: China Water and Power Press.
Mao, C. X., X. B. Duan, J. B. Cai, and J. H. Ru. 2004a. “Experimental study on harmless seepage piping in levee foundation.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 35 (11): 46–53.
Mao, C. X., X. B. Duan, J. B. Cai, and J. H. Ru. 2004b. “Theoretical analysis on piping development of levee foundation.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 35 (12): 46–50.
Müller-Kirchenbauer, H., M. Rankl, and C. Schlötzer. 1993. “Mechanism for regressive erosion beneath dams and barrages.” In Proc., 1st Int. Conf. on Filters in Geotechnical and Hydraulic Engineering, 369–376. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Balkema.
Schmertmann, J. H. 2000. “No-filter factor of safety against piping through sands.” In Judgment and Innovation: The Heritage and Future of the Geotechnical Engineering Profession, Geotechnical Special Publication 111, edited by F. Silva, and E. Kavazanjian, 65–105. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Sterpi, D. 2003. “Effects of the erosion and transport of fine particles due to seepage flow.” Int. J. Geomech. 3 (1): 111–122. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2003)3:1(111).
Van Beek, V. M., H. M. Van Essen, K. Vandenboer, and A. Bezuijen. 2015. “Developments in modelling of backward erosion piping.” Géotechnique 65 (9): 740–754. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.14.P.119.
Wang, S., J. S. Chen, H. Q. He, and W. Z. He. 2016. “Experimental study on piping in sandy gravel foundations considering effect of overlying clay.” Water Sci. Eng. 9 (2): 165–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wse.2016.06.001.
Wang, X. W. 2012. Research on the seepage, consolidation, and synthesis algorithm of water and earth pressures in clay based on the effective void ratio. Xi’an, China: Xi’an Univ. of Technology.
Wit, J. M., J. B. Sellmeijer, and A. Penning. 1981. “Laboratory testing on piping.” In Proc., 10th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 369–376, Rotterdam, Netherlands: Balkema.
Zhao, C. B. 2014. Physical and chemical dissolution front instability in porous media: Theoretical analyses and computational simulations. Berlin: Springer.
Zhao, C. B. 2015. “Advances in numerical algorithms and methods in computational geosciences with modeling characteristics of multiple physical and chemical processes.” Sci. China Technol. Sci. 58 (5): 783–795. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-015-5784-5.
Zhao, C. B., B. E. Hobbs, P. Hornby, A. Ord, S. Peng, and L. Liu. 2008a. “Theoretical and numerical analyses of chemical-dissolution front instability in fluid-saturated porous rocks.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech. 32 (9): 1107–1130. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.661.
Zhao, C. B., B. E. Hobbs, and A. Ord. 2009. Fundamentals of computational geoscience: Numerical methods and algorithms. Berlin: Springer.
Zhao, C. B., B. E. Hobbs, and A. Ord. 2016a. “Chemical dissolution-front instability associated with water-rock reactions in groundwater hydrology: Analyses of porosity-permeability relationship effects.” J. Hydrol. 540: 1078–1087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.07.022.
Zhao, C. B., B. E. Hobbs, and A. Ord. 2018. “Analytical solution for dissolution-timescale reactive transport in fluid-saturated porous rocks.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (6): 04018037. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001152.
Zhao, C. B., B. E. Hobbs, and A. Ord. 2019. “A unified theory for sharp dissolution front propagation in chemical dissolution of fluid-saturated porous rocks.” Sci. China Technol. Sci. 62 (1): 163–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9255-y.
Zhao, C. B., B. E. Hobbs, A. Ord, P. Hornby, and S. Peng. 2008b. “Effects of reactive surface areas associated with different particle shapes on chemical-dissolution front instability in fluid-saturated porous rocks.” Transp. Porous Media 73 (1): 75–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-007-9162-z.
Zhao, C. B., P. Schaubs, and B. E. Hobbs. 2016b. “Computational simulation of seepage instability problems in fluid-saturated porous rocks: Potential dynamic mechanisms for controlling mineralization patterns.” Ore Geol. Rev. 79: 180–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2016.05.002.
Zhou, X. J., Y. X. Jie, and G. X. Li. 2012. “Numerical simulation of the developing course of piping.” Comput. Geotech. 44: 104–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2012.03.010.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21 • Issue 6 • June 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 8, 2019
Accepted: Oct 10, 2020
Published online: Apr 7, 2021
Published in print: Jun 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Sep 7, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.