Factors Limiting the Progression of Internal Erosion in Zoned Dams: Flow Limiting by an Upstream Material
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 1
Abstract
In zoned dams, some types of materials, when located upstream of a damaged core, may impose high hydraulic losses capable of limiting the flows converging toward the flaw in the core. In this paper, the factors influencing flow limiting by an upstream material are addressed experimentally, using the flow limitation erosion test (FLET). The results of eighteen FLETs, on five coarse, broadly graded soils as upstream material, are presented. The laboratory testing shows that the flow-limiting action is strongly dependent on the grading and the compaction characteristics of the upstream soil. The critical parameters are the fines and the gravel content, the nature of the fines, and the compaction water content. Practical rules for the preliminary estimation of the likelihood of flow limiting by an upstream coarse material being effective in stopping the progression of erosion in zoned dams are suggested, based on the results of the experimental study.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the sponsors of the research, LNEC (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil) and the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) (PhD SFRH/BD/ 76006/2011). The experimental work carried out by the laboratory staff at LNEC, Fernando Rodrigues, António Cardoso, Joaquim Remédios, António Gomes, and Henrique Graça, is gratefully acknowledged. Our thanks also go to Raul Póvoa for the construction of the FLET device components.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 1 • January 2017
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 18, 2014
Accepted: May 8, 2016
Published online: Jul 25, 2016
Discussion open until: Dec 25, 2016
Published in print: Jan 1, 2017
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