Influence of Seepage Length on Backward Erosion Piping Behaviors in Centrifuge Model Testing
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 11
Abstract
A series of centrifuge tests were performed to evaluate the backward erosion piping behavior that occurred in models with the same soil and same dimensions and to investigate the influence of the seepage length, exit-hole size, and gravitational acceleration. Pore-pressure measurements at various locations within the model, along with video recordings, were used to analyze the models. The mechanism began with seepage across the model, followed by emerging seepage, which changed the flow direction toward the exit hole. The mechanism developed steadily for models with shorter seepage lengths, allowing identifying soil loosening, the initiation of erosion, and failure. In comparison, the mechanism developed rapidly in models with longer seepage lengths, without a clear progression. The values of critical hydraulic gradients across the upstream and downstream reservoirs, the seepage length of the models, and near the exit holes were similar, regardless of the seepage length. The critical hydraulic gradients decreased as the gravitational acceleration increased, indicating some scaling effects. Regardless, the overall effect of centrifuge gravity on the critical hydraulic gradients was small compared with the range of values that have been reported in the literature.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
References
Danka, J., and L. M. Zhang. 2015. “Dike failure mechanisms and breaching parameters.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 141 (9): 04015039. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001335.
De Wit, J. M. 1984. Onderzoek zandmeevoerende wellen Rapportage Modelproeven. Delft, Netherland: Deltares (Geodelft).
De 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, 15–19. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A.A. Balkema.
Foster, M., R. Fell, and M. Spannagle. 2000. “The statistics of embankment dam failures and accidents.” Can. Geotech. J. 37 (5): 1000–1024. https://doi.org/10.1139/t00-030.
Garnier, J., C. Gaudin, S. M. Springman, P. J. Culligan, D. Goodings, D. Konig, B. Kutter, R. Phillips, M. F. Randolph, and L. Thorel. 2007. “Catalogue of scaling laws and similitude questions in geotechnical centrifuge modelling.” Int. J. Phys. Modell. Geotech. 7 (3): 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1680/ijpmg.2007.070301.
Hanses, U. K. 1985. “Zur Mechanik der Entwicklung von Erosionskanälen in geschichtetem Untergrund unter Stauanlagen.” [In German.] Dissertation, Grundbauinstitut der Technische Universität Berlin.
Koito, N., K. Horikoshi, and A. Takahashi. 2016. “Physical modelling of backward erosion piping in foundation beneath levee.” In Proc., 8th Int. Conf. on Scour and Erosion, 445. London: Taylor & Francis.
Leavell, D. A., J. L. Wibowo, D. E. Yule, and R. C. Strange. 2014. Geotechnical centrifuge experiments to evaluate piping in foundation soils (No. ERDC/GSL-TR-14-14). Vicksburg, MS: Engineer Research and Development Center.
Ovalle-Villamil, W., and I. Sasanakul. 2019. “Investigation of non-Darcy flow for fine grained materials.” Geotech. Geol. Eng. 37 (1): 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-018-0620-x.
Ovalle-Villamil, W., and I. Sasanakul. 2021a. “Assessment of centrifuge modelling of internal erosion induced by upward flow conditions.” Int. J. Phys. Modell. Geotech. 21 (5): 251–267. https://doi.org/10.1680/jphmg.20.00004.
Ovalle-Villamil, W., and I. Sasanakul. 2021b. “Centrifuge modeling study of backward erosion piping with variable exit size.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 147 (11): 04021114. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002642.
Peng, S., and J. D. Rice. 2020. “Measuring critical gradients for soil loosening and initiation of backward erosion-piping mechanism.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 146 (8): 04020069. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002277.
Richards, K. S., and K. R. Reddy. 2007. “Critical appraisal of piping phenomena in earth dams.” Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 66 (4): 381–402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-007-0095-0.
Robbins, B. A., A. M. Montalvo-Bartolomei, and D. V. Griffiths. 2020a. “Analyses of backward erosion progression rates from small-scale flume experiments.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 146 (9): 04020093. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002338.
Robbins, B. A., I. J. Stephens, V. M. Van Beek, A. R. Koelewijn, and A. Bezuijen. 2020b. “Field measurements of sand boil hydraulics.” Géotechnique 70 (2): 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.18.P.151.
Schmertmann, J. 2000. “The 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 Jr., 65–132. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Sellmeijer, H., J. L. de la Cruz, V. M. van Beek, and H. Knoeff. 2011. “Fine-tuning of the backward erosion piping model through small-scale, medium-scale and IJkdijk experiments.” Eur. J. Environ. Civ. Eng. 15 (8): 1139–1154. https://doi.org/10.1080/19648189.2011.9714845.
Sellmeijer, J. B. 1988. “On the mechanism of piping under impervious structures.” Dissertation, Civil Engineering and Geoscience, Technische Universiteit Delft.
Silvis, F. 1991. Verificatie piping model: Proeven in de deltagoot. [In Dutch.] Delft, Netherlands: Grondmechanica Delft.
Van Beek, V. 2015. “Backward erosion piping: Initiation and progression.” Ph.D. thesis, Geoscience & Engineering, Civil Engineering and Geoscience, Technische Universiteit Delft.
Van Beek, V. M., A. Bezuijen, J. B. Sellmeijer, and F. B. J. Barends. 2014. “Initiation of backward erosion piping in uniform sands.” Géotechnique 64 (12): 927–941. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.13.P.210.
Van Beek, V. M., A. Bezuijen, and C. Zwanenburg. 2010. “Piping: Centrifuge experiments on scaling effects and levee stability.” In Vol. 1 of Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG 2010), 183. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Van Beek, V. M., H. Knoeff, and H. Sellmeijer. 2011. “Observations on the process of backward erosion piping in small-, medium- and fullscale experiments.” Eur. J. Environ. Civ. Eng. 15 (8): 1115–1137. https://doi.org/10.1080/19648189.2011.9714844.
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.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 8, 2021
Accepted: Jul 11, 2022
Published online: Sep 14, 2022
Published in print: Nov 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Feb 14, 2023
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.
Cited by
- Sige Peng, John D. Rice, Wu Zhang, Guanyong Luo, Hong Cao, Hong Pan, Laboratory Investigation of the Effects of Blanket Defect Size on Initiation of Backward Erosion Piping, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-11976, 150, 10, (2024).
- Sige Peng, Weiran Huang, Guanyong Luo, Hong Cao, Hong Pan, Nuanjiao Mo, Failure mechanisms of ground collapse caused by shield tunnelling in water-rich composite sandy stratum: A case study, Engineering Failure Analysis, 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2023.107100, 146, (107100), (2023).