Transient Head Development due to Flood Induced Seepage under Levees
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 6
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to predict the uplift force during floods on confining layers that overlay extensive horizontal confined aquifers that intersect a large river in response to the water level changes that occur with time in a flooding river. Transient flow of water through the confined aquifer was described by a diffusion type of equation with a boundary condition at the river in which the river head varied with time. The transient head distribution developed from the unsteady flow model applied to the aquifer was compared with the hydraulic head distributions obtained from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers steady-state flow model and a finite-element seepage model. This study concluded that the transient flow model has the potential to analyze time lag in head development, and to predict the seepage condition and heaving potential at various times and distances landside of a levee during a flood cycle, but additional case histories are needed to justify widespread use of the model.
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Acknowledgments
The writers thank T. Wayne Forrest, P.E., Chief Engineer of Geotechnical Branch, Vicksburg District, USACE, as well as anonymous reviewers for constructive suggestions, and acknowledge the financial support of Contract No. DACW39-99-C-0028 from the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Permission to publish was granted by Director, USACE ERDC Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 6 • June 2008
Pages: 781 - 789
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 12, 2007
Accepted: Oct 11, 2007
Published online: Jun 1, 2008
Published in print: Jun 2008
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