Numerical Simulation of Active Heat Injection and Anomalous Seepage near an Earth Dam–Concrete Interface
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 15, Issue 5
Abstract
Active heat injection and temperature monitoring are methods that may have potential for the detection of anomalous seepage at the interface between earth dams and concrete structures. A finite-element modeling investigation was conducted to assess the feasibility of using such a seepage-detection approach. Anomalous seepage at the interface between a clay and concrete structure was simulated by increasing the hydraulic conductivity in a 3-m-thick zone and imposing a range of hydraulic gradients. The results indicate that the heat-injection location would need to be less than 1.0 m from the interface to ensure seepage-related temperature deviations of 1.0°C or greater. Provided the heat-injection location is within 1.0 m of the interface, it is concluded that the interpretation of temperature data collected prior to, during, and following heat injection should be a feasible method for identifying locations of anomalous seepage. A simulation with realistic dam geometry, including seasonally varying reservoir and air-temperature boundary conditions, showed that these factors should not overwhelm the temperature deviations generated by active heating.
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Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Canada Research Chairs Program, a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant, and the University of New Brunswick. The authors thank their University of New Brunswick colleagues Dr. Karl Butler and Dr. Bruce Colpitts from the Department of Earth Sciences and the Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering, respectively, for their insightful suggestions and advice.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 15 • Issue 5 • October 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 12, 2013
Accepted: Jun 6, 2014
Published online: Jul 11, 2014
Published in print: Oct 1, 2015
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