Study of Fluid Movements through Causeway

The movements of fluid through the fills of a causeway are examined by a numerical model. In the mathematical formulation, a two-fluid flow system through an inhomogeneous and anisotropic porous medium is assumed. Governing equations are solved iteratively by the finite element method using quadratic isoparametric elements. In the actual computations, the porous medium is considered to be isotropic and homogeneous so that the positions of numerically calculated phreatic surface and the interface could be compared with those of the Hele-Shaw experiment. Both the calculations and the Hele-Shaw model show the existence of a counter-flowing fluids system, and their results are in good agreement. Ratios of the total discharges in each directions are also computed.