GEOTECHNIC II

BFC 34402
SEM 1 2016/2017

Dr Mohd Khaidir Bin Abu Talib

South East Tower FKAAS Level 5 (Room no. 5)
Hp:011-36851691

Chapter 1: FLOW IN SOIL

1.1

Capillary in soil, soil shrinkage and soil

expansion
1.2

Head and flow of one and two dimensional

1.3

Seepage analyses; flow net, seepage force,

quick sand and liquefaction

Capillary Action:
Capillary action, also referred to as capillary motion or
capillarity, is a combination of cohesion/adhesion and
surface tension forces.
Capillary action is demonstrated by the upward movement
of water through a narrow tube against the force of gravity.
Capillary action occurs when the adhesive intermolecular
forces between a liquid, such as water, and the solid surface
of the tube are stronger than the cohesive intermolecular
forces between water molecules.
As the result of capillarity, a concave meniscus (or curved,
U-shaped surface) forms where the liquid is in contact with
a vertical surface.
Capillary rise is the height to which the water rises within
the tube, and decreases as the width of the tube increases.
Thus, the narrower the tube, the water will rise to a greater
height.

Soil shrinkage & soil swelling

Soil undergo a volume change when the water content is changed.

Decrease in water content cause shrinkage.
Increase of water content cause swelling.

SHRINKAGE OF SOILS
When saturated soils is allowed to dry, a meniscus develops in each void at
the soil surface.
Formation of such a meniscus causes tension in the soil water leading to a
compression in the soil structure and consequent reduction in the volume.
When the meniscus attains its minimum value, compressive forces are
maximum and shrinkage is also maximum.

Soil shrinkage & soil swelling

SWELLING OF SOILS

When water is added to a soil which has shrunk, meniscus are destroyed resulting in tension in
the pore water and consequent reduction in compressive stresses in solid grains.
This result in elastic expansion of the soil mass, causing swelling.
In clay soils, swelling is caused mainly due to repulsive forces which separate the clay particles,
causing volume change.

One and two-dimensional flow of water

through soils
One- dimensional flow the velocity at all points has

the same direction and (for an incompressible fluid)

the same magnitude
Two-dimensional flow all streamlines in the flow are
plane curves and are identical in a series of parallel
planes Refer to Page 243, 8.2 in your DAS, Book.
Notes:
Discharge velocity,
where;
k = hydraulic conductivity
i = hydraulic gradient (i = h/L)
h = head loss

Seepage
analysis

Many catastrophic failures in geotechnical engineering

result from instability of soil masses due to ground
water flow
Lives are lost, infrastructures are damaged or
destroyed, and major economic losses occurred

Seepage
analysis

In this subchapter, you will study the basic principles

of two-dimensional flow of water through soils
The topics that you will study would help you to avoid
pitfalls in the analyses and design of geotechnical
systems where flow of ground water can lead to
instability
The emphasis of this chapter is on gaining an
understanding of the forces that provoke failures from
flow of ground water

Seepage
analysis

Learning Objectives:

Understand the basic principles of two-dimensional

flow
Be able to calculate seepage stresses, pore-water
pressure distribution, uplift forces, hydraulic
gradients, critical hydraulic gradient, flow under and
within earth structures
Be able to determine the stability of geotechnical
systems subjected to two-dimensional flow of water

Seepage
analysis

Basic concepts:
The two-dimensional flow of water through soils is governed by
Laplaces equation. The popular form of Laplaces equation for
two-dimensional flow of water through soils is
2H
2H
kx
kz
0
2
2
x
z
Where kx and kz are the coefficient of permeability in the x and z
directions and H is the head
The assumptions in Laplaces equation are:
(i) Darcys law is valid, v = ki
(ii) The soil is homogeneous and saturated
(iii) The soil and water are incompressible
(iv) No volume change occurs

Seepage
analysis

Basic concepts:
If the soil were an isotropic material then kx = kz and Laplaces
equation becomes:

2H 2H
2 0
2
x
z

The solution of Laplaces equation requires knowledge of the

boundary conditions.
Common geotechnical problems have complex boundary
conditions from which it is difficult to obtain a closed form
solution.
Approximate methods such as graphical methods and numerical
methods are often employed.
In this subchapter, graphical method, called the flow net
technique or flow net sketching, that satisfies Laplaces

Seepage analysis- flownet

sketching

Seepage analysis- flownet

sketching

Seepage analysis- flownet

sketching

Seepage analysis- flownet

sketching

Seepage analysis- flownet

sketching

No of equipotential
drops at point a

Elevation loss

Static Liquefaction, Heaving, Boiling,

& Piping
Static liquefaction the state which the effective stress

becomes zero, the soil loses its strength and behaves like
a viscous fluid
Boiling, quicksand, piping and heaving are used to
describe specific events connected to the static
liquefaction state
Boiling the upward seepage force exceeds the download
force of the soil
Piping the subsurface pipe-shaped erosion that
initiates near the toe of dams and similar structures. High
localized hydraulic gradient statically liquefies the soil,
which progresses to the water surface in the form of a
pipe, and water then rushes beneath the structure
through the pipe, leading to instability and failure

Example:-

End of Chapter 1

Assignments

Additional requirements;
8.2 Determined; a) q , b) imax , c) porewater force at
front and back of sheet pile. Set the ground surface
as datum.
8.3 Ditto. Set the impermeable layer as datum.

Additional notes;
Use graph paper.
Flow channel = 4
Equipotential
lines= 8.

Additional
notes;
Use graph
paper.