Civil Engineering ReferencePoint Suite
Use these ReferencePoints to learn about various civil engineering areas including transportation and geotechnical topics.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Civil Engineering ReferencePoint Suite
Point 3: Analyzing Permeability and Seepage in Soil
Ashok Jain
Most geotechnical problems deal with the water associated with soil. This requires anticipation of the exigencies that arise from the flow of ground water. Permeability provides an empirical measure of the flow of ground water; seepage describes the movement of ground water within the soil. This makes concepts of permeability and seepage related with flow of ground water vital for the safe design of earthen structures.
This article refreshes various concepts of soil mechanics that are relevant to the study of the permeability and seepage of soil. It describes how to calculate the permeability of soil by performing various experiments and how to compute seepage and seepage pressure. It also explains how permeability and seepage influence design of earthen structures by providing some sample problems. In addition, the article describes the damages caused by seepage and permeability and various measures to prevent damage using the concepts of seepage and permeability.
Overview of Concepts Involved
Ground water movement takes place through soil. Each type of soil has physical characteristics, such as porosity, void ratio, and degree of saturation that affect the movement of fluid through them. To build an empirical model for the ground water flow, certain equations from fluid dynamics are invoked. The equations when applied to ground water movement under certain limiting conditions enable you to develop a model that describes the ground water flow.
Darcy's law was enunciated on the basis of broad experimental observations related to ground water flow. Darcy's law forms a basic premise...
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