CVEN3OO1O SYSTEMS MODELLING AND DESIGN

GEOTECIINICAL COMPONENT

WORI(ED EXAMPLES

Lecturer

Professor Ian Johnston

Email: ianwilunimelb.edu.au
 PROBLEMS

l. For the soil profile given in the figure below, plot the variation in vertical and horizontal
total and effective stresses as well as the pore-water pressure between the ground surface
and the upper surface of the rock. Assume the sand above the water table is dry. Assume
that the unit weight of water is 9.81kN/m2.

Ground surface

SAND-
T,y: 16 kN/m'
y"" 18 kNim'
y*:9.81kN/m'
Ko:0.5

ROCK

2. A soil profile consists of 5m of medium dense sand, overlying a 7m thick layer of dense
gravel, over a very deep formation of stiff clay. The ground water table is at 3m below the
ground surface. For the soil properties shown in the figure, what is the distribution of total
and effective, vertical and horizontal stresses and pore-water pressures to a depth of 20m
below ground level. Take the unit weight of water as 9.81 tlm3.

T"= 17 kN/ml
y.,: 19 kN/m'
Ko :0 45

Yoo:20 kN/m'
T*: 22 kN/m'
Ko = 0'3

Tq: l8 kN/mr
yo:20 kN/rnr
Ko = 0.5

J. A constant head permeability test was conducted on a specimen of sand. The specimen has a
diameter of 50mm, a length of 100mm. The head across the test specimen was maintained at
200mm and I litre of water was collected in 7 minutes and 40 seconds. Estimate the
coefficient of permeability of the sand specimen.

4. A sandy clay specimen, 50mm in diameter and 100mm long, was placed in a falling head
permeameter which had a standpipe with an internal diameter of 10mm. The initial head in
the standpipe was set at 500mm and, in 24 hours, the head fell to 320mm. Estimate the
permeability of the clay.
 5. The in-situ permeability of a very deep silty sand layer is to be determined at the base of a
cased investigation borehole of 100mm internal diameter using a single packer. The
borehole is 6.5m deep and the test section, at the base of the borehole, is 500mm long. The
packer pipes are set at a level of lm above ground level and the pressure gauge is set at this
level. The results obtained are provided below.

Pressure gauge Flow of water

readins lkPal (litres/min)
0 2.56
20 3.r2
40 4.03
60 4.76
80 s.48
100 7.76
r20 10.98

For the ground water table located at a depth of 5m below ground level, estimate the
permeability of the silty sand. Can you make any comment about what might also be
occurring at the latter stages of the test?

6. A layer of soil is 14m deep and is underlain by an impervious rock. A well is constructed to
the rock and water is pumped out of the well at a rate of 5000 litres/day. Observation wells
have been placed at rcdial distances of 5m and 10m to the pump well. If the ground water
level was originally at the ground surface, and the water levels in the two observation wells
were 4m and 2m respectively below the ground surface, estimate the permeability of the
soil.

7. A wide excavation in an isotropic sand is supported by a sheet pile wall as shown in the
figure below. For a lm length of wall, estimate the amount of water which will seep into the
excavation for the sand having a permeability of 1xl0-s m/sec.

lnrperuioN shect pilc wall

Imperuious rk

8. If the excavation considered in Question 7 was only 9m wide and supported on both sides
by a sheet pile wall as shown below, for a lm length of wall, what water seepage would
enter the excavation for the sand having the same permeability of lx10-5 m/sec.
 Lnpewiou sht pile wall

ImperyioB rock

9. An impavious concrete gravity dam of length 100m and width 30m is to be constructed on
a uniform soil deposit of depth 30m which overlies a very thick impervious layer. The dam
is to be provided with a 15m deep cut-off wall at its mid-point. If the water depth at the
upstream face is 18m and the soil has a permeability of 2 x 10-6 m/sec, sketch the flow net
and estimate

a. The seepage quantity, and

b. The uplift pressure distribution on the underside of the dam.

Impervious concrete
dam

Impermeable layer

10. One side of a wide cofferdam is formed by a sheet pile wall driven 10m into alayer of sand
which is 20m deep and overlies an impervious rock. The sand has a coefficient of
permeability of 1 x l0-3 m/sec If the level of water on one side of the cofferdam is 5m above
the upper surface of the sand and on the other side it is at ground level, estimate
a. the flow rate of water into the inside of the cofferdam,
b. the pore-water pressure at the point indicated which is 8m below the ground surface
at the upstream side of the cofferdam, and
c. the pore-water pressures that are acting horizontally on the sheet pile wall.
 lmrrvlal reck

11. A confined artesian sandy gravel aquifer is located at a site which consists ofa surface sand
layer of 4m thickness, overlying a clay of 8m thickness which in turn overlies the very deep
aquifer. If the ground water level in the surface sand is 2m below the ground surface and the
piezometric level of the water in the artesian aquifer is lm above ground level, estimate
a. The pore-water pressure at the base, the middle and the top of the clay layer, and
b. The rate of seepage from the aquifer to the upper sand layer.
+The permeability of the clay is 3 x 10-7 m/sec.

12.For the geotechnical conditions described in Question 11, it is proposed to construct a multi-
storey building with a 2level basement extending down into the clay layer. To achieve this,
it is intended that sheet piles will be driven into the clay layer (with ground anchors for
lateral stability) and the soil inside the sheet pile wall excavated to a depth of 7m below the
ground surface to accommodate the double basement. The resulting excavation will be
dewatered by means of pumping from a sump. What will be the rate of seepage into the
excavation? Also, what safety concerns would you have about the stability of the
excavation? Assume a unit weight for all soits of 20kN/m3.

13. An earth dam is to be 100m wide and will have a cross-section as shown in the figure below.
The foundation is effectively impervious and the water level on the upstream face is 35m.
What would be the seepage loss through the dam if the permeability of the dam material
were6xl0-7m/sec?

14. For the dam described in Question 13, wh_at would be the seepage loss if it was only the
horizontal permeability which was 6 x 10-7 m/sec with the vertical permeability 2.5 x 10t
m/sec.

15. For the dam described in_Question 13, what would be the seepage loss if the permeability in
all directions was 6 x 10-7 m./sec, but the toe drain was removed.
SOLUTIONS
 Pase Q I

fl/- fL ',',o/
)- s c\(e

ft q / l/ /.a- )
lrr
li

j '-- l
1F
,l]
q':l 1,

il,

.t
(^ -- 6,-/ s s "4/4,
(<
rl

q :(=,^1,c),+()rrt) =4(/21 . /?41'/q

6' , ,(zr't)*':),,ltx-etr,) ,4f tr-?.s3 - loir/ ll
it'^l
U .-, 2 r"'if,l t> :6, Y.67kf^

;tl
+63,A2: , /2/ 3l
1;t,l
-a 4:',7-Z
Vertical stresses

Horizontal stresses
 Pase Q 2

THE UNIVERSITY OT
MELBOURNE

/a--rtus </r.s-s rlueo/ - .

/a--rtus
&tJ(ltfttlft sltnol "/>Z
Ol\fttl.g (

, , et ,. /\L I L.t f F.t-

/t- "
, s7)l r,,nIv
ebr<. a^6,( Qe
/a^ts'
/^94-

Locatlon Depth c,(kPa) o'.'(kPa) u (kPa) cr'(kPa) or (kPn)

fm
Surface 0 0 0 o 0 0
Water 3 =3x I 7=5 I =5 I -0=5 I 0 = 0.45x51 = 22.95 =22.95+0 = 22.95
table
Change 5- = (3x17)+l2xt9) =89 =89- 19.62=69.38 =2x9.8 ! =l9.62 =0.45x69.38=31.22 =31.22+19.62=5O.84
fronr sand 5+ = (3x17)+(2x19) =89 =89- I 9.62=69.3E =2x9.81,=19.62 =0.3x69.38=20.81 =20.8 I + 19.62=40.43
to sravel
Change 12- =(3x I 7)+(2x I 9) +(7 x22) =243-88.29=154.71 =9x9.8 l=88.29 =0.3x 154.71=46.41 =46.41+88.29=134.70
from =243
glavel to l2+ =(3x I 7)+(2x l9)+(7x22) =243-88.29=154.71 =9x9.81=88.29 =0.5x 154.7 I =77.36 =77.36+88.29=l 65.65
chv =243
At 20m 20 =(3x I 7)+(2x I 9)+(7 x22J =403-166;7'7-J36,21 =17x9.81=166,77 =0.5x236.23=l 18.12 = 1 | 8. I 2+ I 66.1 7 =284.89
belorv +(8x20) =403
sutface in
clv

Vertical stresses Horizontal stresses

Effective stresses

Total stresses
 a sd/ /s

, 6, =

',
# ^. #r #L,
2
 Pase Q4

/O,c.n
rl

2
 8 L'o/ ? ol
:11
i zL'L 7t? aol
9+-5 tl ) a

llll
?-f ',llll
It : ,',2 a?
I
lot rl ? at
, , Zt.2 ?
, "75' G
/\
rnTsuayotr ?u ? L;
/-, a1 y /f .{ru ? /"r^N I
i I i j i ;' : 1 '
, 7zcs l*
aI16/ l:
 t2

to

As
r,ofr,, 6

rilotn./nm

lo .5 o t
::'1i
y '1, fl twlry' os
, I I I I i ,-: i

qL ttut 2l/ = (r*tt.2r*izo-,of)'=2,

/-s
5e''/ + /7>r**/* n'/*

L=
=i
w=

P1
z:
H;
'^12 13@nV4
 {
t'(
(
$
l\1
{
\
-\
s
\
t
b
 e"s. QQ t

y' /,/"n
fto^' ^"

\t
\
lo

I lL)
I
b
ll
s
"{ gt
-L
\s
's

,'.;
Nq,1 ()

r/4 : l t'1
jlll:i

tu
/,//
/2H
rtl
,/
=l 2r) x 2 x/-o xt f xras r, t6ot24*-
-
\17
l
MELBOURNE

t-w fL

x O-?:-
::: llillr
111
, ;
j
i
fll- po,nl I l/ot,,.) l, *'u // =tFtD= yyd4
I 1 14 )/1

lJ = (,g - /xo-?)xD
^.

i ,i't,'ll
lli:'.i
I I , i _t
fll p^ 3 / z TyarL'?( ierl' zos,/
I

/az / P.
I i...1 1 :a,n"/i Sa 4

fL* -, o a a/ry'o.-"s /'T,P :;l

 0-$s$.J

"*
rS
-F \J
N
N
\



\
Question 10

The flow net for this problem is provided below. It can be used to provide all answers to the question.

Inrpcrvous rock

a. Water flow rate

For the flow net, there are 22 potentialdrops and 10 stream tubes. For k: 10-3 m/sec,

'224xl0-3x5
O= =2.27x10-3 m3/sec/m

For a 10 m length of wall, the total flow in an hour is given by

Q: 2.27 x l0-3 x 10 x 60 x 60 : 82 m3.

b. The pore-water Eessure at the point at depth 8m

The water pressure at any point in a flow net is made up of a combination of static pressure and the changes
brought about by seepage. For the point at a depth of 8m below the ground surface in the above figure, the
head under static conditions would be 13m. However, seepage under a head of 5m is occurring and some of
this head is lost by the time the water reaches the point under consideration. However, by its position 8m
under the ground surface, the head would have increased by 8m.

So the water pressure at the point is made up of the pressure head of 8m plus the original 5m head, less the
loss in pressure due to seepage. Based on the flow net, there are 22 steps between the upstream and
downstream seepage surfaces over which the seepage head of 5m is dissipated. The point 'e are interested in
is located on an equipotential line that is 5 drops from the upstream seepage surface. It follows that at this
point, the 5 m head of water causing seepage will have dropped 5 of the 22 equal steps. Therefore, the
piezometric head is
5 - (5122) x 5 *8: 5-1.14+8 :
1 1.86m of water

And the pore-water pressure is

(11.86)x 10:1l8.6kPa

The same calculation can be carried out in terms of total head, elevation head and pressure head using the
expression
H1: Hp * ]Iu
 The elevation head is based on a selected datum which is usually taken as the exit point for the seepage.

The total head at the surface where the seepage starts (and He : 0) is 5m of water but by the time the water
has seeped to a depth of 8m, it has passed through 5 of the 22 eqtipotentials. Therefore the total head is
given by

Hr: 5-5(5122) : 3.86m of water: 38.6kPa

The elevation head is given by

H : - 8m of water: -80kPa

Therefore, as Hp : Hr - HB,

Hp: 38.6 - C80) kPa: 1l8.6kPa

c. Pore-water pressures on the wall

For the sheet pile wall, a close-up of the wall itself with the flow net as drawn is shown in the frgure below.
The equipotential lines have been numbered 0 to 22 which corresponds to the number of equal steps that the
5m total seepage head has dissipated in its journey from the upstream to the downstream seepage surface.
Each step represents a seepage pressure drop of (5122) metres of water or (5122) x 10kPa. The points where
these equipotential lines meet the sheet pile wall have been given the descriptors a to w as shown in the
figure.

The spreadsheet provided below, shows the calculations for each of the points a to w. Note that the depth of
each of the points below the upstream (and downstream) seepage surface have been scaled from the figure
and entered into the spreadsheet. This has been done directly from the flow net and involves simply scaling
the depth off the drawing. It follows that the flow net is critical in getting this dimension. It is not calculated,
it is drawn by trial and error.

Point Depth Potential Total (H1) Elevation (H) Pressure (Ho)

on (m) drops
wall
Head (m) (kPa) Head (m) (kPa) Head (m) lkPa)
a 0.0 0 =5-0x(5122)): 5.00 50.0 0.0 0 5.00 s0.0
b t.4 1 =5-(Ix(5122\\: 4.77 47.7 -1.4 -t4 6.t7 61.7
c 3.1 2 :5-(2x(5/22)): 4.55 45.5 -3.1 -31 7.65 76.5
d 4.4 J :5-x(5122)\= 4.32 43.2 -4.4 -44 8.72 87.2
e 5.9 4 =5-(4x(5122)): 4.09 40.9 -5.9 -59 9.99 99.9
f 7.1 5 =5-(5x(5122)): 3.86 38. -7.1 -71 0.96 09.6
8.2 6 =5-(6x(5122)): 3.64 36.4 -8.2 -82 1.84 18.4
h 9.0 7 =5-(7x(5122)): 3.41 34.1 -9.0 -90 2.41 24.1
I 9.5 8 :5-(8x(5122)): 3.18 3l.8 -9.5 -95 2.68 26.8
9.7 9 :5-(9x(5122)): 2.9s 29.s -9.7 -97 2.65 26.5
k 10.0 0 :5-(l0x(5122\\: 2.73 27.3 -10.0 -100 2.73 27.3
I 10.0 I =S-llx(5122)): 2.50 25.0 -10.0 -100 2.50 25.0
m 10.0 2 :5-( 2x(5122: 2.27 22.7 -10.0 -100 2.27 22.7
n 9.7 J :5-( 3x(5122)): 2.05 20.5 -9.7 -97 t.75 17.5
o 9.5 4 =5-( 4x(5122\\: 1.82 8.2 -9.5 -95 t.32 t3.2
p 9.0 5 =5-( 5x(5122)):1.59 5.9 -9.0 -90 0.59 0s.9
q 82 6 =5-( 6x(5122\\: 1.36 3.6 -8.2 -82 9.56 95.6
r 7.1 7 :5-( 7x(5122\\: l.l4 1.4 -7.1 -71 8.24 82.4
s 5.9 8 =5-( 8x(5122)): 9.91 9.t -5.9 -59 6.81 68. I
t 4.4 9 =5-( 9x(5122\\: 0.68 6.8 -4.4 -44 5.08 50.8
u 3.1 20 :5-(20x(5122)): 0.45 4.5 -3.1 -31 3.55 35.5
1.4 21 :5-(2lx(512\: 0.23 2.3 -t.4 -t4 1.63 16.3
w 0.0 22 =5-Q2x(5122)): 0.00 0.0 0.0 0 0.00 0.00

It might be worth noting that while the flow net drawn above is a reasonable flow net satisfying most
conditions quite well, there does seem to be a minor error in the size of the squares close to the wall, which
only really becomes more obvious when looking closely at the net. For example, the squares formed from a
to b and c to d are smaller than the square formed from b to c. It would have been thought that they would be
of the same size at this location, only becoming smaller as the toe of the wall is approached. As noted, avery
minor error.

The distribution of horizontal pressure on both sides of the sheet piles wall is shown in the figure below by
the lines with the crosses (x). The long dashed lines are the pressure distributions if there were no seepage
(i.e. if there was a vertical impervious barrier between the base of the sheet pile and the impervious rock at
20m depth).

It is of interest to note that the seepage case pressure distribution on the upstream side of the wall is less than
the equivalent "no seepage" pressure distribution. This is because the 5m seepage head dissipates as flow
moves to the base of the sheet pile. On the downstream side of the wall, the seepage case pressure
distribution is greater than the "no seepage" pressure distribution. This is because with no seepage, the 5m
seepage head is not present, but once seepage starts, it adds to the static head on the downstream side ofthe
wall.
It should be noted that the pressure distributions on either side of the wall are not equal. This is something
that has to be chocked when sheet pile walls .are designed so that there is an adequate factor of safety against
the sheet pile failing laterally.
 f/- P&L., )s
',
lln

v_
t-

):
Al
H QreA
n *ol
(:') or"-u-oL /,-rst-.?s (
/ /.L ,4p.l"lor.t
t-u /
fl fu
b* 4{te,
U/[at
, j
I
t,

l : rn ll
, trt ---fu
= -'a l

1)
rwss-c
rl
ka/ ' t3 t^ = /3O/, e
tl:
l
tll

n/- r"ldcE

rj
r!tilt,
ltrnrcHl{"k
i f ,',1
-fI*/ /gi{', ?y = 3m .(f
lssaru 5'/ lrs o / ,r,,r/ro,r/ {oV
I I t:a',,/rt=
,lrl':i
t/T -+=3,9m
I ; . I , lt/6
lti
- i :t/'7 ' )'fm = Z l.f^,
^ tl -

ltrr l:,r
t:
 p"sQl2 t/7

TL p-/.
t
/ re7>4lx'

Inl
6ux,
_v_ It,
,
AI

ln
nt

f*r {/r,; t* - F "

^CeaoyraS, ,
,I I ,, :

)r = ?rn
--'- -)14

= l3^ = oA/_
/^ ..
rrO"-,

fir
O
o
O

= ?- = ?oAP-,

he.
3 x7.xt
 /,-

/^

/n zt- p7-r?53: 'nzs

Fcrrc:, s,flef1 1, F1-s

,kt
lli
l:,rrl

fffufu '.1"s ( ./7 .-,L.L)

',

Vtp/ .rh
_,- b, = l, r/1
 eage Q /3 /

t1 F/e."t

a:ttl
lrrlrl

Lem f4 /fu-- ,u/

.' /
.:l,r Nv =/r

t /d = t+

'f/*h ,
:t
,

v lrp-'rss:
.

Ac =
fl l4
rrl -' o. fZ t/^i/*7/rn
F+-r loo n /at<
!
Jo
./
T'clr^/ LosS
'il
ltr
I ril=l/OOx
rilil,
- 5l h
 Pase Q t+
THE UNIVERSITY OF
MELBOURNE

14

-,y' A ,1*
"f // ooA

Np- f
N/ - 14
 easeQ / t

TH IJNIVFRSITY OF
MELBOURNE

/f lut// n''o

{ /7,t\t
n. Flo'"r: ll>r*4 /,a
L\ {-r--',
.^fOO