Teton dam failure sequence 1

Newly completed Teton Dam as it appeared in mid May 1976, as the reservoir was
filling at the rate of 3 feet per day. The rate of filling is usually limited to no more
than 1 foot per day. This view is looking towards right abutment.

Mid May 1976

Newly completed Teton Dam
 Teton dam failure sequence 2

Leakage was initially noted around 7:00 AM on Saturday June 5, 1976. This view shows
a dozer being sent down to fill in the hole at elevation 5200 around 10:45 AM

June 5, 1976
10:45 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 3

The dozer is lost in the expanding hole, around 11:20 AM on June 5th. Note
turbid nature of outflow along the abutment.

June 5, 1976
11:20 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 4

Rapidly deteriorating situation as it appeared around 11:30 AM. A massive hole has
developed in the downstream face of the embankment and is migrating upward.

June 5, 1976
11:30 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 5

The hole continues to enlarge and rise toward the crest of the right abutment. This
is about 11:50 AM.

June 5, 1976
11:50 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 6

Dam crest beginning to breach at 11:55 AM on Saturday June 5, 1976. Note

increasing discharge.

June 5, 1976
11:55 am
 Teton dam failure sequence 7

Maximum flood discharge emanating from gap in dam’s right abutment, just after noon on
June 5th , 1976.

June 5, 1976
After noon
Present day Teton dam site 8
Deriving groundwater flow equation 9

Principle of mass Darcy's Law

conservation

Groundwater flow equation

(Laplace’s equation of continuity)
 Groundwater flow equation 10

Single-row sheet pile driven into permeable layer

See next
slide for
flow at A
Groundwater flow equation 11

Flow at point A
 Groundwater flow equation 12

Rate of inflow in horizontal direction = v x ⋅ Area = v x ⋅ dydz

Rate of inflow in vertical direction = v z ⋅ Area = v z ⋅ dxdy

z
x

Inflow Outflow
 Groundwater flow equation 13

 ∂v x 
Rate of outflow in horizontal direction =  v x + dx dydz
 ∂x 
 ∂v z 
Rate of outflow in vertical direction =  v z + dz dxdy
 ∂x 

z
x

Inflow Outflow
 Groundwater flow equation 14

Assuming that water is incompressible and that no volume change

in the soil mass occurs, then total rate of inflow should equal the
total rate of outflow, thus

 ∂v x   ∂v z  
 v x + ∂x dx dydz +  v z + ∂z dz dxdy  − [v x dydz + v z dxdy ] = 0
    
∂v x ∂v z
+ =0 (i)
∂x ∂z

With Darcy’s law, the discharge velocities can be expressed as

∂h ∂h
v x = k x ix = k x and v z = k z iz = k z (ii)
∂x ∂z
 Groundwater flow equation 15

∂v x ∂v z
+ =0 (i)
∂x ∂z
∂h
v x = k x ix = k x
∂x
(ii)
∂h
v z = k z iz = k z
∂z
From equation (i) and (ii), we can write

∂ 2h ∂ 2h
kx 2 + kz 2 = 0
∂x ∂z
If soil is isotropic w.r.t hydraulic conductivity, i.e., kx = kz, then
∂ 2h ∂ 2h Laplace’s Equation of Continuity
2
+ 2 =0
∂x ∂z
 Flow net 16

A Flow Net consists of two groups of curves:

Flow lines: Flow lines (aka stream lines) represent the path that a particle
of water takes as it travels through the soil mass.
Equipotential lines: Equipotential lines are lines that pass through points
of equal head.

Equipotential lines

Flow lines
 Flow net – Equipotential lines 17

The space between two adjacent equipotential lines

represents a drop in head.
The space between two adjacent equipotential lines is called
an equipotential space.
 Flow net – Flow lines 18

The space between two adjacent flow lines is called a flow

path

Flow lines
 Flow net 19

An equipotential line means potential head at all points is equal (i.e.

total head is constant).
Water in a piezometer (placed at different points along an
equipotential line) will rise to the same elevation.

∆h
h
 Flow net 20

Impounded water

An equipotential line
means potential head Tail water
at all points is equal
(i.e. total head is
constant).

Water in a piezometer
(placed at different
points along an
equipotential line) will
rise to the same
elevation.
 Flow net 21

A combination of flow lines & equipotential lines is called flow net

Tail water
Impounded water
 Flow net 22

A combination of flow lines & equipotential lines is called flow net

 Flow net under a dam 23

Impounded
water Tail water
Flow net under a dam with toe filter 24
Flow net under a dam with sheet pile 25
Seepage and flow net through dam 26
 10 m 20 m 10 m
27
Head: 10 m

Seepage analysis using SEEP/W

10 m
Kx = 1.0 e -005 m/sec
kx = ky

Head: 1 m
30 21

29 22

23
28

3.3377e-005
20 m

24
27

25
26

40 m
 10 m 20 m 10 m
28
Head: 10 m

Seepage analysis using SEEP/W

10 m
Kx = 1.0 e -005 m /sec
Kx = Ky

Head: 1 m
30 21

29
22

28

2.4766e-005
20 m

23
27

24
25
26

40 m
Sample flow nets 29
Sample flow nets 30
Sample flow nets 31
 32

Construction of Flow Nets

Flownet Construction 33
34
35
 36

Curvilinear square

• Breadth = Length

• Circle inscribed in it touches all four sides.

As Δs = Δn so, each equipotential space must represent an

equal drop in head.
37
38
39
40
41
42
Calculating Pore Pressure from Flow Nets 43
(Example)

50m 100m

150m A
B
 Example 44

A flow net for flow around a single row of sheet piles in a permeable soil
layer is shown. Given that kx = kz = k = 4.2 × 10–6 cm/sec, determine
1) How high (above the ground surface) the water will rise if piezometers
are placed at points a, b, c, and d.

2) The rate of seepage through flow channel II per unit length

(perpendicular to the section shown.
 Construction of flow nets 45

• Equipotential lines intersect flow lines at right angles (there is

no flow along an equipotential line, therefore, all of the flow
must be at 90° to it)
• Just like contour lines, flow lines cannot cross other flow lines &
equipotential lines cannot cross other equipotential lines.

• The flow elements form an

approximate “curvilinear square” .
Although the sides may curve, a
curvilinear square is as broad as it is
long, so that a circle inscribed in it
touches all four sides.
• Hence, each equipotential space must
represent an equal drop in head.
 Construction of flow nets 46

The upstream and

downstream surfaces
of the permeable
layer (lines ab and de)
are equipotential
lines.

Since ab & de are

equipotential lines, all
the flow lines
intersect them at
right angles.
 Construction of flow nets 47

The boundary of the

impervious layer (line
fg and line acd) are
flow lines,

Since fg & acd are

flow lines, all the
equipotential lines
intersect them at
right angles.
 Seepage calculation from flow net 48

In any flow net, the strip between any two adjacent flow lines is
called flow channel.
Since there is no flow across the flow lines,
∆q1 = ∆q2 = ∆q3 = ∆q
 Seepage calculation from flow net 49

 h1 − h2   h2 − h3 
From Darcy’s law ∆q = kiA = k  (l1 ×1) = k  (l2 ×1) = 
 l1   l2 
If flow elements are approx. squares, the
drop in piezometric level between any two
adjacent equipotential lines is same. This is
called equipotential drop.
 Seepage calculation from flow net 50

If flow elements are approx. squares, the drop in piezometric level

between any two adjacent equipotential lines is same. This is
called equipotential drop.
H
h1 − h2 = h2 − h3 = h3 − h4 =  =
Nd
H
∆q = k where H = head
Nd difference between
upstream and
downstream sides

Nd = number of
potential drops
 Seepage calculation from flow net 51

If number of flow channels in a flow net is equal to Nf, the total

flow rate through all the channels per unit length can be given by

H
q=k Nf
Nd
 Flow nets in anisotropic soil 52

∂ 2h ∂ 2h
kx 2 + kz 2 = 0
∂x ∂z
For anisotropic soils, kx ≠ kz. In this case, the equation represents two
families of curves that do not meet at 90o. However, we can rewrite
∂ 2h ∂ 2h
+ 2 =0
(k z k x )∂x ∂z
2

Substituting x′ = ( )
kz kx x

∂ 2h ∂ 2h
+ 2 =0
∂x′ ∂z ′
2
 Flow nets in anisotropic soil 53

∂ 2h ∂ 2h H
+ 2 =0 q = kxkz Nf
∂x′ ∂z ′
2
Nd
To construct the flow net, use the following procedure:

1. Adopt a vert. scale for drawing the cross section.

2. Adopt a horiz. scale such that horiz. scale = k z k x × vert. scale.

3. With scales adopted in steps 1 & 2, plot the vertical section

through permeable layer parallel to the direction of flow.

4. Draw the flow net for permeable layer on the section obtained
from step 3, with flow lines intersecting equipotential lines at
right angles and elements as approx. squares.
 54

Transformed
section

True section
Uplift pressure 55
Seepage through an earth dam 56
on an impervious base

Dupuit 1863

Casagrande (1932)
 Seepage through an earth dam 57
on an impervious base
A step-by-step procedure to obtain the seepage rate q (per unit
length of the dam) is as follows:

1. Obtain α.
2. Calculate ∆ (see
figure below) and
then 0.3 ∆.
3. Calculate d.
4. With known values
of α and d, calculate
L.
5. With known values
of L, calculate q. q = kL sin 2 α
Staged dewatering through well-points 58
Example 59
Example 60