Numerical investigation into the effects of geometrical alterations in cut-off walls on seepage through water-retaining structures

Thomas, Alex J; Asr, Alireza Ahangar

Abstract

In this paper numerical analysis has been conducted to expand existing research on cut-off walls from previous studies such as [1],[2]. This study is aimed at studying a unique geometric alignment design that accommodates ‘branches’ on either side of a vertical cutoff wall and investigates its effect on seepage (discharge) and uplift pressure within the foundation of the dam. From the study conducted it has been observed seepage had been reduced with the inclusion of these branches at the centre of the base of the concrete dam. Altering the angle of branches can bring down the seepage that flows through the soil strata, with the optimum angle being around the range of 60 – 70 degrees. Further experimentation has shown that altering the position at two other distinct locations (heel and toe) has had a significant reduction in seepage with the heel being the most effective at reducing it. Uplift pressure has been evaluated to show that the best position for minimal uplift force is at the heel of the dam.

Citation

Thomas, A. J., & Asr, A. A. (2023, April). Numerical investigation into the effects of geometrical alterations in cut-off walls on seepage through water-retaining structures. Paper presented at 2023 Annual Conference of the UK Association for Computational Mechanics., University of Warwick

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: 2023 Annual Conference of the UK Association for Computational Mechanics.
• Conference Location: University of Warwick
• Start Date: Apr 19, 2023
• End Date: Apr 21, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jul 4, 2023
• Keywords: seepage; cut-off wall; numerical analysis; uplift force
• Publisher URL: https://sites.google.com/view/ukacm2023conference