3D finite element method (FEM) simulation of groundwater flow during backward erosion piping

Backward erosion piping is an important failure mechanism for cohesive water retaining structures which are founded on a sandy aquifer. At present, the prediction models for safety assessment are often based on 2D assumptions. In this work, a 3D numerical approach of the groundwater flow leading to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 160 - 166
Main Authors Vandenboer, Kristine, van Beek, Vera, Bezuijen, Adam
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Heidelberg Higher Education Press 2014
Subjects
Cities
Civil Engineering
Countries
Engineering
Regions
Research Article
groundwater flow
3D finite element method (FEM)
backward erosion piping
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Summary:Backward erosion piping is an important failure mechanism for cohesive water retaining structures which are founded on a sandy aquifer. At present, the prediction models for safety assessment are often based on 2D assumptions. In this work, a 3D numerical approach of the groundwater flow leading to the erosion mechanism of backward erosion piping is presented and discussed. Comparison of the 2D and 3D numerical results explicitly demonstrates the inherent 3D nature of the piping phenomenon. In addition, the influence of the seepage length is investigated and discussed for both piping initiation and piping progression. The results clearly indicate the superiority of the presented 3D numerical model compared to the established 2D approach. Moreover, the 3D numerical results enable a better understanding of the complex physical mechanism involved in backward erosion piping and thus can lead to a significant improvement in the safety assessment of water retaining structures.
ISSN:2095-2430
2095-2449
DOI:10.1007/s11709-014-0257-7