Abstract
Seepage analysis of earth dams is essential for design and efficient control measures. An earth dam can be rendered ineffective if it exhibits uncontrolled seepage through foundations and if subjected to uplift. A variety of methods have been developed to determine seepage and uplift pressures under embankments, but results exhibit differences. In this study an overview of graphical, numerical, analytical, and physical model methods to determine seepage and uplift pressure has been provided. The underlying methods i.e., D. Forchheimer flow nets, Element Methods Finite (FEM) solutions from SLIDE software, Velocity Hodographic and Schwartz Christoffel transformations, and seepage tank model respectively have been applied on Sukian Dyke of Mangla Dam as a case study. It is conclusive that all methods provide overestimates for seepage values, however FEM provides results closer to actual field values. Statistical analysis was performed to rank the most suitable method for determining uplift pressure. D. Forchheimer flow nets and transformations predict uplift pressures closer to field values. The crucial aspect of the study is to quantify the accuracy of the prediction methods.
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The authors acknowledge Mr. Muhammad Azfar Abbas and Mr. Muhammad Hamza Farhan for assisting in seepage tank construction.
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Khalid, M.H., Yasmin, T., Alshameri, B. et al. Comparison of Seepage Evaluation Methods for Earth-Filled Embankments: A Case Study of Sukian Dyke, Mangla Dam. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 10, 2257–2270 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-023-01905-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-023-01905-0