Skip to main content
Log in

Development and Validation of a Numerical Model of Flow Through Embankment Dams – Comparisons with Experimental Data and Analytical Solutions

  • Published:
Transport in Porous Media Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The development and validation of a numerical simulation model of the flow through embankment dams is described. The paper focuses on basic verification studies, that is, comparisons with analytical solutions and data from laboratory experiments. Two experimental studies, one dealing with the flow in a Hele–Shaw cell and the other with the flow through a bed of packed glass beads, are also described. Comparisons are carried out with respect to the phreatic surfaces, pressure profiles, seepage levels and discharges. It is concluded that the agreement between experimental, analytical and numerical results is generally satisfactory.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Batchelor, G. K.: 1967, An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bear, J.: 1972, Dynamics of Fluid in Porous Media, American Elsevier Publishing Company.

  • Crank, J.: 1984, Free and Moving Boundary Problems, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, C. W. and Plumb, O. A.: 1986, The influence of surface roughness on resistance to flow through packed beds, J. Fluids Engng., Transactions of the ASME 108, 343–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dudgeon, C. R.: 1967, Wall effects in permeameters, J. Hydraul. Div., Transactions of the ASCE 93, 137–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Du Plessis, J. P.: 1994, Analytical quantification of coefficients in the Ergun equation for fluid friction in a packed bed, Transport in Porous Media 16(2), 189–207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ergun, S.: 1952, Fluid flow through packed columns, Chem. Engng. Progress 48(2), 89–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fand, R. M., Kim, B. Y. K., Lam, A. C. C. and Phan, R. T.: 1987, Resistance to flow of fluids through simple and complex porous media whose matrices are composed of randomly packed spheres, J. Fluids Engng. 109, 268–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forchheimer, P.: 1901, Wasserbeweguing durch Boden, Zeischrift. Verein Deutscher Ingenieure 45, 1782–1788.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodwill, I. M. and Kalliontzis, C.: 1988, Identification of non-Darcy groundwater flowparameters, Int. J. Numer. Methods Fluids 8, 151–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graton, L. C.: 1935, Systematic packing of spheres with particular relation to porosity and permeability, J. Geology, 43, The University of Chicago Press.

  • Greenly, B. T. and Joy, D. M.: 1996, One-dimensional finite-element model for high flow velocities in porous media, J. Geotech. Engng.(October), 789–796.

  • Hansen, D.: 1992, The behaviour of flowthrough rockfill dams, Doctoral Thesis, University of Ottawa, Canada.

  • Johansson, S.: 1997, Seepage monitoring in embankment dams, Doctoral Thesis, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

  • Kececioglu, I. and Jiang, Y.: 1994, Flow through porous media of packed spheres saturated with water, J. Fluids Engng., Transactions of the ASME 116, 164–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koo, M-H. and Leap, D. I.: 1998, Modeling three-dimensional groundwater flows by the Body-Fitted Coordinate (BFC) method: II. Free and moving boundary problems, Transport in Porous Media 30(3), 345–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunii, D. and Levenspiel, O.: 1969, Fluidization Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald, I. F., El-Sayed, M. S., Mow, K. and Dullien, F. A. L.: 1979, Flow through porous media – the Ergun's equation revisited, Industr. Engng. Chem. Fundamentals 18(3), 199–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, P. H. and Hunt, B.: 1985, Unsteady groundwater drawdown in embankments, J. Hydraul. Res. 23(3), 241–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polubarinova-Kochina, P. Ya.: 1962, Theory of Groundwater Movement, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spalding, D. B.: 1981, A general purpose computer program for multi-dimensional one-and two-phase flow, Math. Comput. Simulations 8, 267–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spalding, D. B. and Jun, L.: 1991, The Height-of-Liquid (HOL) method for computing flows with moving interfaces, The PHOENICS Code Manual, CHAM, London, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triumf, C. A. and Thunehed, H.: 1996, Two years of self-potential measurements on a large dam in northern Sweden, In: Proc. Stockholm Symposia: Repair and Upgrading of Dams, Royal Institute of Technology, pp. 307–315.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Billstein, M., Svensson, U. & Johansson, N. Development and Validation of a Numerical Model of Flow Through Embankment Dams – Comparisons with Experimental Data and Analytical Solutions. Transport in Porous Media 35, 395–406 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006531729446

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006531729446

Navigation