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Exploring the clogging process in coarse soil deposits in a dam foundation

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Abstract

This study investigated the clogging process in coarse soil deposits in a dam foundation using natural soil media. The coarse soil deposits for this experimental study are divided into two types: graded soils with fine particles and graded soils without fine particles. The fine particle content, equivalent particle size, and clogging particle size are found to be vital factors affecting seepage deformation and clogging for the coarse soil deposits in the dam foundation. In experiments using graded soil media with some fines, clogging can effectively increase the content of fine particles in soil media, prevent the continuous development of seepage deformation, and enhance the seepage stability of soil media. For any particle size distribution in the coarse soil deposit, the equivalent particle size in D20 is the most suitable for calculating the optimum clogging particle size. The hydraulic conductivity for any size of incoming clogging particles, k, has an exponential relationship with the ratio of D20 squared and the product of Cu for the soil media and de for the equivalent particle size of clogging particles.

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Abbreviations

PSD:

Particle size distribution

PS:

Particle size

C u :

Nonuniformity coefficient of soil media

C c :

Curvature coefficient

E1 E2 E3 E4:

Four different numbers of experiment with four different soil media particle size distribution

K t :

The values of hydraulic conductivity at any time

D 10 D 15 D 17 D 20 D 25 :

The diameter through which 10%, 15%, 17%, 20%, 25% of the total soil mass is passing for the soil media particles

d 85 :

The diameter through which 85% of the total soil mass is passing for the clogging particles

D e :

The equivalent particle size equals to (dmax × dmin)0.5

d o10, d o15, d o17, d o20, d o25 :

The optimum clogging particles size under D10, D15, D17, D20, D25

n :

The porosity of the soil media

α :

The particle shape correction factor

FPC:

Fine particle content

D q :

The critical grain size of coarse-to-fine particles, equals to (D70 × D10)0.5

CP, S, S-I, I, N:

Clogging patterns and S denotes clogging pattern of surface clogging, S-I denotes clogging pattern of surface-internal clogging, I denotes clogging pattern of internal partial pore blockage, N denotes clogging pattern of unclogging

d c , d sc , d ic, d uc :

The clogging particle size of soil media, dsc denotes the PS forming the surface clogging pattern, dic denotes the PS forming the internal partial pore blockage pattern, duc denotes the PS that does not form clogging and D20 denotes the equivalent size of soil media particles

a b :

The parameters in the hydraulic conductivity k, The diameter through which 20% of the total soil mass is passing for the soil media particles D20, the nonuniformity coefficient for soil media Cu, the equivalent size of incoming particles de

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Professor Changming Wang and professor Gangcheng Wang, Construction Engineering College of Jilin University, for the technical support provided for this research. The authors are also thankful to the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41602359, 41907255, 41807190, and 41702298) and the Project Supported by Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (Nos. 2017JQ4019 and 2017JQ4020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, 710054, Xan, People’s Republic of China

    Jianquan Ma, Xiaojie Zhao, Shibo Li, Hao Peng & Lele Xiao

  2. China Water Northeastern Investigation, Design & Research Co., Ltd, 130021, Changchun, People’s Republic of China

    Donghe Ma

  3. Xi’an Center of Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, 710054, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China

    Xinshe Zhang

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  1. Jianquan Ma
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Correspondence to Shibo Li.

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Ma, J., Zhao, X., Li, S. et al. Exploring the clogging process in coarse soil deposits in a dam foundation. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 16 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-021-02533-7

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