Manual 10/2010

FIDES-Flow

Calculations of Seepage in Geotechnics

by FIDES DV-Partner GmbH

 FIDES DV-Partner
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Pettenkoferstrasse 4b
10247 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 / 4 20 26 90 – 0
Fax: +49 30 / 4 20 26 90 – 29

FIDES DV-Partner
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Dessauerstraße 9
80992 München
Tel: +49 89 / 14 38 29 – 0
Fax: +49 89 / 14 38 29 – 11

info@fides-dvp.de
http://www.fides-dvp.de

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Contents
Overview 4
What can the program do ....................................................................................... 4

General 5
Installation ............................................................................................................... 5
Input Parameters of the Soil Layers ....................................................................... 5
Method of Calculation ............................................................................................. 7

Using the Program 9

Data Preparation ..................................................................................................... 9
Non-steady states ................................................................................................. 10

Samples from Practical Experience 11

Excavation Wall with Groundwater Flow .............................................................. 11
Objective .................................................................................................. 11
Approach .................................................................................................. 11
Dam with Low-Permeable Core ............................................................................ 13
Objective .................................................................................................. 13
Approach .................................................................................................. 13
Stability due to German DIN4084 ............................................................ 14

References 19
Book Reference List .............................................................................................. 19

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics Contents  iii

Overview

What can the program do

The program FIDES-Flow can be used to compute ground water flow and
pore water pressure distribution within porous material. Steady state
conditions can be solved as well as non-steady timestep calculations.
The calculation method follows the law of Darcy. Therefore only slowly
flowing problems can be taken care of. For higher speeds (turbulent
flow) linear dependence between velocity and the flow downward
gradient won’t be applicable. For problems of this kind, please contact us
at: info@Fides-DVP.de.
FIDES-Flow is a calculation program, that can only be used together with
other programs of the FIDES geotechnics series – for now FIDES-KEA
and FIDES-Slipcircle. The data input as well as the viewing of the results
is made by the program that calls FIDES-Flow to start the seeping
calculation. Pore-water pressures and the free water surface are
calculated. The calling program receives the results and provides them
for further processing.

4  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

General

Installation
Please follow the instructions of the installation program. The program
integrates itself independently into existing and later installed programs of
the FIDES geotechnics series.

Input Parameters of the Soil Layers

The soil layers will be input with the FIDES geotechnics programs. For
the hydrostatic calculation these parameters [1] will be used:
 K
Permeability value. Isotropic material permeability in cm/sec.

Soil Type Permeability Coefficient [cm/sec]

From To
Sandy Gravel 3E-1 5E-2
Gravel with Sand 1E-1 2E-2
Middle Sand 4E-2 1E-2
Silty Sand 2E-2 1E-3
Sandy Silt 5E-3 1E-4
Silt and Clay 5E-4 1E-6
Silty Clay ca. 1E-6

[Tab.1: Approximate values for prorsity of different soil types

(from Karl-Franz Busch und Ludwig Luckner, 1974)]

Values smaller than 1E-7 cm/sec might cause problems

when calculating.
Values <= 0 inidicate an impermeable layer.
 NSP
Effective porosity in per cent: Since part of the water remains
adhesively bound to grains, this value can be used to specify
how much of the originally estimated porosity allows
groundwater motion. With smaller grain size - in particular
with loose rock - the ratio: surface to volumes increases.
Thus also adhesive water porosity increases. According to
Marotz (1968) effective porosity (%) for known permeability
factor k (cm/sec) results from the relationship:
n =25.5+4.5*ln k
sp

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics General  5

 [Img. 1: Relationship between full porosity, effective porosity
and adhesive water porosity depending on grain size of
plastic sediments (from Davis & de Wiest 1966):
T=Clay, U=Silt, S=Sand, G=Gravel, X=Stones]
 S
Specific storage coefficient (only used for non-steady
claculations). Use this parameter with care, since it's
influence on the results is major.
According to Jacob (1940) and de Wiest (1966) the following
relationship can be assumed:
1-n
sp
S = * *n *
s sp
Es
 = Specific weight of water:
4°C: 1,0000 kg/m³
10°C: 0,997
15°C: 0,9991
Es= Sub grade modulus resp. young's modulus of the grain
structure in loose stone.
 = Compressibility of water
approx. 4.6E10 m²/N

6  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

Method of Calculation
After the data has been imported, the program internally creates a list of
lines and regions, meshes them with the desired mesh width and assigns
the material parameters to the regions the associated material properties
of the soil layers. Now a FE-mesh for the regions will be created and all
border nodes will have boundary conditions set with the pressure heights
of the water levels provided.

P1

P2
HWL

HWR

These result from the intersection (P1 resp. P2) of a horizontal line of the
water level’s height (HWL resp. HWR), lifted by about 5m, with the soil
system. The lift of ca. 5m is results in boundary conditions above the
point, wehere the leakage will occour. Thus the point, where the water
leaves the soil can be determined exactly this way. All further nodes that
are below the points P1 resp. P1 will have the bounding conditions set.
A wall that stands out of the soil can be taken into considerations.
The FE system will now be computed with the material laws according to
Darcy. Isotropic material properties are used. If you need a deviation of
this restriction, please contact us at: Info@Fides-DVP.de.

Media kf in m/s k in darcy

-1 -2 4 3
Gravel 10 – 10 10 - 10
-2 -5 3
Sand and gravel 10 – 10 10 - 1
-5 -9 -4
Fine sand to silk 10 – 10 1 – 10
-9 -11 -4 -6
Clay 10 – 10 10 - 10
[Img.2: Typical permeability values of different materials]
For the applicability of the Darcy law, the forces of inertia caused by
changes of the flow rate must be negligible compared to the internal
friction forces of the fluid. A value which indicates the relationship
between inertias and friction forces is the dimensionless Reynolds figure
Re. In porous media determining a unique value for Re is not possible. It
is, however, common to use the following formulas of approximation: [2]

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics General  7

 w w
Re'=q*d* and Re"=q*k*
D D

with d=d See Image: Img. 2

10
g
k dissolved k=k *1E-7
q= f and kf=k* w*
: f
I
D
h
I= Piezometric height gradient
L
h Difference between 2 piezometer gradients
L Distance which h is active along
with I=0.01 (typical for pore groundwater conductors):
Re'=k*d*1E11 and Re"= k*k*1E11
In order to apply Darcy’s law, Re’ and Re’’ have to be smaller than 1.0. In
very cohesive soil, e.g. sealing clay layers for dumps, there is a critical
gradient Ikr below which linear interrelationship between q and I no
longer exists. Thus, kf does won't depend on I then.

8  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

Using the Program

Data Preparation
In your FIDES geotechnical program, select the menu item:
“potential/calculate and transfer results”. Outright, the program will be
launched and this input dialog appears:

 Mesh options: Set the desired average mesh size in [m]

here and specify whether the component “wall“ should be
represented with permeability or if it should be removed from
the system and thus be impermeable. If you do not specify
boundary limits, the program will try to find reasonable limits
itself.
 Steady water level: Here you can specify what water levels
for the left and right borders should be assumed for the
steady state calculation.

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics Using the Program  9

Non-steady states
 Using the ‘+’ button, time steps can be added. You can
specify the time span for the step and the water
level at the left side at beginning of the step.

 In the main dialog, left of the step selection box, you can
specify how many stored load cases for each step should be
created (n LC per step) and the amount of iterations for
each load case (Iterations per LC). You can afterwards select
each of the stored load case's results, graphically.
 After the calculation you will be asked to specify the stored
load case you wish to transfer to the calling program. Here,
you have the possibility to view all
calculated load cases with the program FIDO.

10  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

Samples from Practical
Experience

Excavation Wall with Groundwater Flow

Objective
This sample shows how to use the program FIDES-Flow together with
FIDES-SlipCircle resp. FIDES-KEA. It’s assumed that you are familiar
with the program.
Aim of the examination is an excavation wall in homogeneous soil. The
excavation depth is 5.5m, the impermeable wall is stuck 4.5m deeper
than the excavation. The groundwater level is lowered to –1.0m at the
excavation side and was -6.0m on the other side.

[Img. 3: Sample – Excavation wall with groundwater flow]

Approach
 First the grid-settings should be set to 0.5m. Use the menu
item View/Grid&Snap settings and change the values.
 After selecting the command Create/Soil layer, successively
click the soil points from left to right. With the space bar you
can open a dialog that allows you to enter the coordinates
directly or relatively to the last clicked point.

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics Samples from Practical Experience  11

  Set the following values for the soil layer:
 [°]
 = 20 [kN/m³]
c=10 [kN/m²]
k=1E-5 [m/s]
NSP=15 [%]
S=1.5E-5 [1/m] * will not be considered in this sample
 Enter a wall. Use the menu wall/new wall and select the
points (0; 0) and (0; -7.5).
 Enter an anchor at Z=-1 with inclination 12° and length 13m.
The anchor force is 100kN.
 Select menu: create/water/groundwater and add the
estimated groundwater flow from left to right. See Img. 3.
 Now draw a slip circle from center point (-2; 0) and have it
intersecting with the foot of the wall.
 Use the menu Calculate/Slipcircle…/Optimize current slip
circle. The slip circle now gets optimized and should have a
stability factor of 1.6.
 Start the FIDES-Flow calculation with the menu item
„Flow/Calculate and get results”
 Set the permeability for the wall to –1 (impermeable) and the
mesh width to 0.7m.
 The stationary water level should be set to –6 on the left and
–1 on the right side, already.
 Start the calculation.
 The groundwater level must be generated automatically by
using menu: „Flow/Groundwater level from results”

 Again, optimize the slip circle. A safety against failure of 1.2

should result. Thus, the excavation wall will have gain
security when considering the problem more detailed.
 At the excavation’s side one can clearly see, that the water is
on top of the soil. Here water will emerge and have to be
pumped in order to keep the water level below the
excavation level.

12  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

  In order to view the amount of water that emerges, use the
menu “Flow/Flow/Set intersection polyline” and click a line
you want to know the water amount at.
 The results can be viewed in the results document and will
look like this:

Flow-amount per m line

Q ......: Flow [l/s]
Qn .....: Flow perpend. to line [l/s]
Segment x z Q [l/s] Qn [l/s]
1 -0.25 -5.75 2.1540e-007 1.7234e-007
2 -0.50 -5.75 7.1435e-007 3.9478e-007
...
39 -9.75 -5.75 7.8769e-006 2.4034e-008
40 -10.00 -5.75 7.8769e-006 2.4034e-008
Sum length = 9.75[m]
Sum water perpend. to insec.-line = 3.512e-
006[l/s]

 Due to this result, for a 20x20m excavation a pump would

have to be able to pump 3.5E-6*3600*2*20 = 0.5 l/h.

Dam with Low-Permeable Core

Objective
This sample shows how to use the program FIDES-Flow in combination
with FIDES-KEA. It is assumed that you are well known to this program
already.

[Img.4: Sample – dam with seepage]

Approach
Exemplarily chosen was the stability of a dam with seepage. The
geometric measurements and soil parameters are shown in Img.4. State
of analysis is the infiltration up to 75 cm below top of dam.

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics Samples from Practical Experience  13

  First set the grid snapping to 0.5m. Use the menu item
“View/Grid&Snap properties/Settings” und change the values
in the dialog.
 After selecting the menu item “Create/Soil layer” start clicking
the points of the surface. With the space bar you can display
a dialog for coordinate input.
 The layer will be the dam’s core – please assign this values
to it:
Name: Clay (TW,TP)
=25 [°]
=19 [kN/m³]
c=10 [kN/m²]
k=1E-8 [m/s]
NSP=15 [%]
S=1.5E-5 [1/m]
 Input a new layer. Scanning the previously entered points
and add extend it by the slot for the core.
 Assign this values:
Name: Dam body (GU)
=30 [°]
=21 [kN/m³]
c=5 [kN/m²]
k=1E-5 [m/s]
NSP=15 [%]
S=1.5E-5 [1/m]
The values result from the formulas decribed above.
 Now click the point (14, -2.5) for the third layer and finish with
the right mouse button.
 Assign these values:
Name: Gravel (GW)
=35 [°]
=22 [kN/m³]
c=0 [kN/m²]
k=1E-7 [m/s]
NSP=15 [%]
S=1.5E-5 [1/m]

Stability due to German DIN4084

The slope stability according to the Krey-Bishop method will now be
calculated. This is a common procedure – even at analysis of dams.
 First assume a ground water line as shown in Img3. Create
with menu item “Create/Water/Groundwater”.
 The most unfavorable slip circle will have a safety against
failure of about 2.0. Thus, the dam seems to be safe against
failure.
 If, however, you calculate – best would be a new
construction stage – the steady state seeping of the dam with
the menu item “Potential/Calculation & transfer results”, the
slip circle now will have a safety against failure of 1.3. Thus,
the dam will not be safe against failure.
 The safety against failure with the KEA, however, gives a
factor of 2.0.

14  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics Samples from Practical Experience  15
Analytical Comparison

General
In order to test the time and space accuracy of seepage, we have
constructed and solved a 2D model that could simulate efficiently the 1D
solution of the potential gradient problem for which the analytical solution
is known from the literature. Carslaw and Jaeger (1959) offer an
analytical solution to the 1-D transient equation for uniform fixed initial
temperature-head and an instantaneous change in temperature-head at
distance L (0-100m) is:

h 
 h 0 ,t x 2  h 
 h 0,t cos(n )  nx  Tn2 2t /( SL2 )
h x ,t  h 0 ,t  100,t 0

L


 n 1
100,t 0

n
sin
 L 
e

Sum the series until the change in the sum becomes insignificant.

We have constructed a 2D model to solve the 1-D transient ground water

flow equation. We wish to simulate temporal changes in the confined
aquifer heads between two reservoirs (shown below). Assume the aquifer
-1
is 100 m long, has a T (conductivity) of 0.02 m min , and a storage
coefficient of 0.002. The head is initially uniform at 16 m (i.e., the initial
condition is h|x,0 = 16 m) and drops to 11 m at x = 100 at time 0 (i.e., the
boundary conditions are h|0,t = 16 m and h|100,t = 11 m).

Confining Layer

Aquifer

Figure 1. Wang and Anderson, 1982. Introduction to Groundwater

Modeling

The grid used for the 2D model is a fine Cartesian grid of 201x33 nodes
(6400 quadrilateral elements). For the time integration to 500min, 250
time levels were used. Comparisons between analytical and numerical
results are depicted in the following figures and our numerical results are

16  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

 in very good agreement with corresponding data from the above
analytical expression.
The 2D model simulates adequately the 1D test case since the resulted
vertical profiles of potential are uniform at any cross section along the
flow field.
For a possible thesis, a student could try a parametric study of this
transient flow using as parameters the number of time levels for time
integration, the spatial accuracy parameters and the numerical grid
density as well. Besides, an unstructured grid should be used for the
discretization of the computational domain and the results at some
specific cross-sectionals areas must be compared to the corresponding
analytical.

I'll try to find additional analytical test cases or other benchmarks for
transient flows ASAP.

Representative Steady-state test cases

First of all, the steady state of the above test case with the linear results
 h  h1 
h( x )   2 x  h1
 L 
Free Surface Subject to Infiltration or Evaporation

Assume that the free surface of the figure is subject to a uniform

discharge P per unit area – velocity units (P>0 in the case of infiltration,
P<0 for evaporation). The 1D model gives for the free surface the
equation:

h( x )  h12 
h 2
1 
 h 22 x P
 L  x x
L k
where k is the soil permeability (m/s). The maximum free surface head is
obtained at
L k h1  h 2
2 2
x hmax  
2 P 2L

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics Analytical Comparison  17

 You can use as input parameters: h1=3.75m, h2=3 m, L=10.0m, P=2.5e-6
m/s, k=1.0e-5

Potential Flow around circular cylinder

This example concerns the problem of uniform flow around a cylinder.

The analytical solution gives the head values at any point of the domain
as:
 2 
  U r   cos 
 r 

1   2
where U is the uniform undisturbed velocity  , r  x2  y2 ,
L
 is the radius and   a tan(y / x) is the anti-clockwise angle measured
from the x axis to the field point. You can try 1  1,  2  0 for a cylinder
of unit radius.

Other analytical steady test cases you can find in [8].

18  Contents FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics

References

Book Reference List

[1] Richter, Dieter: Ingenieur- und Hydrogeologie 1989
ISBN 3-11-008547-X
[2] Schäfer, Wolfgang: Modelierung der Grundwasserströmung
[3] Dyck, Siegfried/Peschke Gerd: Grundlagen der Hydrologie 1995
ISBN 3-345-00586-7
[4] Verruijt, Arnold: Theory of Groundwater Flow 1970
[5] Segerlind, Larry J.: Applied Finite Element Analysis (Second Edition)
1937
ISBN 0-471-80662-5
[6] Busch, Karl-Franz/ Luckner, Ludwig: Geohydraulik 1974
ISBN 3-432-02301-4
[7] Bear, Jacob, Dynamics of Fluids in Porous Media, , Dover
Publications, New York, 1988.
[8] Harr, Milton E., Groundwater and Seepage, Dover Publications, 1991.
[9[ Pinder, George F., and William G.Gray, Finite Element Simulation in
Surface and Subsurface Hydrology, Academic Press, New York,
1977.
[10] Wang, Herbert F., and Mary P.Anderson, Introduction to
Groundwater Modeling: Finite Difference and Finite Elements
Methods, W.H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, 1982.

FIDES-FLOW - Calculation of Seepage in Geotechnics References  19