A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal Erosion
Leakage is a common defect of embankment dam slopes, and is usually accompanied by internal erosion. This study establishes a mathematical two-phase seepage coupling model that explicitly considers the effects of internal erosion. With the help of finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics®, we use...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.866238/full |
| _version_ | 1818216226651897856 |
|---|---|
| author | Yu Jia Yu Ding Xuan Wang Xuan Wang Jiasheng Zhang Jiasheng Zhang Xiaobin Chen Xiaobin Chen |
| author_facet | Yu Jia Yu Ding Xuan Wang Xuan Wang Jiasheng Zhang Jiasheng Zhang Xiaobin Chen Xiaobin Chen |
| author_sort | Yu Jia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Leakage is a common defect of embankment dam slopes, and is usually accompanied by internal erosion. This study establishes a mathematical two-phase seepage coupling model that explicitly considers the effects of internal erosion. With the help of finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics®, we use this model to study the characteristics of fluid seepage, the fraction of leakage volume that is made up of migrated fine particles (migrated fine particles volume fraction), porosity, permeability, and displacement in the leakage process of a three-dimensional embankment dam slope, as well as to study the influence of the water level and leakage outlet size on the aforementioned features. Our results show that water seepage velocity gradually increases with time, especially at the downstream leakage outlet. Therefore, the erosion and migration of fine particles occur primarily at the downstream leakage outlet, resulting in a significant increase in the migrated fine particles volume fraction, porosity, and permeability. In addition, the maximum migrated fine particles volume fraction, the maximum porosity, and the maximum permeability in the slope increase nonlinearly with time. Curves for maximum displacement with a strength reduction factor can be divided into three stages: the early stable stage, the midterm nonlinear growth stage (creeping state), and the later rapid growth stage (instability state). We also find that the rise of the water level promotes the erosion and migration of fine particles on the slope and that the maximum migrated fine particles volume fraction and the maximum porosity increase with the water level. The values of the strength reduction factor for the creeping state decrease as the water level rises. Furthermore, the larger the size of the downstream leakage outlet, the larger the maximum migrated fine particles volume fraction and maximum porosity. However, the relationship between maximum displacement and strength reduction factor is nearly unaffected by the size of the leakage outlet. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:48:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b255ed83a8d455c809b1d09028dac44 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:48:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b255ed83a8d455c809b1d09028dac442022-12-22T00:34:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632022-06-011010.3389/feart.2022.866238866238A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal ErosionYu Jia0Yu Ding1Xuan Wang2Xuan Wang3Jiasheng Zhang4Jiasheng Zhang5Xiaobin Chen6Xiaobin Chen7School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center of High-Speed Railway Construction Technology, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center of High-Speed Railway Construction Technology, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center of High-Speed Railway Construction Technology, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaLeakage is a common defect of embankment dam slopes, and is usually accompanied by internal erosion. This study establishes a mathematical two-phase seepage coupling model that explicitly considers the effects of internal erosion. With the help of finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics®, we use this model to study the characteristics of fluid seepage, the fraction of leakage volume that is made up of migrated fine particles (migrated fine particles volume fraction), porosity, permeability, and displacement in the leakage process of a three-dimensional embankment dam slope, as well as to study the influence of the water level and leakage outlet size on the aforementioned features. Our results show that water seepage velocity gradually increases with time, especially at the downstream leakage outlet. Therefore, the erosion and migration of fine particles occur primarily at the downstream leakage outlet, resulting in a significant increase in the migrated fine particles volume fraction, porosity, and permeability. In addition, the maximum migrated fine particles volume fraction, the maximum porosity, and the maximum permeability in the slope increase nonlinearly with time. Curves for maximum displacement with a strength reduction factor can be divided into three stages: the early stable stage, the midterm nonlinear growth stage (creeping state), and the later rapid growth stage (instability state). We also find that the rise of the water level promotes the erosion and migration of fine particles on the slope and that the maximum migrated fine particles volume fraction and the maximum porosity increase with the water level. The values of the strength reduction factor for the creeping state decrease as the water level rises. Furthermore, the larger the size of the downstream leakage outlet, the larger the maximum migrated fine particles volume fraction and maximum porosity. However, the relationship between maximum displacement and strength reduction factor is nearly unaffected by the size of the leakage outlet.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.866238/fullembankment dam slopeinternal erosiontwo-phase seepage characteristicsdeformation characteristicsporositypermeability |
| spellingShingle | Yu Jia Yu Ding Xuan Wang Xuan Wang Jiasheng Zhang Jiasheng Zhang Xiaobin Chen Xiaobin Chen A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal Erosion Frontiers in Earth Science embankment dam slope internal erosion two-phase seepage characteristics deformation characteristics porosity permeability |
| title | A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal Erosion |
| title_full | A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal Erosion |
| title_fullStr | A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal Erosion |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal Erosion |
| title_short | A Numerical Analysis of the Leakage Characteristics of an Embankment Dam Slope With Internal Erosion |
| title_sort | numerical analysis of the leakage characteristics of an embankment dam slope with internal erosion |
| topic | embankment dam slope internal erosion two-phase seepage characteristics deformation characteristics porosity permeability |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.866238/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yujia anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT yuding anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xuanwang anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xuanwang anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT jiashengzhang anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT jiashengzhang anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xiaobinchen anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xiaobinchen anumericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT yujia numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT yuding numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xuanwang numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xuanwang numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT jiashengzhang numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT jiashengzhang numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xiaobinchen numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion AT xiaobinchen numericalanalysisoftheleakagecharacteristicsofanembankmentdamslopewithinternalerosion |