Permeability defects are practically unavoidable in earthen structures due to heterogeneity of the grain size of quarried materials, inappropriate compaction, discontinuities of displacements, dynamic effects, internal erosion processes and animal actions. For their detection, thermal monitoring systems may allow today an advanced surveillance of embankment dams, through the recent advancements in distributed sensing technologies based on optical fibers sensors. By exploiting the dependency of the thermal properties of the soil (i.e. thermal conductivity and heat capacity) on its water content, in saturated conditions, and their possible variations under seepage flow regimes, temperature measurements may provide information about the development and evolution of zones affected by permeability higher than the original one. The coupling between the seepage and heat transport processes, and particularly the effects of permeability defects on piezometric head and temperature distributions, has been parametrically investigated, through two Finite Element Analysis (FEA) codes (i.e. SEEP/W and TEMP/W), in order to evaluate the sensibility of thermal sensors in detecting these undesired phenomena. Finally, an experimental documented case has been back analyzed and re-interpreted.
Cesali, C., Cardaci, W., Federico, F. (2020). Analysis of the effects of permeability defects on seepage flow and heat transport in embankment dams. In Dam Breach Modelling and Risk Disposal: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Embankment Dams (ICED 2020) (pp.321-332). Cham : Springer Cham [10.1007/978-3-030-46351-9_33].
Analysis of the effects of permeability defects on seepage flow and heat transport in embankment dams
Cesali C.Methodology
;Federico F.
Conceptualization
2020-01-01
Abstract
Permeability defects are practically unavoidable in earthen structures due to heterogeneity of the grain size of quarried materials, inappropriate compaction, discontinuities of displacements, dynamic effects, internal erosion processes and animal actions. For their detection, thermal monitoring systems may allow today an advanced surveillance of embankment dams, through the recent advancements in distributed sensing technologies based on optical fibers sensors. By exploiting the dependency of the thermal properties of the soil (i.e. thermal conductivity and heat capacity) on its water content, in saturated conditions, and their possible variations under seepage flow regimes, temperature measurements may provide information about the development and evolution of zones affected by permeability higher than the original one. The coupling between the seepage and heat transport processes, and particularly the effects of permeability defects on piezometric head and temperature distributions, has been parametrically investigated, through two Finite Element Analysis (FEA) codes (i.e. SEEP/W and TEMP/W), in order to evaluate the sensibility of thermal sensors in detecting these undesired phenomena. Finally, an experimental documented case has been back analyzed and re-interpreted.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
