A Three-dimensional Finite Element Analysis Of Seepage Fields Of Dam

Seepage failure and other failures related with seepage are the main forms offailures in the flood embankment of rivers during the flood period. In oder to evaluatethe safety of embankment, predict the form and location of the failure and give thescientific instruction of reinforcement of the dyke, it is of great theoretical andpractical importance to study the seepage status of the embankment during the floodperiod. Because the free surface boundary is unknown in the seepage analysis of floodembankment and earth dam, the analysis is a non-linear iteration process. On the basisof 3-D Finite Element Analyses of seepage fields in foundation pits, adopting theinitial flow method and the flux supply matrix, this paper conducts a series of 3-DFinite Element Analyses of the unsteady seepage fields of earth dam, with a newlycoded Fortran programme named SEEP3D. In this way, the simulation of actualseepage fields in complicated site and construction conditions were made in order tohave a deep view of the general rules of seepages in earth dam, and illuminate laws ofmain physical quantities. At the meanwhile, this programme can also be applied to thedesign and construction of foundation pits, and, based on which, more feasible andeconomic measures can be adopted .