Research Status and Prospect of Seepage Erosion in Foundation Pit Engineering

In water-rich strata, the distribution of groundwater is complicated. Construction projects related to foundation pit engineering in such areas are prone to cause piping failure, fluid soil failure, and other seepage-related failures. Seepage erosion is a kind of seepage failure that occurs inside the soil. Because the process is difficult to observe and measure, seepage erosion is rarely considered in the current foundation pit engineering. This article analyzes the relevant research on seepage erosion, and further clarifies the influence of seepage erosion on soil characteristics. In addition, this article puts forward some suggestions for the shortcomings of the current research on erosion, and made some prospects for future research on erosion in foundation pit engineering, hoping to provide theoretical guidance and thinking inspiration for future research.

An experimental study of drainage network development by surface and subsurface flow in low-gradient landscapes

How do channel networks develop in low-gradient, poorly-drained landscapes? Rivers form elaborate drainage networks with morphologies that express the unique environments in which they developed, yet we lack an understanding of what drives channel development in low-gradient landscapes like those left behind in the wake of continental glaciation. To better understand what controls the erosional processes allowing channel growth and integration of non-contributing areas (NCA) over time, we conducted a series of experiments in a small-scale drainage basin. By varying substrate and precipitation, we could vary the partitioning of flow between the surface and subsurface, impacting erosional processes. Channels developed by overland flow and seepage erosion to varying extents depending on substrate composition, rainfall rate, and drainage basin relief. Seepage-driven erosion was favored in substrates with higher infiltration rates, while overland flow was more dominant in experiments with high precipitation rates. Overland flow channels formed at the onset of experiments and expanded over a majority of the basin area, forming broad dendritic networks. Large surface water contributing areas supported numerous first-order channels, allowing for more rapid integration of NCA than through seepage erosion. When overland flow was the dominant process, channels integrated NCA at a similar, consistent rate under all experimental conditions. Seepage erosion began later in experiments after channels had incised enough for exfiltrating subsurface flow to initiate mass wasting of headwalls. Periodic mass wasting of channel heads caused them to assume an amphitheater-shaped morphology. Seepage allowed for channel heads to expand with smaller surface water contributing areas than overland flow channels, allowing for network expansion to continue even with low CA. Seepage-driven channel heads integrated NCA more slowly than channel heads dominated by overland flow, but average erosion rates in channels extending through seepage erosion were higher. The experimental results provide insight into drainage networks that formed in glacial sediment throughout areas affected by continental glaciation, and highlight the importance of subsurface hydrologic connections in integrating and expanding drainage networks over time in these landscapes.

Study on Initiation and Mechanism of Seepage-induced Slope Failure in Jianghan Plain, Central China

The problem of seepage erosion is widespread in occurrence, but is rarely recognized as one of landslide causes. This paper describes and explains one event of slope erosion in Jianghan plain and is focused on the role of seepage erosion. The laboratory test is performed to reconstruct the hydraulic processes leading to slope failure with the application of different hydraulic loads. The observation and measurement reveal that slope alteration experienced three stages under seepage, and hydraulic gradient played a key role during seepage erosion phase. Using these results, a CFD-DEM model is developed to investigate how the seepage-induced soil particle migration would affect the slope evolution. The geotechnical properties control the failure processes and cause a significant change to the toe erosion and loosened zone. Although the instability of slope is mainly attributed to seepage gradient force, the occurrence of seepage erosion affects the failure mode. This work provides new guidance for hydrodynamic landslide prevention.

Experimental Study on the Effects of Internal Erosion on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Tailings Under Unsteady Seepage

In this paper, the hydraulic sedimentary model was established to investigate the effects of dry beach slope on the sedimentary characteristics of tailings, and the sand column model was built to investigate the effects of seepage erosion on the physical and mechanical properties of sedimentary tailings under unsteady seepage.The results show that the slope of dry beach have a great effect on the sedimentary characteristics of tailings, the average particle size of tailings decreases along the slope of dry beach, and the larger the slope, the more obvious the stratification of the tailings. The migration of fine-grained tailings caused by seepage erosion increases the permeability of the tailings and reduces the shear strength of the tailings. After seepage erosion,the average particle size of 1#tailings sample, 2#tailings sample and 3#tailings sample increased by 6.4%, 12.0% and 2.4% respectively, the hydraulic conductivity of 1# tailings sample, 2# tailings sample and 3# tailings increased by 27.2%,17.9%, and 15.3% respectively after internal erosion, and the shear strength of 1#tailings sample, 2#tailings sample and 3#tailings sample tailings sample decreased by 20.9 %, 15.1% and 12.4% respectively.