Abstract
Seepage or groundwater flow is an important topic in Civil and Mining Engineering curricula. A laboratory setup has been developed for small scale studies of seepage in embankment dams and other geotechnical structures for use in the context of a Soil Mechanics course. Numerical simulations have been prepared as a complement to the experimental setup. Remote access to the equipment has been made available via an IP camera. Student feedback about this sensitive remote experiment has been very positive.
Highlights
For many people the word “dam” is associated with very large concrete structures whose purpose is to create a reservoir that can be used for electricity production, water supply or irrigation
In the design of embankment dams, which is a generic designation for earth and rockfill dams, special attention must be given to seepage or groundwater flow phenomena, through both the foundation and the body of the dam
In order to assess the instructional value of the sensitive remote experiment available for demos at request based on SEEPTOOL, a survey is conducted in the 1st semester, when the topic of groundwater flow is covered in the Soil Mechanics course for Civil and Mining Engineering students
Summary
For many people the word “dam” is associated with very large concrete structures whose purpose is to create a reservoir that can be used for electricity production, water supply or irrigation This is the case in Northern Portugal where the narrow canyons with steep granite banks of the Douro River provide excellent foundation conditions for concrete arch dams. The major concern is to adequately control and prevent erosion processes involving transport of soil particles due to seepage forces. If such phenomena go undetected major disasters may occur, as illustrated by the 1976 collapse of Teton Dam (USA) [2, 3]. The development and use of didactic experimental equipment for course support has been described by various sources [4, 5]
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