A study to determine the location of perforated drainpipe in a levee for controlling the seepage line

Abstract

Levees are facilities constructed along river to protect floodplains against flooding. However, levee failures are also possible if seepage reaches landside surface of the levee. The seepage on the surface of the landside slope can be prevented by efficient design of levee drainage systems. This study aims to show the seepage control potential on levees by installation of perforated drainpipes, which was verified through hydraulic experiments. Scenarios were performed with four different water stages at riverside. For each scenario, the piezometric heads located at the bottom of the experimental levee were measured. The results of the hydraulic experiments showed that the precise positioning of perforated drainpipes is vital since it greatly affects the amount of seepage in the levee. The SEEP/W model that was calibrated and verified with the experiment results was used to suggest appropriate installation location range of the perforated drainpipe. From the numerical simulation, as the central location of perforated drainpipe is closer to landside levee toe horizontally and to foundation surface vertically, the safety of levee was increased from the seepage failure.