Experimental and Theoretical Explanations for the Initial Difference in the Hydraulic Head in Aquitards

Abstract

Accurate estimation of the buoyancy forces exerted on underground structures is a problem in geotechnical engineering that directly impacts the construction safety and cost of these structures. Therefore, studying the buoyancy resistance of underground structures has great scientific and practical value. In this study, an initial difference in the hydraulic head, Δh0, was discovered to be present in aquitards through analysis of water-level data collected from the observation of real-world structures and in laboratory control tests. That is, seepage occurs beyond a threshold Δh0. Analysis of test data reveals that a deviation from Darcy’s law is the theoretical basis for Δh0 and that Δh0 equals the initial hydraulic gradient multiplied by the length of the seepage path. The general consistency between the experimentally measured and theoretically calculated values of Δh0 validates the theoretical explanation for Δh0. The results of this study provide a basis for scientifically calculating the buoyancy resistance required for the construction of underground structures.