Seepage Characteristics Analysis on Earth Dams Considering Polymer Cutoff Wall with Construction Defects

Yue Chen, Binghan Xue (), Shu Zhang, Xueming Du and Mingsheng Shi
Additional contact information
Yue Chen: Yellow River Laboratory, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Binghan Xue: Yellow River Laboratory, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Shu Zhang: Yellow River Laboratory, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Xueming Du: Yellow River Laboratory, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Mingsheng Shi: Yellow River Laboratory, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-12

Abstract: In recent years, non-water reaction polymer grouting is a new technology for anti-seepage and reinforcement that has been widely employed in anti-seepage projects. However, there is little research on the consequence of defective polymer cutoff walls affecting the seepage safety of earth dams. To analyze the influence of the number, location, and randomness of defects in the wall on seepage characteristics of the earth dam, a three-dimensional finite element model of a typical earth dam with the polymer cutoff wall is established by numerical simulation technology. The model reflects the real geometry of the polymer cutoff wall as well as the internal common construction defects—windows and uneven thickness. The results indicate that construction deficiencies, especially defect rate and thickness uniformity, have a negative effect on the actual anti-seepage performance of the polymer wall. Eventually, the seepage safety of the earth dam may be endangered due to overestimation of the actual impermeability, if only assuming the cutoff wall is intact. Therefore, the index reflecting the integrity and the impermeability of the polymer cutoff wall is proposed, and the corresponding proposals are offered based on calculation results.

Keywords: earth dam; polymer cutoff wall; seepage characteristics; construction defects; random distribution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/11879/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/11879/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:11879-:d:920671

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().