Dewatering
• Purpose
• Prevent seepage from slopes or excavation,
• Slope stability,
• Prevent scouring, soil piping and heaving,
• Reduce E.P on earth structure, and
• Improve the excavation procedure.
• Methods
• Removal of the G.W by pumping from well
points or drain, and
• Isolation of the excavation from the G.W by:
• i) Sheet pile cutoff, ii) grout curtain,
• iii) Cutoff trench, and iv) freezing.
Dewatering
Dewatering
The choice of the method of dewatering
• depends on
• type,
of the
• size and construction
• Depth.
• location,
• thickness, of the soil
layers and
• stratification and aquifer.
• permeability.
Dewatering Methods
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Gravity
Cut off flow vacuum consolid
G S M C
D(mm)
Gravity Flow
-Pumping from sumps
-Well-point system
-Deep wells with submersible pumps
Dewatering design
• Permeability of previous strata, k , is obtained to:
• estimate the dewatered surcharge, and hence
• the power of the pump,
• Dewatering design considers:
• number,
• size,
of the well
• spacing and points
• penetration
• and
• the rate of water removal,
• size and of the
• capacity. collectors
and pumps
Soil permeability from the sieve analysis
• k = c1D102
• c1 =factor varies between
• 40 100 150
• W.G P.G P.G
• v. fine Med. coarse v. coarse
• D102 = effective grain size (sieve size for 10% finer)
• This method is approximate,
• since D10 is constant,
• while k depends on soil structure. (e.g., eo)
Some guiding values for k for different soil type.
Soil k cm/sec
Medium to coarse gravel >10-1
Coarse to fine sand 10-1 – 10-3
Fine sand to silty sand 10-3 – 10-5
Silty clay 10-4 – 10-6
clay <10-7
Field tests
[pumping tests]
unconfined flow
q r
2
r
1
r2
ln( )
q r1
k
(h22 h12 ) h
1
h2
Sumps and Ditches in Open Excavation
Small, stable excavation
for slow rate.
Special space ditch
for the
excavation of: Moderate slope
the ditch, or blanket with filter blanket H
the sumps graded sand and
Hex
stone
and Rock, cemented
the drain. sump soil, well graded
no hydraulic heaving sand
Observe Slope
stability
Impervious strata
sides should be stable
Discharge water should be drained far away from
the site.
Discharge water should not affect the environment.
Filter
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(D15)filter > 4(D15)soil
100% (D15)filter < 4(D85)soil
85% D5% Pass ≥ 0.075mm
D100% Pass ≤ 75mm
soil
Filter
15%
5%
75mm 4D85,soil D85, soil D15,soil dim.
4D15,soil 0.074mm
Water Discharge by sumps
Small, stable excavation
DESIGN
ditch
as if the excavation is a
big well.
H
k in pervious strata is Hex
known. sump
For limited area:
Impervious strata
k ( H 2 H ex2 )
q
ln( R )
rex R b
rex = √ab /
R is estimated as =300 (H-Hex)k a
(k in cm/sec)
For longitudinal excavation:
ditch
H
Hex
sump
Impervious strata
H Hex k ( H 2 H ex2 )
q / m ` 0.73 0.27
H 2R
R
R =150 (H-Hex)k (k in cm/sec)
Sumps in Cofferdam
Pump out any
Seepage or
by using
• for limited areas. ditch and hydraulic
• Heave may be sump pressure
avoided by using: Wood or
Steel
• Graded sand, filter sheet
blanket, or Piling seepage
• grouting.
• If the cofferdam Below the uplift force
reaches impervious bottom of reduce toe
strata, it isolates
Construction resistance
the excavation.
Conventional Well Point System
Header (collector)
with a vacuum
I.G.W.T rw riser
Water flows by
Well point gravity
Suction Excavation b
bottom
pump
Plan of limited excavated area
Conventional Well Point System
R= 300(H-Hw)k q installed in a line or
•
ring 1-5m spacing
I.G.W.T rw
Shallow S (1-1.5m)
≤5m
HD
H
Hw filter blanket
screen1- 1.5m
(5-10cm f)
Impervious layer
*k and H are given or
determined k ( H 2 H w2 )
To evaluate Hw: q
ln( R )
1.48( H H w ) rex
HD H [ w R 1]
rex = √ab /
R =300 (H-Hex)k (k in cm/sec)
Conventional Well Point System
Header (collector)
with a vacuum
I.G.W.T rw riser
H Water flows by ≤5m
Well point gravity
Hw
Impervious layer
Plan of longitudinal
excavated area
R
H Hw k ( H 2
H 2
w)
q / m` 0.73 0.27
H 2R
multistage well point system
• q≤1m3/hr,
• S≥1-1.5m, and
• (H-Hw)≤5m.
• If q is too much,
• change S and repeat,
• OR
• multistage well point system
• The advantage :
• dewatering before the
excavation :
• dry conditions at work,
• Stable slopes and base
• But
• Need large space!
Vacuum well point system
• surrounding soil is
silt, sandy silt with low
permeability,
• cannot be drained by
gravity methods.
• The vacuum will: vacuum
• increase the hydraulic pump is in the
sand filter
gradient, and around the
well point and
• improve drainage and riser pipe.
stability around.
Deep well system
• (with turbines,
submersible pumps)
• The method is suitable
for as deep as 100m
[e.g., tunnels].
• Vacuum can be added
to prevent or minimize
seepage from perched
water into the
excavation. Cracks can cause
sever problems
filter
15-20cm f
sand or aquifer under high artesian pressure screen
Drainage by Electromosis
-ve
• The method is suitable for +ve
silt, clayey silt and clayey
silty sands with low
permeability,
• Electric current from the
soil to the well causes Anode (steel
hydraulic gradient that rod)
Cathode
• helps in water migration perforated pipe
between the positive connected to
electrode (anode; soil) to pump
the negative electrode
(cathode; well point).
Jet Educator Well Point System
• Double riser pipe
low permeability soil
• about 30m
•
Isolating the Excavation
Cutoffs Mud slurry
Sand or gravel
• A) driving steel sheet piling.
• B) Soil can be grouted with cement or chemical
grout.
• C) A slurry trench is excavated and backfilled with a
plastic mix of bentonite and soil.
• D) a concrete wall is installed, possibly consisting of
overlapping shafts, or
• E) freezing
• .
Example
• 40m square area to be excavated to a depth 4m in
sandy soil.
• The impervious layer is at depth 10m.
• G.W.T is at 2m.
• Find the discharge from the sump.
k ( H 2 H ex2 )
q rex = √ab /
ln( R ) R =300 (H-Hx)k (k in cm/sec)
rex
Example
• 40m square area to be excavated to a depth 6m in sandy soil.
• The impervious layer is at depth 10m.
• G.W.T is at 2m.
• Find the discharge from well point system.
1.48( H H w )
HD H [ w R 1]
k ( H 2 H w2 )
q S (1-1.5m)
ln( R )
rex
R =300 (H-Hw)k (cm)
Example
qp/m` =0.0124m3/min/m`
Assume a=3m, and count for the 3-D
effect of the wells, then:
Q=1.35×3×0.0124 = 0.055m3/min
H v = Vl – H w + H l
= 14.50 +0.5 – 9.7 +1 = 6.3m < 8m …
O.K
Example
• An area of 200×30m2 is excavated in sandy soil, to level
(7.00).
• The G.S is at level (17.00), G.W.T is at level (14.00), and
the impervious layer is at level (0.00).
• For sandy soil, k= 10-1cm/sec.
• Determine the spacing of well point system to lower
G.W.L 1m below the bottom of excavation.
• Assume vacuum head is 8m,
• head loss in riser =1m,
• the radius of the influence of the well is 200m.
• The intake of the vacuum is 0.5m above the riser.
Solution
The necessary HD under the excavation is 7-1= 6m.
(17.0)
(14.0)
The height of water to be dewatered is
14-6 = 8m > 5m.
(7.0)
(6.0)
(0.0)
So, two stages of wellpoints is required.
Upper Stage at level (14.50)
For med. sand the side slope is
about 30o.
the location of the well is 29m
from the c.l. of the excavation. (14.5)
(14.0)
(10.5)
(10.0)
(7.0)
upper well lower the ground
water 4m to level 10.00.
(6.0) The lower stage, then, is
(0.0) installed at level (10.50).
Example
•
HD Hw
1.48 H H w
1
R
10 H w
1.48 14 H w
1
200
Solve this equation to get Hw = 9.7m
H H w k ( H 2
H 2
w)
qp/m`= 0.73 0.27
H 2R
Example
(17.00)
29.0m (14.50)
(14.00)
19.0m
(10.50) (10.00)
15.0m
(9.70)
(7.00)
(6.00)
(5.65) Med. sand
k=10-1cm/sec
(0.00)
Example 3.2
Design for the dewatering system for an
open excavation.
Area of the bottom of the excavation is
60×200m2.
Side slope of the excavation is 1:2.
The maximum allowable discharge of the
pump is 5m3/min.
Example 3.2
k ( H 2 H x2 )
Q
ln( R )
rx
Example 3.2
•The original water level, H=28m
•Excavation level is 15m.
• Then, water head under the excavation, Hx≈13m
•H-Hx = 28-13 =15m > 5m ….
•Then, install deep well.
•rx=100m
•Radius of influence from well =150(H-h)√k=711m
•R= radius of influence from the big well
•=711+100 =811m
Example 3.2
0.160(282 132 )
Q
100ln ( 811)
100
•=55.38m3/min
•No. of wells = 55.38/5 =11.07 … take 12 well
• discharge per well = 55.38/12 =4.6 m3/min
•To find the head of the pump, the head in the
pump, Hw is required. Here, HD = Hx = 13m, and
R = 711m
Thank you
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