This thesis describes a parametric study of confined flow through a layer of varying depth, under an impervious concrete dam, with and without impervious barriers of different depths, and with various conditions of impeded flow. The study uses finite element methods that generate solutions for both the potentials and stream functions, leading to mathematically consistent flow nets. Results are in the form of flow nets and normalized quantities of flow. From the flow nets and their output files, the total head and the pressure head can be determined in each case. By comparing results from different cases, it is possible to see how the location and the depth of the barriers affect the quantity of flow. Regression analysis of the results leads to simple formulas relating quantity of flow to geometric parameters.
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