An experimentally verified model of the seepage progress due to dissolution of soluble particles in foundations subject to intergranular flow

摘要

The foundations of dams containing soluble material, typically gypsum and limestone, undergo a dissolving process as a consequence of reservoir seepage. In due course, such dissolution of soluble material increases the volume of holes through which water may flow, in turn involving an increase in flow rate through the dam foundation. To adapt dam design to the particular conditions of these foundations, especially in foundations containing gypsum, with the main aims of delaying the dissolution process and avoiding damage or loss of functionality during dam lifespan, a procedure that models the dissolution process coupled with seepage phenomena is necessary. The objective of this paper is to provide this procedure and test it under experimental conditions. This entails coupling a conventional code for calculation of seepage networks, by means of the finite-element method, with a code developed by the authors to calculate the solution front advance (the zone where the dissolution is taking place). The procedure is verified by performing permeameter testing using sand and soluble material mixtures, with the tests being numerically modelled.