2. Flow net:
definition:A set of flow lines and equipotential lines is called a
flow net.
a flow line is a line along which
a water particle will travel.
3. An equipotential line is a line joining the points that show the
same piezometric elevation.
The flow lines and the equipotential lines are drawn by trial and
error.
It must be remembered that the flow lines intersect the
equipotential lines at right angles.
The flow and equipotential lines are usually drawn in such a way
that the flow elements are approximately squares. that need not
always be the case.
4. Flow net is a time-consuming process because trail and error.
Once a satisfactory flow net has been drawn, it can be traced
out.
Laplace equation:
In many practical cases, the nature of the flow of water through
soil is such that the velocity and gradient vary throughout the
medium.
5. The concept of the flow net is based on Laplace’s equation of
continuity.
which describes the steady flow condition.
To derive the equation of continuity of flow, consider an
elementary soil prism at point “A”.
The flows entering the soil prism in the x, y, and z directions can
be given from Darcy’s law as
qx = kxixAx = kx
𝜕ℎ
𝜕𝑥
dy dz
6. qy = kyiyAy = ky
𝜕ℎ
𝜕𝑦
dx dz
qz = kzizAz = kz
𝜕ℎ
𝜕𝑧
dx dy
qx qy qz = flow entering in directions x, y, and z, respectively
kx ky kz = coefficients of permeability in directions x, y, and z,
respectively h = hydraulic head at point A
The respective flows leaving the prism in
the x, y, and z directions are
8. For steady flow through an incompressible medium, the flow
entering the elementary prism is equal to the flow leaving the
elementary prism.
qx +qy +qz = (qx +dqx)+(qy +dqy)+(qz +dqz)
We can solve above equation we get
kx
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑥2 + ky
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑦2+ kz
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑧2=0
9. For two dimensional
kx
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑥2 + ky
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑦2=0
If the soil is isotropic with respect to permeability, kx = kz = k, and
the continuity equation simplifies
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑥2 +
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑦2=0
kx
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑥2 + ky
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑦2=0
This is generally referred as Laplace equation
10. Flow nets in anisotropic material:
Let us now consider the case of constructing flow nets for
seepage through soils that show anisotropy with respect to
permeability.
For two-dimensional flow problems,
kx
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑥2 + ky
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑧2=0
kx
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑥2 + ky
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑧2=0
𝜕2
ℎ
(kz/kx)𝜕𝑥2
+
𝜕2
ℎ
𝜕𝑧2=0
12. steps for construction of a flow
net in an anisotropic medium:
1. To plot the section of the hydraulic structure, adopt a vertical
scale.
2. Determine
𝐾𝑧
𝑘𝑥
3. Adopt a horizontal scale such that (scalehorizontal )=
𝐾𝑧
𝑘𝑥
(scalevertical).
4. With the scales adopted in steps 1 and 3, plot the cross-section
of the structure.
13. 5. Draw the flow net for the transformed section plotted in step 4 in
the same manner as is done for seepage through isotropic soils.
6. Calculate the rate of seepage as q = 𝑘𝑥𝑘𝑧 ℎ
𝑁𝑓
𝑁𝑑
Construction of flow nets for
nonhomogeneous subsoils:
Homogeneous condition rarely occurs in a nature. In most cases,
we encounter stratified soil deposits.
When a flow net is constructed across the boundary of two soils
with different permeabilities, the flow net deflects at the boundary.
This is called a transfer condition.
14. Figure 5.33 shows a general condition where a flow channel
crosses the boundary of two soils.
Soil layers 1 and 2 have permeabilities of k1 and k2,
respectively.
The dashed lines drawn across the flow channel are the
equipotential lines.
Let Δh be the loss of hydraulic
head between two consecutive
equipotential lines..
Considering a unit length
perpendicular to the section
shown.
16. where 𝑙1 and 𝑏1 are the length and width of the flow elements in soil
layer 1 and 𝑙2 and 𝑏2 are the length and width of the flow elements
in soil layer 2.
Referring again to Figure 5.33,
𝑙1 = AB sin 𝜃1 = AB cos𝛼1
𝑙2 = AB sin 𝜃2 = AB cos𝛼2
b1 = AC cos 𝜃1 = AC sin𝛼1
b2 = AC cos 𝜃2 = AC sin𝛼2
b1
𝑙1
=
cos 𝜃1
sin𝜃1
=
sin𝛼1
cos𝛼1
17. b1
𝑙1
=
1
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃1
= tan 𝛼1 (3)
Also,
b2
𝑙2
=
cos 𝜃2
sin𝜃2
=
sin𝛼2
cos𝛼2
b2
𝑙2
=
1
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃2
= tan 𝛼2
(4)
Equation(2) and (3) in equation (1)
𝑘1
𝑘2
=
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃1
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃2
=
tan 𝛼2
tan 𝛼1
(5)
18. It is useful to keep the following points in mind while constructing
the flow nets:
1. If k1 > k2, we may plot square flow elements in layer 1. This
means that 𝑙1 = 𝑏1 in equation (1) thenSo 𝑘1/𝑘2 = 𝑏2/𝑙2
• Thus, the flow elements in layer 2 will be rectangles and their
width-to-length ratios will be equal to k1/k2.
2. If k1 < k2, we may plot square flow elements in layer 1. This
means that 𝑙1 = 𝑏1 in equation (1) thenSo 𝑘1/𝑘2 = 𝑏2/𝑙2Thus,
the flow elements in layer 2 will be rectangles.