Seepage from Surface Canals by Boundary Element Method

Abstract

The problem of seepage from unlined surface canals or elongated ponds was investigated. Seepage from single or interacting canals has been computed for a variety of boundary conditions at the bottom of the seepage layer. Both the seepage rate and the free surface profile of the resulting seepage plume have been determined using the boundary element method. The boundary element method is appropriate for the solution of the types of problems investigated herein, due to the relative ease with which the location of the plume free surface can be determined. The results of this study were compared with those obtained via other solution techniques and available in the literature. The agreement was generally very good. A novel iteration technique was used for determination of the free surface of the plume that results from seepage through a layer with free drainage at its bottom. The results for all cases that were investigated are given in graphical form for a series of typical configurations.