Progression Rate of Backward Erosion Piping: Small Scale Experiments

Most research on backward erosion piping (BEP) focuses on the critical conditions leading to failure. This paper studies the development of piping over time once the critical conditions are exceeded, which is useful to estimate time to failure. A commonly used small scale rectangular box setup is modified in order to monitor pore pressures and...

Numerical modeling of small-scale experiments for a coarse sand barrier as a measure against backward erosion piping: (Abstract)

Evaluation of Dutch backward erosion piping models and a future perspective: (Paper and Abstract)

The prediction of backward erosion piping is important for safety assessment of dikes in the Netherlands, where subsurface conditions are prone to this erosion mechanism. In the current assessment methodology, the adapted Sellmeijer rule is in use. In combination with the national safety philosophy and uncertainty in input parameters, this model...

Physical measurements of the backward erosion piping process: (Paper and Abstract)

A novel laboratory device is presented, in which the process of backward erosion piping is observed in cylindrical sand samples oriented horizontally. The cylindrical shape of the testing device constrained the location of the erosion path to the top of the sample, thereby allowing pore pressure measurements to be made in both the eroded pipe...

Pipe measurement in small-scale backward erosion piping experiments: (Paper and Abstract)

Backward erosion piping is an important failure mechanism for water-retaining structures, a phenomenon that results in the formation of shallow pipes at the interface of a sandy or silty foundation and a cohesive cover layer. Although the pipe depth reveals a lot of information on the backward erosion process, it has never been measured...

Backward erosion piping: Initiation and progression

Backward erosion piping is an internal erosion mechanism during which shallow pipes are formed in the direction opposite to the flow underneath water-retaining structures as a result of the gradual removal of sandy material by the action of water. It is an important failure mechanism in both dikes and dams where sandy layers are covered by a...

Overview geotechnical model tests on dike safety at Deltares

Three on-going dike safety studies (on: macro stability, piping and flow slides) in the Netherlands make use of geotechnical physical models. A short outline of these projects is presented; the physical models chosen are described and discussed. The three studies use different physical models, depending on the research questions at the beginning...

Piping in loose sands – the importance of geometrical fixity of grains

Piping is one of the possible failure mechanism for dams and levees with a sandy foundation. Water flowing through the foundation causes the onset of grain transport, due to which shallow pipes are formed at the interface of the sandy layer and an impermeable blanket layer. In the past, the mechanism has been investigated predominantly in...

Piping: Over 100 years of experience: From empiricism towards reliability-based design

Backward piping is the process of channel formation in a sandy aquifer under river dikes. During high water periods this process manifests itself by the formation of sand boils. A long history of cases and experiments has contributed to the insights into this phenomenon and has improved the ability to predict the safety of levees.