Time-dependent development of Backward Erosion Piping

Structural flood protection systems such as levees are an important component in flood risk reduction strategies. Levees can fail through various failure mechanisms; this thesis focuses on the mechanism Backward Erosion Piping (BEP) which occurs when a sandy levee foundation is eroded by groundwater flow. To assess whether a levee's reliability...

Opdrijven, opbollen, opbarsten: Improving the uplift model for the assessment of internal erosion

Internal erosion is a frequent cause of dike failure, also known as piping or backward erosion. Uplift is considered a submechanism of internal erosion, together with heave and piping, where all three submechanisms must occur for the dike to reach a failure condition. The principle of the uplift phenomenon is straightforward: it occurs when high...

Monitoring Backward Erosion Piping with Self-Potential Geophysics

Backward erosion piping is a dike failure mechanism. It is the internal erosion process by which sand is eroded away from underneath a dike or levee by seepage flow. This erosion process progresses in the direction opposite to the direction of seepage flow and forms a small pipe directly beneath the dike. As erosion continues, this process can...

Interaction between the failure mechanisms backward erosion piping and slope instability: Identification and quantification of interactions between failure mechanisms of a levee

With the shift of the safety standards for levees from exceedance probability (standard 1996) to flooding probability (new standard), the part of the levee failure process after the initial occurrence of a failure mechanism becomes more important for the calculation of the strength and thus, reliability of the levee cross-section. Interactions...

Bayesian Inference of Piping Model Uncertainties Based on Field Observations

This paper presents a Bayesian model to determine the model uncertainty of a critical horizontal gradient model for piping for dikes, such a Lane and Bligh. A Bayesian model is needed for two reasons. First, there is a large overlap in cases that failed and survived. Second, the evidence of the failed cases is limited .The model consists of a...

Integral Failure Analysis of Pipelines in Flood Defenses

The presence of pipelines in flood defenses presents a challenge for assessing the probability of flooding. To prevent costly structural measures compensating for the possible negative effects of pipeline failure, we developed a framework for an integral failure analysis of pipeline and dike failure. The assessment framework is based on an event...

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

Numerical simulation of the groundwater flow leading to sand boil reactivation in the Po River: (Paper and Abstract)

The reliability of river embankments is essential for flood risk management. The Po River, which flows through the North of Italy, is safeguarded over half of its length by major river embankments. Performance assessment of such water-retaining structures has become a major concern following some significant flood events in the past. Among the...

A finite element method for piping erosion in levees: (Abstract)

A discrete numerical model of the front region in piping erosion: (Abstract)

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...