Uncertainty quantification of transient unsaturated seepage through embankment dams

2017-06-01
Sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the effects of uncertainty in hydraulic conductivity and van Genuchten parameters on transient seepage. To this end, a random number generator is used to generate random values from probability distributions of each parameter. The generator is coupled with finite-element software that handles seepage analysis in porous media. The Monte Carlo simulation approach is adopted for stochastic seepage analyses. The suggested method is applied on a homogeneous dam made of clayey sand. Uncertainties in each parameter are considered individually in different cases for rapid drawdown and rapid fill conditions. The results show that a variation of hydraulic conductivity has significant effects on transient seepage, and it is suggested that it should be treated as a random variable. However, the effects of the van Genuchten parameters on seepage are found to be insignificant, such that they can be treated as deterministic variables.
International Journal of Geomechanics

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Citation Formats
M. Çalamak and A. M. Yanmaz, “Uncertainty quantification of transient unsaturated seepage through embankment dams,” International Journal of Geomechanics, pp. 1–11, 2017, Accessed: 00, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/44896.