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Internal Erosion of Soils

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lightbulbAbout this topic
Internal erosion of soils refers to the process by which soil particles are dislodged and transported within the soil matrix due to the movement of water, leading to the formation of voids and potential structural failure. This phenomenon is critical in geotechnical engineering and environmental studies, affecting soil stability and integrity.
lightbulbAbout this topic
Internal erosion of soils refers to the process by which soil particles are dislodged and transported within the soil matrix due to the movement of water, leading to the formation of voids and potential structural failure. This phenomenon is critical in geotechnical engineering and environmental studies, affecting soil stability and integrity.

Key research themes

1. How does seepage flow direction and hydraulic gradient influence the initiation and progression of internal erosion in soils?

This research theme focuses on investigating the effects of seepage flow characteristics, including flow direction, angle relative to gravity, and hydraulic gradient, on the mechanisms underlying the initiation, development, and continuation of internal erosion in soils. Understanding these effects is critical for predicting internal erosion in engineering structures such as earth dams and tunnels, where flow conditions vary spatially, thus affecting soil stability and erosion susceptibility.

Key finding: The study introduces a physical model capable of altering flow direction relative to gravity to experimentally demonstrate that increasing the flow angle necessitates higher hydraulic gradients for erosion initiation and... Read more
Key finding: This work develops a multi-scale framework combining macro- and micro-scale approaches to model suffusion erosion in clayey sand, linking macroscopic erosion rates to clay/water interfacial erosion at the pore scale. The... Read more
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Key finding: The paper presents a coupled hydro-mechanical continuum model simulating soil piping and erosion void formation under realistic geotechnical conditions. It confirms that erosion initiation follows a threshold behavior... Read more

2. What are the effects of internal erosion-induced fines migration on the post-erosion mechanical behavior and stability of soils?

This theme examines how internal erosion processes, primarily fines migration (suffusion and suffosion), alter soil microstructure and particle size distribution, and consequently affect mechanical properties such as shear strength, stiffness, liquefaction potential, and cyclic resistance. Given the impact of eroded fine content on load-bearing behavior and deformation characteristics, this understanding is pivotal for assessing soil stability in earth structures exposed to erosion.

Key finding: Through combined triaxial-erosion testing, this study reveals that erosion of fine particles (suffusion) significantly increases cyclic resistance and initial peak strength of internally unstable soils, attributed to enhanced... Read more
Key finding: Findings show that initial internal erosion modifies undrained soil behavior from strain hardening to flow-type with limited deformation, concurrently increasing peak strength due to improved interlocking of coarse particles.... Read more
Key finding: Experimental tests using a modified triaxial apparatus confirm that erosion-induced fines migration increases undrained shear strength at small vertical strains and significantly enhances resistance to cyclic loading as... Read more
Key finding: Utilizing photogrammetry and X-ray tomography integrated with a novel erosion-triaxial apparatus, this study identifies transient structural instability immediately after initial fine particle erosion, followed by recovery... Read more

3. How can soil stabilization methods mitigate internal erosion in cohesionless soils, and what are the effects of stabilizers on erosion resistance parameters?

This theme explores laboratory-based investigations assessing the efficacy of chemical stabilization, particularly using quicklime, to enhance erosion resistance of cohesionless soils prone to internal erosion. It emphasizes effects of stabilizers on critical shear stress, erosion rates, curing time dependency, and post-treatment mechanical properties, contributing to practical engineering methods for safeguarding earth structures against internal erosion.

Key finding: This experimental study quantifies that lime stabilization significantly increases the critical shear stress and decreases erosion rate in both poorly graded and well-graded cohesionless soils, with optimal lime contents... Read more
Key finding: This research demonstrates that curing time critically influences erosion resistance in lime-stabilized sandy soils, with an optimal curing period around 2 days maximizing critical shear stress and minimizing erosion rate.... Read more
Key finding: Using a newly developed hole erosion test apparatus, this study determines critical shear stress and erosion coefficient parameters for kaolinite and sand-kaolinite mixtures under constant flow rates. Findings show soil... Read more

All papers in Internal Erosion of Soils

Internal erosion is a major cause of the failure of hydraulic earthen structures. A particular case of such an erosion process is suffusion which constitutes a strongly coupled fluid-solid interaction problem. It is a selective erosion of... more
Two finite element models are presented to describe the geodetic and seismological results of the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake. One is displacement driven, the other stress-driven. The two models are reasonably consistent and agree... more
Centrifuge modelling is used for testing physical scale models under increased gravitational acceleration, in order to match model stresses to a model prototype. In geotechnical centrifuge testing, the model is usually prepared by the... more
This paper describes preliminary tests from a 'transparent soil permeameter' that has been developed to study the mechanisms that occur during internal erosion in filter materials for embankment dams. The laboratory-based experiments... more
The effect of silt intrusion on the liquefaction susceptibility of fine saturated sand has been studied here using a series of strain-controlled cyclic triaxial tests on isotropically consolidated soil specimens. The fine sands used in... more
This paper presents the effectiveness of xanthan gum (XG) biopolymer in stabilising the expansive soil. The XG biopolymer is mixed with expansive soil in different proportions such as 0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 1.0% by weight of the dry... more
This paper presents the effectiveness of xanthan gum (XG) biopolymer in stabilising the expansive soil. The XG biopolymer is mixed with expansive soil in different proportions such as 0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 1.0% by weight of the dry... more
The instability of the sand-silt mixtures with different amount of fines contents were studied in this paper. It showed that the slope of the instability lines increases with the increasing relative densities, and it approaches the slope... more
Chemical stabilization of soils is one of the most used techniques to improve the properties of weak soils in order to allow their use in geotechnical works. Although several binders can be used for this purpose, Portland cement is still... more
In order to study the impact of internal erosion at the scale of an engineering structure, a hydro-mechanical continuous modelling approach considering suffusion is needed. It requires a relevant mechanical model for granular soils... more
In this work, the effect of the fine content on the undrained mechanical behavior of a granular material is studied. Consolidated undrained triaxial tests were carried out on sand and gravel mixtures. The intact sample contains 30% of... more
Experimental studies on a sand with 10% fines were conducted to establish the linkage between monotonic and cyclic instability under undrained loading, in particular for the case of limited flow. Results of special strain path testing... more
Two finite element models are presented to describe the geodetic and seismological results of the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake. One is displacement driven, the other stress-driven. The two models are reasonably consistent and agree... more
Non-cohesive soils subjected to a flow may have a behavior in which fine particles migrate through the interstices of the solid skeleton formed by the large particles. This phenomenon is termed internal instability, internal erosion or... more
To evaluate the effect of non-plastic fines on liquefaction resistance of Babolsar sand, a series of undrained static and cyclic triaxial tests alongside a series of numerical analysis were carried out. The cyclic triaxial tests were... more
The determination of the appropriate undrained residual shear strength of silty sands soils that are prone to liquefaction to be used in the assessment of the post-liquefaction stability of different types of earth structures is becoming... more
Hydraulic backfill structures can be affected by internal erosion, which develops if 2 conditions are met: detachment and migration of particles due to hydraulic seepage. Suffusible soils involve an easy movement of fine particles within... more
Hydraulic backfill structures can be affected by internal erosion, which develops if 2 conditions are met: detachment and migration of particles due to hydraulic seepage. Suffusible soils involve an easy movement of fine particles within... more
A hydromechanical envelope that governs the onset of soil erosion by seepage-induced internal instability is examined with reference to theoretical and laboratory stress-gradient paths for one-dimensional upward and downward seepage flow.... more
The filtrates under the influence of strong seepage forces accompany finer fractions from broadly graded granular filters, occasionally rendering them ineffective. This phenomenon is termed as internal instability, and its prior... more
Hydraulic backfill structures can be affected by internal erosion, which develops if 2 conditions are met: detachment and migration of particles due to hydraulic seepage. Suffusible soils involve an easy movement of fine particles within... more
An experimental study on internal erosion of coarse-grained soils collected from the Rhine River is presented. The tests performed on laboratory column aim to assess the potential of such soils to suffusion and to characterize their... more
h i g h l i g h t s Laterite soil stabilized using a calcium-based additive prepared from biomass silica. Stabilized laterite exhibited significant strength gain, even with short curing times. Strength gain attributed to formation of... more
Recently, chitosan biopolymer has attracted several research attentions in geoenvironmental applications such as absorption of heavy metals in contaminated soils, reduction of soil erosion and hydraulic conductivity. However, the... more
Enhancement of soil engineering properties with biopolymers has been shown recently as a viable and environmentally benign alternative to cement and chemical stabilization. Interest in biopolymer-treated soil is evident from the upsurge... more
Internal erosion (suffusion) is caused by water seeping through the matrix of coarse soil and progressively transporting out fine particles. The mechanical strength of soils within water retaining structures may be affected after internal... more
The distribution of soft and expansive soil that is often found in Indonesia often causes problems in the structure above it. To build the infrastructure on expansive soil, it is necessary to improve the subgrade. One method to improve... more
The distribution of soft and expansive soil that is often found in Indonesia often causes problems in the structure above it. To build the infrastructure on expansive soil, it is necessary to improve the subgrade. One method to improve... more
An experimental investigation of the untrained behaviour of a sand with small amounts of kaolin at moderate to large strains was carried out using a computer-controlled triaxial cell. The specimens were prepared by wet tamping using a... more
Suffusion, a particular case of internal erosion in soils, is a particle-scale mechanism involving the selective erosion of fine particles within the matrix of coarse particles under the effect of water seepage. Modifications in the... more
Understanding the factors that affect the monotonic and cyclic response of gravelly soils during earthquake events is critical to infrastructure design. In this study a large-size Cyclic Simple Shear (CSS) device was utilized to perform... more
During the 3 January 2017, Tripura earthquake of magnitude (Mw5.7), soil containing appreciate percentage of silts were erupted to the ground surface owing to the liquefaction. Linear, as well as elliptical features sand boils, were... more
Biopolymers are natural polymers produced by living organisms and are considered environmentally friendly and sustainable materials; however, the physical properties of biopolymers widely vary for different biopolymer types and... more
Many tropical residual laterites have relatively poor engineering properties due to the significant percentage of fine-grained soil particles that they contain, which are formed by the soil weathering process. The widespread presence of... more
Liquefaction of sandy soil has been observed to cause significant damage to infrastructure during major earthquakes. Historical cases of liquefaction have typically occurred in sands containing some portion of fines particles, which are... more
This paper reports the cyclic behaviour of chalk, which has yet to be studied comprehensively. Multiple undrained high-resolution cyclic triaxial experiments on low-to-medium density intact chalk, along with index and monotonic reference... more
In this work, the effect of the fine content on the undrained mechanical behavior of a granular material is studied. Consolidated undrained triaxial tests were carried out on sand and gravel mixtures. The intact sample contains 30% of... more
Under the internal flow, hydraulic earth structures (dikes, levees, or dams) can incur a migration of particles that can induce a modification of hydraulic and mechanic characteristics. With the objective to characterize this phenomenon... more
Erosion is a major environmental problem to agricultural land as well as to civil engineering infrastructures. Rainwater infiltration into granular soils can lead to the migration of fine particles by suffusion. This experimental study is... more
The shear wave velocity method has become an increasingly popular means to evaluate the liquefaction potential of granular soils. Understanding the fundamental mechanism underlying existing empirical or semi-empirical relationships is... more
Non-cohesive soils subjected to a flow may have a behavior in which fine particles migrate through the interstices of the solid skeleton formed by the large particles. This phenomenon is termed internal instability, internal erosion or... more
A rigid-walled ‘transparent soil’ permeameter has been developed to study visually the mechanisms occurring during seepage-induced internal erosion in susceptible granular media under upward flow. ...
In this study, attempt was made to examine the strength characteristic of cement admixed tropical laterite soil remolded over a wide range of high water content as applied in deep mixing. Preliminary tests were carried out to determine... more
Suffusion constitutes a major threat to the foundation of a dam, and the likelihood of suffusion is always determined by the internal stability of soils. It has been verified that internal stability is closely related to the grain size... more
The effects of non-traditional additives on the geotechnical properties of tropical soils have been the subject of investigation in recent years. This study investigates the strength development and micro-structural characteristics of... more
Two means physical processes are involved in failure of a dams structure: either a mechanical failure by sliding, or a hydraulic failure by erosion. The causes of failures are internal erosion (23 cases between 44), or external erosion... more
This research was carried out to identify the basic properties of flood mud and the efficiency of biomass silica (SH85) as a stabiliser to improve the strength of this mud. Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) testing was carried out on... more
Fine particles may migrate in the preexisting pores of an internally unstable soil matrix caused by water flow. This migration changes the fine particle distribution and content at different zones and can affect the mechanical properties... more
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