Numerical analysis of groundwater table rise and redistribution of suction in a collapsible soil profile

• Grant number: 15/18963-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: November 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Geotechnical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Roger Augusto Rodrigues
• Grantee: Matheus Capelini Medina
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to numerically simulate the groundwater table rise in a sandy collapsible unsaturated soil profile. It consists of an analysis of soil collapse case history that took place during and after the reservoir filling of the Três Irmãos dam in Pereira Barreto-SP town. The construction of this dam and subsequent filling of the reservoir significantly raised the groundwater table, causing several impacts in some areas. Field and laboratory tests were performed and the groundwater table rise was monitored for almost three years. This research aims to numerically simulate the groundwater table raise by element finite method to analysis the redistribution suction and moisture over time on soil profile. The necessary information for the study come from hydraulic conductivity and soil-water retention curve results and the monitoring of water level performed in field. The CODE_BRIGHT finites elements program will be use for numeric simulation. Sensibility tests will complement the numeric analysis.