The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Three-Dimensional Steady State Flow of Fluids in Porous Solids

Taylor, Robert L.; Doherty, William P.; Wilson, Edward L.

UCB/SESM-1969/29, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1969-07, 149 pages (500/C23/69/29)

The steady flow of water beneath the floor of a large barrage develops non-uniform pressures which cannot be accurately predicted by a 2-dimensional analysis. To obtain predictive information for design, the analysis must be completely 3-dimensional and be able to include the various geologic factors encountered at most barrage sites. This report discusses the development of a 3-dimensional finite element computer program for the determination of fluid pressures and flows in a porous solid governed by a generalized Darcy law.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/SEMM/SEMM-69-29.pdf (8 MB)