<p>Okay have a look at <a href="http://yo-1.ct.ntust.edu.tw/jge/files/articlefiles/v8i120130617369341087.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this article</a> it may be some use, it's the <em>Journal of GeoEngineering, Vol. 8, No. 1 April 2013 Pgs 27-32</em> so you may be able to get a hard copy if the link fails, it talks about clay core dams and seepage calculations thereof, including phreatic pathway estimation.</p>

<p>If I remember correctly rock fill in earth dams is treated as earth for the purposes of working out seepage lines etc... as it is generally small enough (particle size), relative to the dam as a whole, to have little or no effect on total mean permeability.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-23T18:58:40.470Z
2018-05-23T18:58:40.470Z
Ash
<p>This problem can be solved using finite element modelling, e.g. using software such as <a href="https://www.geoslope.com/products/seep-w" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SEEP/w</a>. Here is a specific example of a dam: <a href="http://downloads.geo-slope.com/geostudioresources/examples/9/0/SeepW/Seepage%20through%20an%20earth%20dam.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PDF</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DPtUHFU0Pw" rel="nofollow noreferrer">YouTube</a>. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T20:48:52.347Z
2018-05-24T20:48:52.347Z
stevej
<p>I want to know how to determine water table height and phreatic line in earthen dam with rock fill and clay core.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-23T15:41:30.103Z
Okay those are actually functions of each other, you need to know the water table levels to determine the calculated phreatic line, and to some extent the phreatic line, as controlled by dam geometry, determines the calculated water levels of the dam.  Calculated values often fail to conform to on the ground realities as well. Really need something on the dam geometry at a minimum to start putting together a good answer, also the surrounding substrate will be critically important to the models.
Ash
<dams>
Earthen dam with rock fill and clay core
123ggie
# Earthen dam with rock fill and clay core

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-23)

I want to know how to determine water table height and phreatic line in earthen dam with rock fill and clay core.

**Tags:** dams

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Okay those are actually functions of each other, you need to know the water table levels to determine the calculated phreatic line, and to some extent the phreatic line, as controlled by dam geometry, determines the calculated water levels of the dam.  Calculated values often fail to conform to on the ground realities as well. Really need something on the dam geometry at a minimum to start putting together a good answer, also the surrounding substrate will be critically important to the models.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-05-23. Score: 3

Okay have a look at [this article](http://yo-1.ct.ntust.edu.tw/jge/files/articlefiles/v8i120130617369341087.pdf) it may be some use, it's the *Journal of GeoEngineering, Vol. 8, No. 1 April 2013 Pgs 27-32* so you may be able to get a hard copy if the link fails, it talks about clay core dams and seepage calculations thereof, including phreatic pathway estimation.

If I remember correctly rock fill in earth dams is treated as earth for the purposes of working out seepage lines etc... as it is generally small enough (particle size), relative to the dam as a whole, to have little or no effect on total mean permeability.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-05-24. Score: 0

This problem can be solved using finite element modelling, e.g. using software such as [SEEP/w](https://www.geoslope.com/products/seep-w). Here is a specific example of a dam: [PDF](http://downloads.geo-slope.com/geostudioresources/examples/9/0/SeepW/Seepage%20through%20an%20earth%20dam.pdf) and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DPtUHFU0Pw).


---

