Skip to main content
Log in

Analytic Assessment of the Water Table Drawdown, Seepage, and Back Pressure at Rudbar PSPP

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The impoundment of the Rudbar dam raised underground water level. On the right bank, the elevation of the water table is monitored in exploratory boreholes. The water table has remained below the level of the reservoir. The lower level of the water table is due to underground tunnels and galleries that behave as drains. Special analytic developments have been carried out to analyze the behavior of the water table during impoundment. The peculiarity of the model is that it considers a draining tunnel in an open aquifer with a free water table. Two new equations are obtained: one for inflow of water and the other for the water table drawdown. These equations are used to assess the water table elevation in the exploratory boreholes, calculate the hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass from the measured seepage in the conveyance tunnel, and determine the efficiency of the sealing from the measured back pressure on the extrados of the drainage gallery. The comparison of the calculated hydraulic conductivity with the available information from measurements with packer tests and DFN predictions will reveal the importance of scale effects and uncertainties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

A:

Quotient of the water inflow to the pressure difference in aquifer

B:

Quotient of the water inflow to the pressure difference in an annular sealing

C:

Tunnel edge

c :

Tunnel center with coordinates (d,-h)

d:

Distance of the tunnel to the reservoir

ds:

Infinitesimal arc length along a curve

D:

Drawdown of the water table relatively to the reservoir level

G:

Green function of the aquifer

g:

Auxiliary function

h:

Elevation of the reservoir level above the tunnel

H:

Elevation of the reservoir level above an impervious base

k:

Hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass

ks :

Hydraulic conductivity of the sealed zone or lining

n:

Integer number 0, 1, 2 …

n :

Normal vector at the boundary

p:

Pressure

q :

Water flux or Darcy’s velocity

Q:

Flow rate or water inflow

r:

Radius of the tunnel or extrados of the sealing

re :

Radius at the extrados of the sealing

ri :

Radius at the intrados of the sealing

Tm :

Tunnel meter

u, \(\bar {u}\) :

Under-pressure, mean under-pressure on tunnel edge

ue, \(\bar {u}\) e :

Under pressure, mean under-pressure on the extrados of the sealing

ui, \(\bar {u}\) i :

Under pressure, mean under-pressure on the intrados of the sealing

x, x′:

Horizontal coordinate of point z, z

y, y′:

Vertical coordinate of point z, z

y(x):

Water table equation

yn(x):

nth iteration of the water table equation

z, z′ :

Points in the aquifer

φ:

Single layer

φn c :

nth cosine coefficient of the single layer

φn s :

nth sine coefficient of the single layer

φ0 :

Zero-order expansion of the single layer or φ0c

π:

Pi number

References

  • Attard G, Winiarski T, Rossier Y, Eisenlohr L (2016) Review: impact of underground structures on the flow of urban groundwater. Hydrogeol J 24(1):5–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black JH, Woodman ND, Barker J (2017) Groundwater flow into underground openings in fractured crystalline rocks: an interpretation based on long channels. Hydrogeol J 25:445–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bos MG (1972) Basics of groundwater flow. In: Drainage principles and applications, 2nd edn. Int. Inst. Land Reclamation and Improvement, Waegenigen, pp 225–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Chai JC, Shen SL, Zhu HH, Zhang XL (2004) Land subsidence due to groundwater drawdown in Shanghai. Geotechnique 54(3):143–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng P, Zhao LH, Li L, Zou JF, Luo W (2014) Limiting drainage criterion for groundwater of mountain tunnel. J Cent South Univ 21:4660–4668

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Childs EC (1945) The water table equipotentials and streamlines in drained land II Soil Sci 59(4):313–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dematteis A, Kalamaras G, Eusebio A (2001) A system approach for estimating springs drawdown due to tunnelling. In: Proceedings world tunnel congress, pp 257–264, Milan

  • El Tani M (1999) Water inflow into tunnels. In: Proceedings of the world tunnel congress ITA-AITES, Oslo, Balkema, pp 61–70

  • El Tani M (2003) Circular tunnel in a semi-infinite aquifer. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 18:49–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Tani M (2010) Helmholtz evolution of a semi-infinite aquifer drained by a circular tunnel. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 25(1):54–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farhadian H, Katibeh H (2017) New empirical model to evaluate groundwater flow into circular tunnel using multiple regression analysis. Int J Mining Sci Tec 27(3):415–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farhadian H, Aalianvari A, Katibeh H (2012) Optimization of analytical equations of groundwater seepage into tunnels: A case study of Amirkabir tunnel. J Geo Soc India 80:96–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gattinoni P, Scesi L, Terrana S (2010) Empirical equation for tunnel inflow assessment: application to a case history. Int. Conf. Hydro-Science Eng., Madras, p 10

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillham RW (1984) The capillary fringe and its effect on water-table response. J Hydrol 67(1–4):307–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haitjema HM, Mitchell-Bruker S (2005) Are water tables a subdued replica of the topography. Ground Water 43(6):781–786

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasegawa E, Izushi H (1983) On steady flow through a channel consisting of an uneven wall and a plane wall. Bull Jap Soc Mech Eng Mec Eng 26:514–520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hassani AN, Farhadian H, Katibeh H (2018) A comparative study on evaluation of steady-state groundwater inflow into a circular shallow tunnel. TUST 73:15–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsi JP, Carter JP, Small JC (1994) Surface subsidence and drawdown of the water table due to pumping. Geotechnique 44(3):381–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang JH, Lu CC (2007) A semi-analytical method for analyzing the tunnel water inflow. TUST 22:39–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamali A, Shahriar K, Sharifzadeh M, Marefvand P (2017) Comparison of methods for calculating geometrical characteristics of discontinuities in cavern of Rudbar Lorestan power plant. J Bull Eng Geol

  • Kamali A, Shahriar K, Sharifzadeh M, Marefvand P (2018a) Validation of 3D Discrete fracture network model focusing on areal sampling methods—a case study on the powerhouse cavern of Roudbar Lorestan Pumped Storage Power Plant, Iran. J Geomech Eng 16(1):21–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamali A, Aalianvari A, El Tani M, Negintaji K, Gholami MA (2018b) Estimation of equivalent permeability of rock mass using back analysis and DFN model—case study in Iran. In: Proceedings of the 26th ICOLD Congress, Austria

  • Kamali A, Shahriar K, El Tani M, Aalianvari A, Gholami MA (2018c) Challenging estimation of seepage in powerhouse cavern and drainage tunnel in Iran. EUROCK 2018c, Saint-Petersburg

  • Karimzade E, Sharifzadeh M, Zarei HR, Shahriar K, Seifabad MC (2017) Prediction of water inflow into underground excavations in fractured rocks using a 3D discrete fracture network (DFN). Arab J Geosci 10 (206):1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Kværner J, Snilsberg P (2008) The Romeriksporten railway tunnel—drainage effects on peatlands in the lake. Eng Geol 101:75–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Borgne T, Bour O, Paillet FL, Caudal J-P (2006) Assessment of preferential flow path connectivity and hydraulic properties at single-borehole and cross-borehole scales in a fractured aquifer. J Hydrol 328:347–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lennon PL, Liu LF, Liggett JA (1980) Boundary integral solution to three dimensional unconfined Darcy’s flow. Water Resour Res 16(4):651–658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liggett JA (1977) Location of free surface in porous media. J Hydraul Div ASCE 103(4):353–365

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindstrøm M, Cuisiat F, Skurtveit E, Kveldsvik V, 2003, Prediction of Lunner tunnel based on discrete fracture flow models, R 20001042-2, p 57, NGI

  • Loew S, Lützenkirchen V, Hansmann J, Ryf A, Guntlie P (2014) Transient surface deformations caused by the Gotthard Base Tunnel. IJRMMS 75:82–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohman SW (1974) Ground-water hydraulics. Geological Survey Professional Paper, vol 708, USDI

  • Maréchal JC, Dewandel B, Subrahmanyam K (2004) Use of hydraulic tests at different scales to characterize fracture network properties in the weathered-fractured layer of a hard rock aquifer Water Resour Res 17

  • Masset O, Loew S (2010) Hydraulic conductivity distribution in crystalline rocks derived from inflows to tunnels and galleries in the Central Alps. Hydrogeology J 18(4):863–891

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathias SA, Butler AP (2006) An improvement of Hvorslev’s shape factors. Geotechnique 56:10, 705–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moon J, Fernandez G (2010) Effect of excavation-induced groundwater level drawdown on tunnel inflow in a jointed rock mass. Eng Geol 110(3):33–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nabavi M (1976) An illustration of the Iranian geology. Geological survey of Iran, Tehran

    Google Scholar 

  • Paronuzzi P, Rigo R, Bolla A (2013) Influence of filling—drawdown cycles of the Vajont reservoir on Mt. Toc slope stability 191:75–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellet F, Egger P, Descoeudres F (1993) The effect of water seepage forces on the face stability of an experimental microtunnel. Can Geotech J 30(2):363–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perello P, Baietto A, Burger U, Skuk S (2014) Excavation of the Aica-Mules pilot tunnel for the Brenner base tunnel: information gained on water inflows in tunnels in granitic massifs. RMRE 47(3):1049–1071

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinyol NM, Alonso EE, Olivella S (2008) Rapid drawdown in slopes and embankments. Water Resour Res 44:22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plasencia N, Carvalho JM, Cavaco T (2015) Groundwater monitoring impacts of deep excavations: hydrogeology in the Venda Nova repowering schemes (NW Portugal). Environ Earth Sci 73(6):2981–2995

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preisig G, Dematteis A, Torri R, Monin N, Milnes E, Perrochet P (2014) Modelling discharge rates and ground settlement induced by tunnel excavation. Rock Mech Rock Eng 47:869–884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pujades E, De Simone S, Carrera J, Vázquez-Suñé E, Jurado A (2017) Settlements around pumping wells: analysis of influential factors and a simple calculation procedure. J Hydrol 548:225–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raposo JR, Molinero J, Dafonte J (2010) Quantitative evaluation of hydrogeological impact produced by tunnel construction using water balance models. Eng Geol 116:323–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raymer J (2003) Estimating groundwater inflow into hard rock tunnels—the problem of permeability. Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, Innsbruck, Austria, p 31

  • Raymer J (2005) Groundwater inflow into hard rock tunnels: a new look at inflow equations. In: Proceedings of RETC, Englewood, Colorado

  • Raymer J (2018) Private communication with the first author

  • Rovey CW, Cherkauer SC (1995) Scale dependency of hydraulic conductivity measurements. Ground Water 33(5):769–780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schleiss AJ (1988) Design of reinforced concrete-lined pressure tunnels. In: International congress of tunnels and water, Madrid, 2, pp 1127–1133, Balkema

  • Shourian M, Davoudi J (2017) Optimum pumping well placement and capacity design for a groundwater lowering system in urban areas with the minimum cost objective. Water Resour Manag 31:4207–4225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su K, Zhou Y, Wu H, Zhou L (2017) An analytical method for groundwater inflow into a drained circular tunnel. Groundwater 55(5):712–721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun G, Lin S, Jiang W, Yang Y (2018) A simplified solution for calculating the phreatic line and slope stability during a sudden drawdown of the Reservoir Water Level, Geofluids, p 12

  • Swartzendruber D (1954) Capillary fringe and water flow in soil. Thesis, Iowa State University

  • Thunvik R, Breaster C (1980) Modelling of groundwater flow around oil storage caverns. Appl Math Model 4:225–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vincenzi V, Piccinini L, Gargini A, Sapigni M (2010) Parametric and numerical modelling tools to forecast hydrogeological impacts of a tunnel. Aqua Mundi 1:135–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Viratjandr C, Michalowski RL (2006) Limit analysis of submerged slopes subjected to water drawdown. Can Geot J 43(8):802–814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang FR, Lee CH, Kung WJ, Yeh HF (2009) The impact of tunneling construction on the hydrogeological environment of “Tseng-Wen Reservoir Transbasin Diversion Project” in Taiwan. Eng Geol 103:39–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoo C, Lee Y, Kim SW, Kim HK (2012) Tunnelling-induced ground settlements in a groundwater drawdown environment—a case history. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 29:69–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng W, Wang X, Tang Y, Liu H, Wang M, Zhang L (2017) Use of tree rings as indicator for groundwater level drawdown caused by tunnel excavation in Zhongliang Mountains, Chongqing, Southwest China. Environ Earth Sci 76:552

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge IWPCO, Iran, and Water and Power Resources Development Company, for the approval to submit and publish this manuscript.

Funding

The research paper has not been funded by any public, academic, industrial, or financial entity.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed El Tani.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

El Tani, M., Kamali, A. & Gholami, M.A. Analytic Assessment of the Water Table Drawdown, Seepage, and Back Pressure at Rudbar PSPP. Rock Mech Rock Eng 52, 2227–2243 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1721-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1721-9

Keywords

Navigation