Particle flow code method-based seepage behavior analysis and control effect evaluation for soil levee

Considering the material non-uniformity and time-varying mechanics performance in seepage development of soil levee, the particle flow code (PFC) method and the fast Lagrangian analysis of continua (FLAC) approach are combined to implement the numerical analysis and evaluation for seepage behavior and its control effect in soil levee engineering. Based on the coupling characteristics of particle and water in soil levee, a PFC-based numerical simulation method of seepage development is introduced. To improve the accuracy and efficiency of above method, the soil particle generation technology according to soil grading curve is presented. An approach, which refers to geotechnical centrifuge test and similarity principle, is developed to build the scale model of prototype levee. The calculation restriction of PFC method, which is integrated into FLAC tool, is broken. Lastly, the numerical simulation for seepage behavior of one actual levee engineering with seepage control measures is implemented by the proposed method. The seepage control mechanisms of selected measures are analyzed. The macroscopic and mesoscopic effects of selected measures on different levee foundations are evaluated. It is indicated that the seepage control effect can be described more finely with the average coordination number and the vertical effective stress which are obtained by the proposed numerical method.