Internal erosion by suffusion on cohesionless gap-graded soils: Model and sensibility analysis

Cohesionless gap-graded soils are susceptible to volumetric internal erosion, also called suffusion, under the action of seepage flow through porous material. More precisely, during suffusion three processes simultaneously take place: detachment, transport and possible filtration fine particles. This paper proposes a new relationship describe development based on energy approach. The proposed is power law that relates cumulative eroded mass with dissipated by flow. requires material parameters: erosion resistance index maximum both characterize fully-eroded state; smoothing time controls kinetics. first two parameters being measured from series experimental tests performed in oedometric conditions. program was set up study different along lengths. found be insensitive length. On other hand, tends increase attributed phenomena. predicted energy-based compares reasonably well data, fitting for each test fixed time. To improve our physical understanding kinetics, between hydraulic diffusion postulated accordance observations. Such hypothesis improves predictions.