Analytical study on seepage behavior of a small-scale capillary barrier system under lateral no-flow condition

The model production for large-scale (lateral length > 2.0 m) capillary barrier (CB) model tests is time and costintensive. To address these limitations, the framework of a small-scale CB (SSCB) model test under the lateral no-flow condition has been established. In this study, to validate the experimental methodology of the SSCB model test, a series of seepage analyses on the SSCB model test and engineered slopes in the same and additional test conditions was performed. First, the seepage behavior and diversion length (LD) of the CB system were investigated under three rainfall conditions. In the seepage analysis for the engineered slopes with different slope angles and sand layer thicknesses, the LD increased with the increase in the slope angle and sand layer thickness, although the increase rate of the LD with the sand layer thickness exhibited an upper limit. The LD values from the seepage analysis agreed well with the results estimated from the laboratory SSCB mode test. Therefore, it can be concluded that the experimental methodology of the SSCB model test is one of the promising alternatives to efficiently evaluate the water-shielding performance of the CB system for an engineered slope.