• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.257-258
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• 2005

• Water for future
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 1991

The governing equation of flow in porous media is developed on the bases of the continuity equation of fluid for transient flow through a saturated-unsaturated zone, and substitution of Darcy's law. The numerical solutions are obtained by finite element method based on the Galerkin principles weighted residuals. The analysis are carried out by using the unsteady storm data observed and rainfall intensities which are obtained by using the rainfall excess model in considering of the initial losses. The functional relationships between the hydraulic conductivity, capillary pressure head and volumetric water content are applied to the flow of water through unsaturated soil varied with changes of water content.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.5-16
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• 2002

A hydrogeomechanical numerical model is presented to evaluate rainfall impacts on groundwater flow in slopes and slope stability. This numerical model is developed based on the fully coupled poroelastic governing equations for groundwater flow in deforming variably saturated geologic media and the Galerkin finite element method. A series of numerical experiments using the model developed are then applied to an unsaturated slope under various rainfall rates. The numerical simulation results show that the overall hydromechanical slope stability deteriorates, and the potential failure nay initiate from the slope toe and propagate toward the slope crest as the rainfall rate increases. From the viewpoint of hydrogeology, the pressure head and hence the total hydraulic head increase as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the groundwater table rises, the unsaturated zone reduces, the seepage face expands from the slope toe toward the slope crest, and the groundwater flow velocity increases along the seepage face. From the viewpoint of geomechanics, the horizontal displacement increases, and the vertical displacement decreases toward the slope toe as the rainfall rate increases. This may result from the buoyancy effect associated with the groundwater table rise as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the overall deformation intensifies toward the slope toe, and the unstable zone, in which the factor of safety against shear failure is less than 1, becomes thicker near the slope toe and propagates from the slope toe toward the slope crest. The numerical simulation results also suggest that the potential tension failure is likely to occur within the slope between the potential shear failure surface and the ground surface.