Numerical Investigation of A Permeability-Microstructure Relationship in the Context of Internal Erosion

Abstract Internal erosion, characterized by the migration of soil particles within hydraulic earth structures due to seepage, is a significant global concern for risk management and maintenance. Among various mechanisms contributing to internal erosion, suffusion emerges as a prominent process. It involves the simultaneous detachment, transport, and potential self-filtration of fine particles through the pore network, leading potentially to a change in permeability and shear strength. Thus, investigating the link between permeability and microstructure is a key to achieve a better understanding of suffusion and to predict its consequences on the soil’s permeability. The proposed methodology involves generating discrete element method-based samples, characterizing their constriction size distribution, and computing permeability using fast Fourier transform. While the Kozeny-Carman model was initially developed for stable microstructures, it may not apply to suffusion due to microstructural evolution. Thus, a modified approach is introduced, incorporating a characteristic constriction diameter computed from the constriction size distribution. This modified model is being compared against the original Kozeny-Carman one on fourteen gap-graded specimens. Encouraging results are herein being obtained so that the modified approach will be later used on flow modified specimens.