Geotechnical

Engineering

OverviewBundles

SEEP/W is a finite element software product for analyzing groundwater seepage and excess pore-water pressure dissipation problems within porous materials such as soil and rock. Its comprehensive formulation allows you to consider analyses ranging from simple, saturated steady-state problems to sophisticated, saturated-unsaturated time-dependent problems. You can apply SEEP/W to the analysis and design of geotechnical, civil, hydrogeological, and mining engineering projects.

SEEP/W can model both saturated and unsaturated flow, a feature that greatly broadens the range of problems that can be analyzed. In addition to traditional steady-state saturated flow analysis, the saturated/unsaturated formulation of SEEP/W makes it possible to analyze seepage as a function of time and to consider such processes as the infiltration of precipitation. The transient feature allows you to analyze such problems as the migration of a wetting front and the dissipation of excess pore-water pressure.

Otte is the Sole Singapore SEEP/W distributor as well as the Sole Malaysia SLOPE/W distributor. You may also choose to purchase SEEP/W in a discounted GeoStudio bundle. For more details on the types of discounted GeoStudio bundles available Click Here

Hydraulic Soil Properties



The user has control over the material model for the analysis i.e saturated model or the saturated/unsaturated model. For the saturated model the k permeability value is specified by the user. For the saturated/unsaturated model, the user can define a hydraulic function of the k permeability value vs the matric suction in the soil; if a transient analysis is being performed the Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC or Volumetric Water Content Curve) will need to be defined and this is easily carried out in SEEP/W.

Sophisticated methods are made readily available for users who wish to estimate the SWCC curve from grain size distribution. The k permeability curve can there on be estimated again from the SWCC curve.

Advanced Analysis



A popular topic in the region is the effect of rainfall on slope stability. SEEP/W excels in this area whether you wish to model the analysis as a steady state of transient. Another quite challenging analysis that is handled extremely well by SEEP/W is the filling up and rapid draw down on the water level of an earth dam as shown in the diagram below. The plot of the water table level at different times of the project can be seen.

The different pore water pressures and vector plot at each times step can be plotted as well as the amount of flux at any section that the user specifies. e.g. 0.4565 cubic metres at a flux specified by the user at the bottom right of the dam.

If there is a contaminant and the question is where or how far the contaminant plume travels with respect to time the add-on CTRAN/W is available to supplement the power of CTRAN/W for these classes of problems. For more information about CTRAN/W Click here