Numerical investigations of a transient seepage process in the design and validation of a river embankment centrifuge test.

In the present contribution, a seepage induced in an earth river embankment is investigated by numerical simulations, using soil characterization derived from an experimental laboratory investigation and varying the boundary conditions to the embankment according to a centrifuge test. A validation of the scaling laws of the processes involving water flow through an unsaturated soil has been attempted by comparing numerical analysis results and experimental data observed in selected points where data from the centrifuge test were available.