MalcolmWoodruff/ TerraPercolatio

(1.0.3) current version: 1.0.4 »

Finite-element groundwater seepage analysis and flow nets for 2D and axisymmetric problems

Contributed by: Malcolm Woodruff

TerraPercolatio solves steady-state groundwater seepage by the finite element method and draws true flow nets. It handles confined and unconfined problems in plane (2D) or axisymmetric geometry, with multi-layer, anisotropic soils. For unconfined problems it locates the phreatic surface and seepage faces iteratively, applies rainfall/surface infiltration through an unsaturated zone, and produces pore-pressure fields — including capped suction — ready for limit-equilibrium slope-stability analysis. Equipotentials come from the head field; flow lines come from the exact conjugate (stream-function) problem, so the flow net is correct in heterogeneous, anisotropic ground.

Installation Instructions

To install this paclet in your Wolfram Language environment, evaluate this code:
PacletInstall["MalcolmWoodruff/TerraPercolatio"]

To load the code after installation, evaluate this code:
Needs["MalcolmWoodruff`TerraPercolatio`"]

Details

Finite-element groundwater seepage analysis and flow nets for 2D and axisymmetric problems: multi-layer anisotropic soils, phreatic surfaces and seepage faces, rainfall infiltration, and pore-pressure output for slope stability.

See additional details and notes about the paclet in the User Manual.

Examples

Basic Examples (2)

Draw the flow net for an unconfined dam solution:

In[1]:=

Out[3]=

Plot the pore-pressure field:

In[4]:=

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Out[4]=

Neat Examples (4)

A 10 m × 16 m excavation behind sheet-pile walls, dewatered to a floor 3 m below ground, in a 10 m stratum over an impermeable base. One quarter is modelled with symmetry planes at x = 0 and y = 0 (both natural no-flow boundaries). The walls and the excavated void are subtracted from the domain by constructive solid geometry, so wall faces are true no-flow boundaries. The far-field water table is held at ground level. All parameters are named below:

In[5]:=

$D3 = 10.; (* stratum thickness: impermeable base z = 0, ground z = 10 *) axq = 5.; (* excavation half-length in x (full length 10 m) *) byq = 8.; (* excavation half-width in y (full width 16 m) *) tw = 0.4; (* wall thickness, m *) ztip3 = 4.; (* wall toe elevation: 6 m walls, 3 m embedment below the floor *) zf = 7.; (* excavation floor = water level inside (dewatered), m *) hFar = 10.; (* far-field head: water table at ground level, m *) LxQ = 40.; LyQ = 40.; (* plan extent of the quarter model, m *) k3 = 1.*^-5; (* isotropic permeability, m/s *) wallX = Cuboid[{axq, 0., ztip3}, {axq + tw, byq + tw, D3}]; wallY = Cuboid[{0., byq, ztip3}, {axq + tw, byq + tw, D3}]; void = Cuboid[{0., 0., zf}, {axq, byq, D3}]; reg3 = RegionDifference[Cuboid[{0., 0., 0.}, {LxQ, LyQ, D3}], RegionUnion[wallX, wallY, void]]; mesh3 = ToElementMesh[reg3, MaxCellMeasure -> 30., MeshRefinementFunction -> Function[{v, vol}, Module[{c = Mean[v]}, vol > If[c[[1]] < 10 && c[[2]] < 13, 0.5, 30.]]], "MeshOrder" -> 2]; h3 = NDSolveValue[{Laplacian[h[x, y, z], {x, y, z}] == 0, DirichletCondition[h[x, y, z] == hFar, x >= LxQ - 10.^-4 || y >= LyQ - 10.^-4], DirichletCondition[h[x, y, z] == zf, z >= zf - 10.^-4 && z <= zf + 10.^-4 && x <= axq + 10.^-4 && y <= byq + 10.^-4]}, h, {x, y, z} \[Element] mesh3]$

Out[6]=

Total inflow (4 × the quarter-model flux through the floor) and exit gradients on the floor — note the 3D result that the pit corner is more critical than mid-wall:

In[7]:=

$dzh = Derivative[0, 0, 1][h3]; dxh = Derivative[1, 0, 0][h3]; Qtot3 = 4. NIntegrate[ k3 dzh[x, y, zf - 10.^-3], {x, 0., axq}, {y, 0., byq}, AccuracyGoal -> 4, PrecisionGoal -> 4]; {Abs[Qtot3], Abs[dzh[axq - 0.3, 1., zf - 10.^-3]], (* exit gradient, mid long wall *) Abs[dzh[axq - 0.3, byq - 0.3, zf - 10.^-3]], (* exit gradient, corner *) Abs[dzh[0.1, 0.1, zf - 10.^-3]] (* exit gradientcentre *)}$

Out[8]=

Section on the symmetry plane y = 0: equipotentials (red), streamlines (blue), water levels (▽) at ground level far away and at floor level in the pit:

In[9]:=

$soilY0 = Function[{x, z}, ! (axq <= x <= axq + tw && z >= ztip3) && ! (x <= axq && z >= zf)]; eqp = ContourPlot[h3[x, 0., z], {x, 0., 20.}, {z, 0., D3}, Sequence[ RegionFunction -> soilY0, Contours -> Range[7.25, 9.75, 0.25], ContourShading -> None, ContourStyle -> Directive[ RGBColor[0.75, 0.2, 0.15], AbsoluteThickness[1.2]], PlotPoints -> 70]]; stp = StreamPlot[{-dxh[x, 0., z], -dzh[x, 0., z]}, {x, 0., 20.}, {z, 0., D3}, Sequence[ RegionFunction -> soilY0, StreamPoints -> Fine, StreamColorFunction -> None, StreamStyle -> Directive[ RGBColor[0.1, 0.35, 0.7], AbsoluteThickness[1.]]]]; geo = Graphics[{ {EdgeForm[{GrayLevel[0.4]}], RGBColor[0.96, 0.93, 0.85], Rectangle[{0, 0}, {20, D3}]}, {GrayLevel[0.55], Rectangle[{0, zf}, {axq, D3}]}, {GrayLevel[0.25], Rectangle[{axq, ztip3}, {axq + tw, D3}]}, {RGBColor[0.1, 0.45, 0.85], AbsoluteThickness[1.6], Line[{{0, zf}, {axq, zf}}], Text[Style["\[EmptyDownTriangle]", RGBColor[0.1, 0.45, 0.85], 13], {2., zf}, {0, -0.9}], Line[{{axq + tw, D3}, {20, D3}}], Text[Style["\[EmptyDownTriangle]", RGBColor[0.1, 0.45, 0.85], 13], {14., D3}, {0, -0.9}]}}]; Show[geo, eqp, stp, Sequence[ Frame -> True, AspectRatio -> Automatic, ImageSize -> 800, PlotLabel -> "3D excavation - section on symmetry plane y = 0"]]$

Out[10]=

Plan view of the piezometric drawdown at mid-depth below the floor — rectangular near the pit, becoming circular with distance:

In[11]:=

$soilPlan = Function[{x, y}, ! (x <= axq + tw && y <= byq + tw)]; Show[ ContourPlot[h3[x, y, 5.5], {x, 0., 30.}, {y, 0., 30.}, Sequence[ RegionFunction -> soilPlan, Contours -> Range[7.5, 9.75, 0.25], ColorFunction -> "TemperatureMap", PlotLegends -> Automatic, PlotPoints -> 60]], Graphics[{{EdgeForm[{GrayLevel[0.25]}], GrayLevel[0.55], Rectangle[{0, 0}, {axq + tw, byq + tw}]}, Text[ Style["excavation\n(quarter)", White, 11], {2.7, 4.}]}], Sequence[ Frame -> True, AspectRatio -> Automatic, ImageSize -> 520, PlotLabel -> "plan: head at z = 5.5 m"]]$

Out[12]=

Publisher

Malcolm Woodruff

Compatibility

Wolfram Language Version 13

External Links

TerraPercolatio | User Manual

Version History

1.0.4 – 16 August 2026
1.0.3 – 14 August 2026

License Information

MIT License

Paclet Source

Definition Notebook »