Abstract:
Seepage loss is a significant problem for water management, as it can reduce the
efficiency of the system and lead to water shortages. Calculating seepage loss is an
important step in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of water management
systems, and can lead to significant benefits in terms of water conservation, economics,
and environmental sustainability. The study area comprises of seven concrete lined
distributaries in Punjab, Pakistan. This study presents the calculation of seepage using
Finite Element Model on Slide 6.0 software and comparison with measured seepage by
inflow-outflow method. Furthermore, we had made six scenarios for each canal in which
we had induced 0.5% cracks, 1% cracks, 2% cracks, 3% cracks, lined without cracks and
unlined channel. Finite Element models are made for each scenario and after that results
are analyzed and compared accordingly. The results shows that seepage at 0.5% cracks in
concrete lining is almost equal to measured value of seepage from inflow-outflow
method. At 1% cracks in concrete lining seepage loss is almost 60% to 70% of seepage loss
in unlined channel and at 3% cracks in concrete lining, seepage loss is almost equal to
seepage in unlined channel. There is a failure of concrete lining if cracks percentage is 3%
or more. Lined channel without any cracks has 80%-90% lesser seepage as compared to
seepage from unlined channel
