A History of Relief Well Use and Current Practices in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

摘要

An investigation into the practices regarding research of relief wells for pressure relief was conducted to ascertain the origins of the current state of practice within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Relief well research was reviewed, emphasizing the history of experimentation, usage, and the current state of practice within USACE. The devastating flood of the Mississippi River in 1927 lead to a change in the levee profile along the lower Mississippi. High water nine years later during the 1937 flood gave witness to dangerous seepage conditions and large sand boil activity behind the newly rebuilt levee sections and demonstrated the need for a comprehensive underseepage research program for its control. Early research methods included physical models, well tank, field experiments, and electrical analogy studies. Starting in 1940, filter criteria and well screen compatibility were assessed based on Terzaghi's recommendations, and results from field and well tank experiments aligned well with this theory. Based on the conditions witnessed during the 1937 flood, field experimentation were conducted to assess the limitations and advantages of different well configurations. A case history from an emergency condition at Fort Peck Dam in 1942 showed that relief wells could be installed in emergency situations and were capable of providing immediate pressure relief. Responses from a 2016 survey of the USACE districts that have large inventories of installed relief wells further defined the current state of practice within USACE. A better understanding of where relief well research has been and what challenges face the levee or dam engineer will better focus future investigations into improving this widely used seepage remediation method.