Dewatering

DEWATERING IS THE TERM FOR THE CONTROL OF GROUNDWATER BY PUMPING.
ON CONSTRUCTION SITES IT MAY BE KNOWN AS CONSTRUCTION DEWATERING.
THE PROCESS OF DEWATERING CAN BE DEFINED AS PUMPING FROM WELLS OR SUMPS

TO TEMPORARILY LOWER GROUNDWATER LEVELS, TO ALLOW EXCAVATIONS TO BE MADE
IN DRY AND STABLE CONDITIONS BELOW NATURAL GROUNDWATER LEVEL.
AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO GROUNDWATER CONTROL BY PUMPING, PHYSICAL CUT-OFF

WALLS CAN BE INSTALLED AROUND A SITE TO EXCLUDE GROUNDWATER FROM THE SITE.
PURPOSE OF DEWATERING
FOR CONSTRUCTION EXCAVATIONS OR PERMANENT STRUCTURES THAT ARE BELOW THE WATER
TABLE AND ARE NOT WATERPROOF OR ARE WATERPROOF BUT ARE NOT DESIGNED TO RESIST THE
HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE.
PERMANENT DEWATERING SYSTEMS ARE FAR LESS COMMONLY USED THAN TEMPORARY OR
CONSTRUCTION DEWATERING SYSTEMS.
DEWATERING METHODS
SUMPS PUMPING PROVIDE LOCALIZED, VERY SHALLOW DEWATERING (LESS THAN 3 FEET) AND
CONSIST OF PUMPING FROM PERFORATED DRUMS OR CASINGS IN A GRAVEL-FILLED BACKHOE PIT.
SUMPS WORK BEST IN TIGHT, FINE GRAINED SOILS, OR VERY COARSE, BOULDERY DEPOSITS.
WATER IS COLLECTED IN DEEPER PARTS OF THE EXCAVATION (CALLED SUMPS)

AND PUMPED AWAY.
SIMPLE AND CHEAP METHOD OF DEWATERING IN FAVOURABLE GROUND

CONDITIONS .
LIMITED TO USE IN RELATIVELY COARSE SOILS OR FISSURED ROCK IF USED IN

FINE GRAINED SOILS CAN LEAD TO EROSION AND LOSS OF FINES WITH THE RISK
OF RESULTING INSTABILITY.
THE SUMP TAKES UP SPACE WITHIN AN EXCAVATION .
CAN LEAD TO WATER POLLUTION PROBLEMS DUE TO SILT-LADEN WATER.
DEWATERING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
SUBMITTED BYISHITA ARORA
WELLPOINTS
ARE SMALL-DIAMETER (LESS THAN 6 INCHES), SHALLOW WELLS, AND ARE CLOSELY
SPACED (2 TO 10 FEET APART). WELLPOINTS EFFECTIVELY DEWATER COARSE SANDS
AND GRAVELS, OR SILTS AND CLAYS.
THEIR DEPTH IS LIMITED TO ABOUT 25 FEET. WELLPOINT SYSTEMS GENERALLY

COST MORE THAN EITHER SUMPS OR WELLS, AND REQUIRE NEAR-CONTINUAL
MAINTENANCE.
INVOLVES INSTALLATION OF WELL POINTS INTO THE GROUND AND DRAWING
THE GROUND WATER TO THE COLLECTOR PIPE FOR REMOVAL BY VACUUM
ASSISTED SELF PRIMING PUMPS.
BORE WELL DEWATERING IS ANOTHER METHOD BY INSTALLING BORED WELLS OF
SIZES BETWEEN 200-500 MM AROUND THE SITE AND WATER DRAWN BY
SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS.
IN THIS CASE, EACH WELL IS EQUIPPED WITH ITS OWN PUMP AND DISCHARGE
SYSTEM TO REMOVE THE GROUND WATER . OTHER TECHNIQUES INCLUDE THE
USE OF SUMPS AND DRAINS WITH GROUND AND EXCESSIVE SURFACE WATER
REMOVED BY ELECTRIC OR DIESEL POWERED PUMPS.
DEEPWELLS ARE LARGE-DIAMETER (GREATER THAN 6 INCHES) HOLES, DRILLED

RELATIVELY DEEP (GREATER THAN 10 FEET), AND CONTAIN SLOTTED CASINGS AND
DOWNHOLE PUMPS. WELLS WORK BEST IN SOILS CONSISTING OF SAND, OR SAND
AND GRAVEL MIXTURES, AND CAN DEWATER LARGE AREAS TO GREAT DEPTHS.
WELLS ARE DRILLED AT WIDE SPACING (10 TO 60 M BETWEEN WELLS) TO

FORM A RING AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE EXCAVATION.
AN ELECTRIC SUBMERSIBLE PUMP IS INSTALLED IN EACH WELL. DRAWDOWN

LIMITED ONLY BY WELL DEPTH AND SOIL STRATIFICATION.
EFFECTIVE IN A WIDE RANGE OF GROUND CONDITIONS, SANDS, GRAVELS,

FISSURED ROCKS.
EDUCTOR WELLS
EFFECTIVE IN STABILISING FINE SOILS (SILTS, SILTY SANDS) BY

REDUCING PORE WATER PRESSURES.
WELLS ARE DRILLED AROUND OR ALONGSIDE THE EXCAVATION.
SUITABLE WHEN WELL YIELDS ARE LOW. FLOW CAPACITY 30 TO

50 LITRES/MIN PER WELL.
DRAWDOWN GENERALLY LIMITED TO 25 TO 30 M BELOW PUMP

LEVEL.
VACUUM OF 0.95 BAR CAN BE GENERATED IN THE WELL,

MAKING THIS VERY EFFECTIVE IN LOW PERMEABILITY SOILS.
HORIZONTAL WELLPOINTS
PERFORATED DRAINAGE PIPE, TYPICALLY LAID

SUB-HORIZONTALLY BY SPECIALIST
TRENCHING MACHINE AND SURROUNDED BY
GRAVEL FILTER MEDIA.
USED TO DEWATER FOR PIPELINE TRENCHES

OR TO DRAIN LARGE SHALLOW EXCAVATIONS.
PUMPED BY WELLPOINTING PUMPS.

DRAWDOWN LIMITED TO 5 OR 6 M BELOW
LEVEL OF PUMP DUE TO SUCTION LIFT LIMITS.
RELEIF WELLS
RELIEF WELLS ARE USED TO FORM PREFERENTIAL VERTICAL

FLOW PATHS TO RELIEVE WATER PRESSURES IN CONFINED
AQUIFERS BENEATH AN EXCAVATION.
WATER FLOWS UPWARD INTO THE EXCAVATION AND IS

COLLECTED IN A DRAINAGE BLANKET AND SUMPS AND
PUMPED AWAY.
COMMONLY USED TO PREVENT HEAVE OR UPLIFT OF THE

BASE OF EXCAVATIONS.
ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE
ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE INVOLVES RE-INJECTING OR RE-INFILTRATING

THE DISCHARGE WATER INTO THE GROUND.
CAN BE USED TO REDUCE EXTERNAL DRAWDOWNS AROUND A

DEWATERING SYSTEM. THIS IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO REDUCE
GROUND SETTLEMENTS IN COMPRESSIBLE CAUSED BY EFFECTIVE
STRESS INCREASES.
ALSO SOMETIMES USED TO HELP PROTECT GROUNDWATER

RESOURCES BY REDUCING NET ABSTRACTION FROM THE AQUIFER
USED IN AQUIFERS WHICH ARE IMPORTANT SOURCES OF PUBLIC OR
PRIVATE WATER SUPPLY.
GROUNDWATER REMEDIAN
DEWATERING TECHNOLOGIES MAY USED AS PART OF THE

REMEDIATION STRATEGY ON CONTAMINATED SITES.
PUMPING FROM WELLS MAY BE USED TO MANIPULATE HYDRAULIC

GRADIENTS TO CONTROL THE MIGRATION OF CONTAMINATED
GROUNDWATER.
THE PUMPED GROUNDWATER WILL REQUIRE TREATMENT TO

REMOVE CONTAMINATION PRIOR TO DISCHARGE.

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DEWATERING IS THE TERM FOR THE CONTROL OF GROUNDWATER BY PUMPING.

ON CONSTRUCTION SITES IT MAY BE KNOWN AS CONSTRUCTION DEWATERING.

THE PROCESS OF DEWATERING CAN BE DEFINED AS PUMPING FROM WELLS OR SUMPS

AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO GROUNDWATER CONTROL BY PUMPING, PHYSICAL CUT-OFF

WATER IS COLLECTED IN DEEPER PARTS OF THE EXCAVATION (CALLED SUMPS)

SIMPLE AND CHEAP METHOD OF DEWATERING IN FAVOURABLE GROUND

LIMITED TO USE IN RELATIVELY COARSE SOILS OR FISSURED ROCK IF USED IN

THE SUMP TAKES UP SPACE WITHIN AN EXCAVATION .

CAN LEAD TO WATER POLLUTION PROBLEMS DUE TO SILT-LADEN WATER.

DEWATERING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

SUBMITTED BYISHITA ARORA

THEIR DEPTH IS LIMITED TO ABOUT 25 FEET. WELLPOINT SYSTEMS GENERALLY

DEEPWELLS ARE LARGE-DIAMETER (GREATER THAN 6 INCHES) HOLES, DRILLED

WELLS ARE DRILLED AT WIDE SPACING (10 TO 60 M BETWEEN WELLS) TO

AN ELECTRIC SUBMERSIBLE PUMP IS INSTALLED IN EACH WELL. DRAWDOWN

EFFECTIVE IN A WIDE RANGE OF GROUND CONDITIONS, SANDS, GRAVELS,

DEWATERING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

SUBMITTED BYISHITA ARORA

EFFECTIVE IN STABILISING FINE SOILS (SILTS, SILTY SANDS) BY

WELLS ARE DRILLED AROUND OR ALONGSIDE THE EXCAVATION.

SUITABLE WHEN WELL YIELDS ARE LOW. FLOW CAPACITY 30 TO

DRAWDOWN GENERALLY LIMITED TO 25 TO 30 M BELOW PUMP

VACUUM OF 0.95 BAR CAN BE GENERATED IN THE WELL,

PERFORATED DRAINAGE PIPE, TYPICALLY LAID

USED TO DEWATER FOR PIPELINE TRENCHES

PUMPED BY WELLPOINTING PUMPS.

DEWATERING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

SUBMITTED BYISHITA ARORA

RELIEF WELLS ARE USED TO FORM PREFERENTIAL VERTICAL

WATER FLOWS UPWARD INTO THE EXCAVATION AND IS

COMMONLY USED TO PREVENT HEAVE OR UPLIFT OF THE

ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE INVOLVES RE-INJECTING OR RE-INFILTRATING

CAN BE USED TO REDUCE EXTERNAL DRAWDOWNS AROUND A

ALSO SOMETIMES USED TO HELP PROTECT GROUNDWATER

DEWATERING TECHNOLOGIES MAY USED AS PART OF THE

PUMPING FROM WELLS MAY BE USED TO MANIPULATE HYDRAULIC

THE PUMPED GROUNDWATER WILL REQUIRE TREATMENT TO

DEWATERING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

SUBMITTED BYISHITA ARORA

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