An Analytical Approach to Obtain the Actual Groundwater Response Using Open Standpipe Piezometers

The paper deals with the interpretation of piezometric data recorded in open standpipes. Any piezometric change in slopes induces an instantaneous measurement error, the intensity of which depends on the rate of change and is inversely proportional to the soil permeability. This error shows itself in two different ways in any piezometric apparatus working with large transfer of water volumes. The first way is displayed with a time lag response of groundwater fluctuations; the second is showed by a flattening of the piezometric peaks. Starting from the static analysis on time lag responses in piezometers installed in different soil conditions, done by Hvorslev (1951), the Authors of this paper developed a numerical model based on the solution of the differential equation governing the groundwater inflow from the soil toward the open standpipes piezometers. The final result is the prediction of the actual transient groundwater conditions working in landslide bodies of homogeneous soils. The paper presents also a successfully application of this methodology in a real landslide case of sudden collapse, through the interpretation of data recorded in an open standpipe piezometer.

• INTRODUCTION

• THE NUMERICAL MODEL

• THE CASE HISTORY

• CONCLUSIONS

• REFERENCES