Optimum Design of Triangular/Rectangular Soil Blanket under Given Volume of Blanket Material

Abstract

Using an analytical solution of seepage discharge of rectangular and triangular blankets proposed by Bennett (1946) and Yoshitake et al. (2011), respectively, the thickness and the length of the blanket which minimize the seepage discharge under given volume of blanket material are derived as optimum solutions and characteristics of them depending on the blanket volume are described. The results show the ratios of the optimum length and the optimum thickness for triangular blankets to those for rectangular ones are constant. The results also demonstrate that minimum seepage discharge through the optimum triangular blanket is always less than that through the optimum rectangular one under the same volume of the soil blanket.