ABSTRACT

Besides, several laboratory investigations have been carried out to study the development of suffusion and its induced effects on soil properties. Seepage tests, or real erosion tests, by developing suitable apparatus for that purpose, showed the influence of soil gradation and hydraulic gradient

1 INTRODUCTION

Suffusion is a particle-scale mechanism characterized by the detachment and migration of fine soil particles by interstitial flow leaving behind the granular skeleton. This can influence the mechanical behavior of the considered soil and may result in catastrophic consequences on civil engineering structures such as embankment dams, dykes and levees.