ABSTRACT
There are numerous complex civil engineering phenomena closely related to water flow, such as seepage through embankments, soil erosion, spread of pollutant plumes, hydraulic fracturing, etc. Centrifugal model tests have become popular and powerful to investigate these problems. Unfortunately, few centrifuges are equipped with a water control systems. Avgherinos & Schofield (1969) developed a compressed air driven valve and an electrical drainhowever, a pneumatic jack system is often costly and complex. Zhang & Hu (1991) developed a water control facility, which takes water from outside the centrifuge into the model container through a rotary joint, and then into the centrifuge located chamber. This paper details a circulating system for water supply using a vortex pump. This system can supply a stable discharge subjected to centrifugal acceleration up to 30 g. Centrifuge tests have been conducted with this system in order to study overtopping of earth embankments.
