ABSTRACT
This paper presented a series of hydro-mechanical suffusion experiments to study the effect of the load history of hydraulic gradient on the evolution of suffusion. Four different increase velocities of hydraulic gradient were used to simulate the different load histories of hydraulic gradient. The results indicate that the load history of hydraulic gradient has a significant influence on the evolution of suffusion. The faster the increase velocity of hydraulic gradient, the smaller the suffusion failure hydraulic gradient, and the larger the cumulative eroded mass. A fast increase velocity of hydraulic gradient is harmful for the safety of hydraulic structures. The results presented here explain the reason why suffusion always happens when the water level at the upstream side rises quickly during flood season.
