Hydraulic conductivity (K) is a crucial parameter in hydrogeology but is highly heterogeneous and anisotropic due to variations in sediment texture, making its large-scale estimation challenging. Traditional laboratory and empirical methods based on grain-size distribution (GSD) analysis from limited data provide local K measurements, resulting in a poor representation of aquifer heterogeneity. In contrast, pumping tests estimate an integrated K value over a of the aquifer within the cone of depression but still lack the spatial resolution needed to reveal detailed variations in K across larger aquifer extents. In this study, the Di models method was used to simulate local GSD in three-dimensional (3-D) detrital systems. The focus was to explore the potential to estimate K through simulated particle-size fractions derived from a 3-D geological model of the City of Munich. By employing log-cubic interpolation, a complete and accurate representation of the fictive GSD enabled the application of multiple empirical relationships for K estimation. The resulting 3-D K fields preserved the variability in K within each aquifer system. When averaged for each separate aquifer system across different lateral extents, i.e., 50-150 and 550 m, the predicted K values showed success rates of 44-47% with deviations of at least one order of magnitude in 15-19% of cases when compared to 364 K values derived from pumping-test data. The results highlight the ability of the approach to successfully estimate K while accounting for spatial heterogeneity, suggesting its potential for groundwater modeling, aquifer yield assessments and groundwater heat pump system design.

Seepage flow through complex foundations is one of the main factors causing dam failure. To foresee this problem, seepage modeling and analysis are usually performed. This study investigated seepage behavior as affected by complex, foliated, rock foundations in an earth dam. The PLAXIS 3-D LE software was used to analyze seepage problems for steady state flow. The normal high-water level (NHWL) with anisotropic permeability was considered in the models. The anisotropic permeability of foliated rocks was determined according to the angle of inclination. The flow characteristics along the dam axis could be divided into five zones, with three zones for the middle parts (MD1, MD2 and MD3) and one zones for each of the two abutments (LA and RA). The quantities of flow (water transmissibility) upstream to downstream (QX) on each zone highly depended on the geological structures. Although the average seepage transmissibility values of the residual soil and phyllite were almost equal for every zone. The values in the anticline areas were higher than for the syncline areas, especially for the middle zones. The flow tended to transfer from residual soil into phyllite rock in the anticline area. The transmissibility ratio of anticline to syncline was more than 2 times for both the residual soil and phyllite. The finger drain and river channel attracted substantial flow in the longitudinal (QY) and vertical (QZ) directions. However, the verification of the field piezometric versus the modeling heads showed the possibility of blockage of the finger drain.