Permeability
1
Soil Permeability- Definition
• It is a property of soil that allows the flow of fluid
through its interconnected void space
OR
• It is a measure of how easily a fluid (e.g. water) can
pass through the soil
• Different soil has different permeability.
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Soil Permeability -Definition
Soils consists of solid particles with
interconnected voids where water can
flow from a point of high energy to a
point of low energy
water
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What is Permeability?
• Permeability is the measure of the soil’s ability to permit water to
flow through its pores or voids
water
Loose soil Dense soil
- easy to flow - difficult to flow
- high permeability - low permeability
Soil Permeability- Definition
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Importance of Permeability
The following applications illustrate the importance of permeability
in geotechnical design:
•The design of earth dams is very much based upon the permeability
of the soils used.
•The stability of slopes and retaining structures can be greatly
affected by the permeability of the soils involved.
•Filters made of soils are designed based upon their permeability. 6
Importance of Permeability
• Estimating the quantity of underground seepage.
• Solving problems involving pumping seepage water from
construction excavation
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Why does water flow?
If flow is from A to B, the energy is higher at A
than at B.
Energy is dissipated in
overcoming the soil water
resistance and hence is the
head loss.
A B
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Bernoulli’s Equation
The energy of fluid comprise of:
1. Potential energy fluid particle
- due to elevation (z) with respect
to a datum z
2. Pressure energy
- due to pressure
datum
3. Kinetic energy
- due to velocity
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Bernoulli’s Equation
Then at any point in the fluid, the total energy is equal to
Total Energy = Potential energy + Pressure energy + Kinetic energy
= ρwgh + P + ½ ρwv2
Expressing the total energy as head (units of length)
Total Head = Elevation Head + Pressure Head + Velocity Head
0
For flow through soils, velocity (and thus velocity head) is very
small. Therefore, v2/2g = zero.
Bernoulli’s Equation
At any point
The head loss between A and B
Head loss in non-dimensional form
Difference in total head
Hydraulic gradient
Distance between points A
and B
Hydraulic Gradient
• In the field, the gradient of the head is the head
difference over the distance separating the 2 wells.
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Hydraulic Gradient
W.T.
A Impervious Soil
h = h A - hB
perv
ious
Soil
W.T.
L
hA = total head
B
Impervious Soil
hB= total head
Datum
W.T.
Impervious Soil
)h = hA - hB
W.T.
Water In hA
Impervious Soil
Datum
hB
Head Loss or
Head Difference
or Energy Loss
h =hA - hB
i = Hydraulic Gradient
Pressure Head
hA
Total Head
(q)
Water
Pressure Head
out
hB
A
Total Head
Soil
B
Elevation Head
Elevation Head
ZA L = Drain
age Path ZB
Datum
Variation of v with i
Darcy’s
Law:
Since velocity in soil is small, flow can be considered laminar
v∝i
v = discharge velocity =
i = hydraulic gradient
v=ki k = coefficient of permeability
Darcy’s
Law:
Since velocity in soil is small, flow can be considered laminar
v= k.i
Where:
v = discharge velocity which is the quantity of water flowing in
unit time through a unit gross cross-sectional area of soil at right
angles to the direction of flow.
k = hydraulic conductivity (has units of L/T)
i = hydraulic gradient = h/L
Then the quantity of water flowing through the soil per unit time is
Discharge = Q = v. A = k (h/L). A
Flow in Soil
W.T.
A Impervious Soil
h = h A - hB
perv
ious
Soil
W.T.
L
hA = total head
B
Impervious Soil
hB= total head
Datum
To determine the quantity of flow, two parameters are needed
* k = hydraulic conductivity (how permeable the soil medium)
* i = hydraulic gradient (how large is the driving head)
k can be determined using
1- Laboratory Testing [constant head test & falling head test]
2- Field Testing [pumping from wells]
3- Empirical Equations
i can be determined
1- from the head loss and geometry
2- flow net
Hydraulic Conductivity
• The hydraulic conductivity k is a measure of how easy
the water can flow through the soil.
• The hydraulic conductivity is expressed in the units of
velocity (such as cm/sec and m/sec).
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Equivalent Hydraulic Conductivity on Stratified Soils
•Horizontal flow
•Constant hydraulic
gradient conditions
•Analogous to resistors in
series
Equivalent Hydraulic Conductivity on Stratified Soils
•Vertical flow
•Constant velocity
•Analogous to resistors in
parallel
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
• A confined aquifer underlies an unconfined aquifer as shown
in the figure.
a. Compute the equivalent horizontal
coefficient of permeability.
b. Compute the hydraulic gradient.
c. Compute the flow rate from one
stream to another per meter width.
Ans: a. K = 27.5 m/day
b. i = 0.0065 25
c. Q = 8.67 cu.m./day/m
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
• In a layer of soil shown has the following characteristics ,
estimate the ratio of equivalent permeability.
Ans: 140
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SAMPLE PROBLEM 3
• From the figure shown, the thickness of
a permeable soil layer is 1.1 meter
making an angle of 14 degrees with the
horizontal.
K = 4.87 x 10^-2 cm/sec
a. Compute the hydraulic gradient
b. Compute the cross sectional area at
right angles to the cross-section shown.
c. Compute the flow rate in cu.m./hr/m.
a. i = 0.038
b. A = 1.067 sq.m.
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c. Q = 0.071 cu.m./hr/m
Hydraulic Conductivity
• Hydraulic conductivity of soils depends on several
factors:
– Fluid viscosity (η): as the viscosity increases, the
hydraulic conductivity decreases
– Pore size distribution
– Temperature
– Grain size distribution
– Degree of soil saturation
It is conventional to express the value of k at a temperature
of 20oC.
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Hydraulic Conductivity, k
• Typical Values
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Laboratory Testing of Hydraulic Conductivity
Two standard laboratory tests are used to determine
the hydraulic conductivity of soil
•The constant-head test
•The falling-head test.
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Constant Head Test
• The constant head test is used primarily for coarse-grained soils.
• This test is based on the assumption of laminar flow (Darcy’s Law
apply)
From Darcy’s Law
Where:
Q = volume of water collection
A = cross section area of soil specimen
T = duration of water collection
Then compute:
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Temperature Correction:
Constant Head Test
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Constant Head Test
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Falling Head Test
• The falling head test is mainly for fine-grained soils.
a = cross sectional
area of standpipe
Simplified Procedure:
– Record initial head difference, h1 at
t1 = 0
– Allow water to flow through the soil A = cross
L
specimen sectional
– Record the final head difference, h2 area of soil
at time t = t2
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Falling Head Test
Calculations:
a = cross sectional
area of standpipe
Where:
A = cross sectional area of the soil
a = cross sectional area of the standpipe
h1 = distance to bottom of the beaker
before the test A = cross
h2= distance to bottom of the beaker after sectional L
the test area of soil
L = length of the sample
t = t2-t1
Then compute:
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Falling Head Test
Calculations:
The above equation is derived assuming:
The flow through the standpipe = flow through the soil
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Falling Head Test
Derivation of Falling Head equation
EX. #1
ANS: K = 4.178 x 10^-3 cm/sec
V = 5.57 x 10^-3 cm/sec
Vs = 15.7 x 10^-3 cm/s
EX. #2
Permeability Tests using Pumping Wells
• Used to determine the hydraulic conductivity of soil in the field.
• During the test, water is pumped out at a constant rate from a test
well that has a perforated casing. Several observation wells at various
radial distances are made around the test well. Continuous
observations of the water level in the test well and in the observation
wells are made after the start of pumping, until a steady state is
reached. The steady state is established when the water level in the
test and observation wells becomes constant.
Pumping Well with Observation holes
Definitions
• Aquifer: Soil or rock forming stratum that is saturated and
permeable enough to yield significant quantities of water
(e.g. sands, gravels, fractured rock)
Pumping Well with Observation holes
Definitions (cont.)
• Unconfined Aquifer (water table aquifer) is an aquifer in which the
water table forms the upper boundary.
• Confined Aquifer is an aquifer confined between two impervious
layers (e.g. clay).
Pumping Well with Observation holes
Pumping Well in an Unconfined Aquifer
OR
If q, h1, h2, r1, r2 are
known , k can be
calculated
Pumping Well with Observation holes
Pumping Well in a Confined Aquifer
q
If q, h1, h2, r1, r2 are
known , k can be
calculated
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Sample 2
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Solution
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FLOW NETS
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Sample 1
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Sample 2
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