Soil Mechanics Lecture - Permeability

PBW N302
Credit Hours
CEM/WEE/STE
Dr. Asmaa Moddather
Soil Mechanics and Foundations
Faculty of Engineering Cairo University
FALL 2013
Dr. Asmaa Moddather PBW N302 Fall 2013
SOIL PERMEABILITY
Definition: is a measure of how easily a fluid (water) can
pass through a porous medium(soil).
Loose Soil
High permeability
Dense Soil
Low permeability
Permeability
Applications:
o Water wells
Water production
Dewatering
o Earth dams
Estimate quantity of water seeping through the dam
Evaluating stability of dam
o Ground improvement by preloading
Permeability
L
h
A
Soil
1 2
Direction of flow
Q = V/t
Water moves through soil with
discharge Q, and velocity v.
Q = A.v
v i
v h/L
v = k h/L
Q = Akh/L
where:
o Q = water discharge (volume/time)

o A = area perpendicular to flow direction
o V = velocity of flow (length/time)
o i = hydraulic gradient = h/L
o h = total head difference
o L = length parallel to flow direction
o k = coefficient of soil permeability
Darcys Law
Discharge velocity (v):
o velocity of flow through entire cross-section.
o Q = Av
o Can be measured.
Seepage velocity (v
s
):
o velocity of flow through voids.
o Q = A
v
v
s
o Cant be measured, only calculated, how?
Seepage and Discharge Velocities
Area
Area of voids
L
L
Q = Av = A
v
v
s
Therefore: v
s
= v ( A/A
V
)
Multiplying both sides by the length of the medium (L)
v
S
= v ( AL / A
V
L ) = v( V
T
/ V
V
)
where:
V
T
= total volume
V
v
= void volume
By Definition, V
v
/ V
T
= n, the soil porosity
v
S
= v/n
Seepage and Discharge Velocities
Soil type
k
sand
> k
clay
Void ratio
e k (k
loose sand
> k
dense sand
)
Particles orientation
k
B
> k
A
Type of fluid
Viscosity k
Temperature
Temperature Viscosity k
Factors Affecting k
B
A
A
Constant head test
Falling head test
Laboratory Determination of k
Head is constant
Apply Darcys law:
o Q = Av
o V/t = Akh/L
o k = (V/t)L/Ah
Suitable for coarse-grained
soils.
c
Continuous
water supply
Overflow:
Volume V in
Time t
Direction of flow
Constant Head Test
Head is variable
Coefficient of permeability can be calculated using the
following relationship:
Suitable for fine-grained soils.
Overflow
a
A
T
La
Ak
h
h
ln
f
o
=
Falling Head Test
Direction of flow
T
h
o
h
f
Q = A v = A k i = -------- (1)
Q at time dt = -------- (2)
=
dt =
Overflow
a
A
T
La
Ak
h
h
ln
f
o
=
Falling Head Test
Direction of flow
dt
h
dt
a . dh
L
h
. k . A
L
h
. k . A
dt
a . dh
h
dh
.
Ak
aL

=
f
o
h
h
T
0
h
dh
Ak
aL
dt
h
o
h
f
[ ]
f
o
h
h
h ln
Ak
aL
T =
Non-homogeneity of soil
Anisotropy of soil
Sampling disturbance
Cracks and inclusions
Limitations of Permeability Lab Tests
Definitions:
o Aquifer: a water-bearing layer of soil with considerable
amount of water.
o Piezometer: a small-diameter pipe used to measure the
groundwater head in aquifers.
o Confined versus Unconfined aquifer.
Field Determination of k
Confined versus Unconfined aquifer:
Aquitard
Land surface
Water level
Unconfined
aquifer
Piezometer
Confined versus Unconfined aquifer:
Aquitard
Land surface
Water level
Aquitard
Piezometric surface
Confined aquifer
Piezometer
Aquitard
Unconfined (Gravity) Aquifer:
H
Initial water table
Aquitard
H
Initial water table
Pumping well
Aquitard
H
Pumping well
Drawdown water table
Initial water table
Q
Aquitard
2
1
2
2
1 2
) / ln(
h h
r r Q
k
Piezometer (1)
H
Pumping well
h
2
h
1
Piezometer (2)
r
1
r
2
Drawdown water table
h
1
h
2
Initial water table
Q
h
1
= H h
1
h
2
= H h
2
Aquitard
D
Initial water table
Aquitard
Confined (Artesian) Aquifer:
Aquitard
D
Pumping well
Water table
Initial
piezometric
surface
Aquitard
D
Pumping well
Water table
Initial
piezometric
surface
Q
H
Aquitard
D
Pumping well
Water table
Initial
piezometric
surface
Q
H
Piezometer (1)
h
2
h
1
Piezometer (2)
r
1
r
2
h
1
h
2
h
1
= H h
1
h
2
= H h
2
1 2
1 2
) / ln(
2 h h
r r
D
Q
k

Overcomes the limitations of laboratory tests.
Much more expensive compared to laboratory tests.
Coarse-grained soils
o Hazens (1930):
where
c = constant ranging from 1 to 2
D
10
= effective grain size in mm
2
10
cD k(cm/sec)=
7825 . 0
3
2
10
) e 1 (
e
D 4622 . 2 sec) / cm ( k
(
+
=
o Chapuis (2004):
where
e = void ratio
D
10
= effective grain size in mm
Empirical Correlations for k
Fine-grained soils:
where
C and n = constants determined experimentally
e = void ratio
|
|
\
|
+
=
e 1
e
C k
n
|
|
\
|
+
=
1.1 1
(1.1)
C 0.302x10
n
7
|
|
\
|
+
=
e 1
e
C k
n
|
|
\
|
+
=
0.9 1
(0.9)
C 0.120x10
n
7
Example:
If a clayey soil was tested in the lab and the following values were
determined:
Estimate k for void ratio = 0.75.
Void ratio k (cm/sec)
1.1 0.302 x 10
-7
0.9 0.12 x 10
-7
Answer:
|
|
\
|
+
|
|
\
|
+
=
9 . 0 1
) 9 . 0 (
1 . 1 1
) 1 . 1 (
10 x 120 . 0
10 x 302 . 0
n
n
7
7
098 . 5 n =
Example:
determined:
1.1 0.302 x 10
-7
0.9 0.12 x 10
-7
Answer:
Example:
determined:
1.1 0.302 x 10
-7
0.9 0.12 x 10
-7
Answer:
7
10 x 390 . 0 C

=
|
|
\
|
+
=
1 . 1 1
) 1 . 1 (
C 10 302 . 0
098 . 5
7
x
Example:
determined:
1.1 0.302 x 10
-7
0.9 0.12 x 10
-7
Answer:
sec / cm 10 x 051 . 0
75 . 0 1
) 75 . 0 (
10 x 390 . 0 k
7
098 . 5
7
=
|
|
\
|
+
=
Typical Values of k
k (cm/sec) Soil Type
100 10
-1
Gravel
10
-1
10
-2
Coarse Sand
10
-2
10
-3
Fine Sand
10
-3
10
-4
Silty Sand
10
-4
10
-5
Silt
<10
-6
Clay

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PBW N302

o Q = water discharge (volume/time)

Confined (Artesian) Aquifer:

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