2/2/2021 Piezometer - Wikipedia
Piezometer
A piezometer is either a device used to measure liquid pressure in a system by
measuring the height to which a column of the liquid rises against gravity, or a device
which measures the pressure (more precisely, the piezometric head) of groundwater
[1] at a specific point. A piezometer is designed to measure static pressures, and thus
differs from a pitot tube by not being pointed into the fluid flow.
Observation wells give some information on the water level in a formation, but must Symbol used in
be read manually. Electrical pressure transducers of several types can be read drawings
automatically, making data acquisition more convenient.
Groundwater measurement
The first piezometers in geotechnical engineering were open wells or
standpipes (sometimes called Casagrande piezometers)[2]
installed into an aquifer. A Casagrande piezometer will typically
have a solid casing down to the depth of interest, and a slotted or
screened casing within the zone where water pressure is being
measured. The casing is sealed into the drillhole with clay, bentonite
or concrete to prevent surface water from contaminating the
groundwater supply. In an unconfined aquifer, the water level in the
piezometer would not be exactly coincident with the water table, Above-ground casing of a
especially when the vertical component of flow velocity is significant. piezometer
In a confined aquifer under artesian conditions, the water level in
the piezometer indicates the pressure in the aquifer, but not
necessarily the water table.[3] Piezometer wells can be much smaller in diameter than production wells,
and a 5 cm diameter standpipe is common.
Piezometers in durable casings can be buried or pushed into the ground to measure the groundwater
pressure at the point of installation. The pressure gauges (transducer) can be vibrating-wire, pneumatic,
or strain-gauge in operation, converting pressure into an electrical signal. These piezometers are cabled
to the surface where they can be read by data loggers or portable readout units, allowing faster or more
frequent reading than is possible with open standpipe piezometers.
See also
Rheometer
Tensiometer (soil science)
References
1. Dunnicliff, John (1993) [1988]. Geotechnical Instrumentation for Monitoring Field Performance.
Wiley-Interscience. p. 117. ISBN 0-471-00546-0.
2. Casagrande, A (1949). Soil Mechanics in the design and Construction of the Logan Airport. J.
Boston Soc. Civil Eng., Vol 36, No. 2. pp. 192–221.
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2/2/2021 Piezometer - Wikipedia
3. Manual on Suburface Investigations, 1988, [[American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials]] page 182
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