ChapBer 4

Permeability
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTs

Introduction Coefficient of absolute permeability (k)

Hydraulic head (h) General expression for coefficient of
Darcy's law permeability of soil
Seepage velocity (vs) Factors affecting permeability of soils
Determination of coefficient of permeability

INTRODUCTION DARCY's LAW

This chapter outlines the concept of permeability of soil.
The various methods usedfor determination of permeability Water flowing through soil is governed by Darcy's law.
of soil are also discussed. Several factors For laminar flow in a homogeneous soil, the velocity of
affecting perme flow (v) is given by:
ability and. also a general expression for permeability of
soils is explained. The expressions for permeability of soil V=k:i
in stratified soil deposits are also discussed.
" Important engineering property of soils. Where
" The property of soil which permits flow of water (or any k=Coefficient of permeability
other liquud) through it, is known as permeability. i= Hydraulic gradient
discharg:
V= Velocity of flow. It is also known as
HYDRAULIC HEAD (h) velocity or superficial velocity. velocityof
. Total head at any point in a flowing fluid is equal to the The discharge qis obtained by multiplying soil(A) nor-
elevation (or datum) head, the pressure head and the flow () by the total cross-sectional area of
velocity head. mal to the direction of flow.
.Velocity head is neglected in case of water flowing
through soils. q=V:4 = k :i: A
" The loss of head per unit length of flow through the soil is
cqual to the hydraulic gradient (i). NOTE
coeticient ofperne
If the hydraulic gradient is unity, the
|ability is equal to velocity of flow.
diter-
Where " Units: mm/s, cm/s, m/day ofpereabilityof
h= Hydraulic head The typical values of coetticient
1 =Length of soil specimen ent soils are given as follows:
 Chapter4 Permeability | 7.25

Coefficient of Where
Permeability Drainage D= Effective grain size = Do
(mm/s) Properties Y = Unit weight of percolating fluid
Soil Type
10 to 1o+2 Very good u=Viscosity of percolating fluid
Cleangravet
sands 10 2 to 10+! Good e= Void ratio
and medium
Coarse
104to 102 Fair C= Shape constant depends upon type of soil, shape of
loose silt
Fine sands, 105 to 104 Poor
soil particle and packing.
silt
Dense silt, clayey
10 to 106 Very poor FACTORS AFFECTING PERMEABILITY
Silty clay, clay

law: OF SoILS
Validity of Darcy's
through soils is laminar 1. Particle size: k is proportional to the square of
. Darcv's law is valid if the flow number is less than particle size (D).
. Flow will be laminar only
ifReynolds
unity. length in the k Di
. For flow through soils. the characteristic
particle diameter. ratio, the sotls
2. Shape of particles: For the same voidpermeable than
Reynolds number is taken as average
and fine sands. with the angular particles are less
. Darey's law is valid for flow in clays, silts those with rounded particles, as the permeability is
SEEPAGE VELOCITY (V) inversely proportional to the specific surface.
But, the soils with the
e
3. Void ratio: k varies as
1+e
largest void ratio are the least pervious. This is due to
the fact that the individual void passages in clays are
n

Where extremely small through which water cannot flow.

n=Porosity 4. Properties of water
l'= Discharge velocity

=kpi Due to temperature variation, there is a large varia

tion in the value of coefficient of viscosity (u).
The coefficient of permeability increases wth
|kp: Coefficient of percolation an increase in temperature due to
reduction in
Viscosity.
kpis always greater than k. As per IS:2720; the coefticient of permeability is to
be reported at 27°C.
COEFFICIENT OF ABSOLUTE " Ifk is measured at other tenperature, the followng

PERMEABILITY
independent of
lhe
(Ko) properties of water. It depends only on
equation to be used:

characteristies of soil.
Where
|,, ko = Coetticient of permeab1lity at 7C
when viscOSIty ls u
Cnits; mm, cm². m² or k, Coefticient of permeability at rC when
darcy.
darcy=0,987x 10 cm² 5. Degree of saturation: The pemeability of a partally
saturated soil is considerably sma!ler than that of

GENERAL ExPRESSION FOR a fully stturated sol tue to pressure of air. n ieh
causes blockage of passage

CoEFFICIENTOF PERMEABILITY OF
Co
SoIL 6. Adsorbed water: hreduces the permeab1l1ty of sott as
itcauses an obsructiontu flow of watur iin the
1. Inpurities in water: it reduees the perneat:hty of
re
 7.26 | Unit 7 Geotechnical Engineering
DETERMINATION OF COEFFICIENT Solution
Given:
OF PERMEABILITY
Sample length, L = 120 mm, Diameter, D = 80
'k' can be determined by the following methods. mm,
1. Laboratory methods: A=(80) = 5026.54 mm², h, = 1200 mm.
4
(a) Constant head permeability test h, =400 mm; t=6minutes =6x 60 second
(b) Variable head permeability test =360 second.
a= Area of stand pipe = (4)2 = 12.566 mm?
2. Field methods: 4
(a) Pumping out tests al
K=
(b) Pumping in tests At
3. Indirect methods 12.566 X 120 loge 1200
4. Capillary-permeability test. 5026.54x 360 400
k=9.16x 10 mm/s
Constant Head Permeability Test Hence, the answer is 9.1l6 x 10- mm/s.
Test is conducted in an instrument known as
head permeameter. constant Pumping Cut Tests
This test is suitable for cleaning sand and gravel with These are the most accurate tests.
k> 10-2 mm/s. This test is conducted to measure permeability of soils for
Inthis test, k is calculated by using the formula, large engineering projects.
" In apumping out test, soil deposit over a large area is
q=kiA influenced and represents an overall coefficient of perme
ability of a large mass of soil.
iA Ah " Pumping out tests are expensive.
" For unconfined aquifer, the coefficient of permeability'*
The discharge q' is equal to the volume of water col isgiven by:
lected divided by time.
k=
-loge
Variable-head Permeability Test r(Z}-)
This test is suitable for very fine sand and silt with Where
10-2 to 10-5 mm/s. k=
" The instruments used are
Z= Height of water level in observation well () ata
known as permeameters. radial distance of r,.
" In this test, k is calculated by using the
formula, Z, =Height of water level in observation well (2) a
al h, radial distance of r,. permeabilityis
" For
A joge h
confined aquifer, the coefficient of
given by:
Where
a= Area of stand pipe k= -loge
A= Cross-sectional area of soil 2rb(Z, -Z,)
L= Length of soilspecimen specimen
b=Thickness of confined aquifer.
=Time interval in which
head drops from h, to h,.
Pumping-in Tests coefficient of per-
" This test is conducted to determine the
SOLVED EXAMPLE meability of an individual stratum.
" There are two types of pumping-in tests.
Example 1 (a) Open-end test
In a falling head (b) Packer test.
permeameter
the following results test on a silty clay sample,
were obtained; sample length 120
sample diameter 80 mm; initial head 1200 mm, final mm; the
test hole
400 mm: time for fall in head 6 head " In an of test, water
water flows outpacker
minutes, stand pipe diam open-end test,
eter 4 mm. Find the coefficient of through its bottom ends, whereas in
mm/s. permeability of soil in flows out through sides. rocks.
|GATE, 1998] of
" Packer test are commonly used for testing
 Chapter4 Permeability 7.27

Indirect Methods Overall coefficient of permeability,

Hazen's formula:
1. Allen |ky = (k;), x H, +(k;) x H, +.....
k= CD H + H2 t....

permeability (cm/s) (b) Flow normal to the plane of stratification:

k= Coefficient of (cm)
D..=Effective size Discharge per unit width is the same for each layer.
between 100-1 50 " Total loss of head (h) or hydraulic gradient ()
C=Aconstant with a value Over the entire deposit is equal to the sum of loss
suitable
Consolidation test data: This method is of heads or the sum of hydraulic gradients in the
clays) with k < l0-5
for very fine-graincd soils (e.g., individual layer.
mm/s.
Capillary-permeability Test
soils. |h=h = h,
. This is suitable for unsaturated or partially saturated
Permeability of Stratified Soil Deposits
. Stratified soil: Soil consisting number of layers having
different permeabilities.
(a) Flow parallel to plane of stratification: H, Layer (1) |q h
For flow parallel to plane of stratification, loss of
head (h) over a length () is same for all layers.
"Hydraulic gradient is same for all layers. H2 Layer (2)q
Total discharge (g) per unit width is equal to the
sum of discharges in the individual layers.
Overall coeficient of permeability,
H, + H, +.
K, =

HË + H2 +

+q1, Layer (1) (Ky ) (Ky )2

Hz +92, Layer (2)

EXERCISES
1. A
soil mass has of horizontal and verti- The pressure heads at two locations are shown in the
cal coefficient figure. The internal diameter of the pipe is l m and the
ity ofpermeabi lity as 9 10-7 cm/s and 4 x 10-7 cm/s,
respectanively. The transformed coefficient of permeabil-
coefficient of permeability of the soil is I x 10-5 s.
(A) 9x 10-7
(C) 13 x
equivalent
cm/s.
1sotropic soil mass
(B) 4 x 10-7 cm/s.
is 10 m

2. 10-7 cm/s. (D) 6 x 10-7 cm/s. 2 m

According stress. is
media, the to Darcy's law
(A) effectivevelocity
for flow through porous
proportional to Soil
1.5 m

(not to scale)
(B hydraulic gradient.
(C) cohesion. A. In a falling head permeability test the initial head of
(D) stability number. L.0 m dropped to 0.35 m in 3 hours, the diameter of
3Estheümnsoilate ththee flow quantity (in liters per second) through
in
pipe is
the stand pipe being 5 mm. The soil specimen was 200
mm long and of 100 mm diameter. The coefficient of
permeability of the soil is
shown in the following figure.