Flow of Water Through Soils

Bernoullis Equation
h = Pr essure head + Velocity head + Elevation head

u 2

h= + +z
w 2g
where:
h = total head
u = pressure
w = unit weight of water (9.81kN/m3 or 62.4lbs/ft3)
g = acceleration due to gravity
Z = vertical distance of a given point above or below a datum plane

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 Flow of Water in Soils
For most soils the velocity of water flow is very
small therefore the velocity head term can be
neglected

u
h= + Z = h p + he
w

h = Pr essure head + Elevation head

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 FLOW
Water flow occurs only when there is a
change in total head between two points.

When water flows through soil it will lose

head due to friction

Loss of head between Points A and B

h = hA hB = A + Z A B + Z B
W W

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 Hydraulic Gradient (i)
Head loss per unit length is:

h
i=
where:
L
i = hydraulic gradient
h = head loss between points of interest
L = distance between points of interest

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 In Most Soils
Flow though most soils can be considered
to be laminar
Therefore a linear relationship between
velocity and hydraulic gradient

vi
Flow conditions may be turbulent in fractured
rock, stones, gravel, and very coarse sands

Darcys law
1856 Darcy published a simple equation
for the discharge velocity through
saturated soils
v = ki
v = discharge velocity (L3/L2/T)
k = hydraulic conductivity (L/T)

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 Discharge Velocity
Quantity of water flowing in unit time
through a unit gross cross sectional area
of soil at right angles to the direction of
flow
Does not account for flow through soil
voids

Seepage Velocity

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Discharge and Seepage Velocity

Seepage Velocity

q = vA = Av vs
Where:
q= quantity of water flowing per unit time
v= discharge velocity
A= area of soil specimen perpendicular to flow
Av= area of voids in soil section
vs= seepage velocity

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 Seepage Velocity
Av Vv
= =n
A V 1
v e
vs = = v
n e + 1
where:
n= porosity
e= void ratio
See derivation DAS page 159

Seepage Velocity
Note:
Seepage velocity is significantly greater
than the Darcys discharge velocity
Seepage velocity is an average velocity
through the pore voids
Higher velocities will occur in small pore
throats
Low velocities in large pore throats

See derivation DAS page 159

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 Hydraulic Conductivity
Kg K w
k= =

where:
K = absolute permeability (L2)
= density of fluid
g = gravitational constant
= viscosity of fluid
w = Unit weight of fluid

Hydraulic Conductivity
Depends on:
Type of fluid (water vs molasses)
Viscosity, density
Pore size distribution
Grain size distribution
Void ratio
Particle shape
Degree of saturation
Size of double layer (clay type)

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 Hydraulic Conductivity

Laboratory Measurement of
Hydraulic Conductivity
Cohesionless soils (sand and gravel)
Constant head test
Falling head test

Cohesive soils (silt and clay)

Triaxial cell

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 Constant Head Test

Constant Head Test

Q = vAt = kiAt = k(h/L)At

where:
Q = quantity of flow (L3)
A = cross section area of column (L2)
t = duration of water collection (T)

Solve for k:

QL
k=
Aht

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 Falling Head Test
t1

t2
No head loss

Constant head
L

Note: hydraulic gradient decreases with time

No head loss

Falling Head Test

Record level h1 at t1=0
Head is allowed to flow such that the final head
difference is at time t = t2 is h2

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 Falling Head Test
Record level h1 at t1=0
Head is allowed to flow such that the final head
difference is at time t = t2 is h2
dh
qstandpipe = a = qinto soil column
dt
where:
a = cross sectional area of stand pipe
dh/dt = change in head in change in time= velocity of water falling

Minus sign is used to indicate falling head (decreasing head)

Falling Head Test

h
qsoil = k A
L
where:
k = soil hydraulic conductivity
h = total head loss
L = length of soil column resulting in head loss
A = soil column cross sectional area

Continuity:

qin = qsoil

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 Falling Head Test
dh h
a =k A
dt L h1
dh A
a = k dt
h L
h2 dh A t2
a = k dt
h1 h L t1 h2
h A
a ln 1 = k t
t1 t2

h2 L
aL h
k = 2.303 log 1
At h2

K Relationships for Granular Soils

Hazen Equation
k(cm/s) = cD210
where:
c= a constant that varies from 1.0 to 1.5
D10 = effective particle size for 10 percent
passing (mm)

Equation works OK for clean loose sand.

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 K Relationships for Granular Soils
Recommend measuring K in the lab or in the
field if it is critical

K field measurement methods:

Bail test
Well pump test
Permeameter
Borehole packer test

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 NEED K
Test the soil
Granular constant or falling head
Silt and Clay triaxial cell
Field pump test

Stratified Soils
Horizontal Flow
q = vA
Assume unit length in page
A=1*H

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 Stratified Soils
q = v1 H
= v11H1 + v21H 2 + v31H 3 + ....vn1H n
if K H constant
v = k H (eq)i (eq) ; v1 = K H 1i1 ; v2 = K H 2i2 .....vn = K Hnin
i( eq ) = i1 = i2 = i3 ......in

k H ( eq ) =
1
(k H 1 + k H 2 + k H 3 + .....k Hn )
H

Stratified Soils
Vertical Flow
q1 = q2 = q3 = q4 = ...qn
h = h1 + h2 + h3 + ....hn

H
KV ( eq ) =
H1 H 2 H 3 H
+ + + ... + n
kV 1 kV 2 kV 3 kVn

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