Energy Sources

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Application of the Kozeny-Carman Equation to

Permeability Determination for a Glacial Outwash
Aquifer, Using Grain-size Analysis

Hilmi S. Salem

To cite this article: Hilmi S. Salem (2001) Application of the Kozeny-Carman Equation to
Permeability Determination for a Glacial Outwash Aquifer, Using Grain-size Analysis, Energy
Sources, 23:5, 461-473, DOI: 10.1080/009083101300058480

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/009083101300058480

Published online: 29 Oct 2001.

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Application of the Kozeny-Carman Equation to

Permeability Determination for a Glacial Outwash
Aquifer, Using Grain-size Analysis

HILMI S. SALEM
Atlantic Geo-Technology
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Permeability (hydraulic conductivity) is a measure of the ability of a porous med-

ium to convey a single Xuid or multiphase Xuids through its body under a certain
hydraulic gradient. In this study, the permeability was determined for the grain-size
fractions and the layers of a glacial outwash aquifer and its aeration zone (northern
Germany) using grain-size analysis and the Kozeny-Carman equation. The aquifer
and the aeration zone are composed of unconsolidated sediments characterized by
lateral and vertical heterogeneities. The sediments consist, primarily, of silts, sands
and gravels, with a majority of sands and a variety of grain sizes. The permeability
of the aquifer and the aeration zone ranges from 2:85 £ 10 ¡4 to 4:60 £ 10¡1 m/s,
corresponding to the grain-size fractions, and from 4:02 £ 10¡6 to 3:35 £ 10¡2 m/s,
corresponding to the layers. These ranges of permeability agree well with those
obtained experimentally from pump tests and laboratory measurements. Several
empirical equations correlating between various parameters, with coeYcients of
correlation ranging from 0.65 to 1.0, were obtained.

Keywords glacial aquifers, grain-size distribution, Kozeny-Carman equation,

permeability, porosity, speci® c surface area

Numerous fresh-water aquifers of glacial origin are present in diŒerent regions of the
world, such as the northern central part of the United States of America, the
southern part of Canada, and the northern part of Europe. Glacial aquifers generally
consist of silts, sands, and gravels, with variable amounts of clays. The sediments of
glacial aquifers have a wide range of grain size, grain shape, and grain type (miner-
alogy). Large quantities of the sands and gravels were deposited as outwash material,
swept out from the melting glaciers by the forces of the melt-water streams and
moraines in front of the glaciers. In their studies on glacial aquifers, McDonald
and Wantland (1961), Frohlich (1973), Kelly (1977), Urish (1981) , and Frohlich
and Kelly (1985) pointed out that glacial aquifers are greatly heterogeneous, laterally
and vertically.
The area of investigation, Segeberger forest, forms about 10% of the total area
of the province of Schleswig-Holstein (S-H), northern Germany. The sediments of
the area are of Pleistocene age, similar to all glacial deposits in northern Europe
(Einsele and Schulz, 1973). The altitude of the area ranges from 25 to 65 m above sea

Received 31 March 2000; accepted 11 May 2000.

Address correspondence to Hilmi S. Salem, Atlantic Geo-Technology, 26 Alton Drive,
Suite 307, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3N 1L9 Canada. E-mail: hilmisalem@ canada.com

461
462 H. S. Salem

level. The annual precipitation on the area is about 800 mm/yr, distributed as
follows: 500 mm evaporation, 60 mm runoŒ, and 240 mm in® ltration recharging
the aquifer system. The aquifer ranges in thickness from 30 to 70 m, with a water
table about 5 to 10 m deep and about 20 m underneath the areas of higher altitude.
The aquifer is underlain by an aquiclude composed of boulder clays, known as
``Geschiebemergel.’’
Fluid ¯ ow through porous media may be quantitativel y evaluated by knowledge
of several physical parameters and conditions, as well as several lithological attrib-
utes. These include velocity of ¯ ow; gravity acceleration; pressure drop; hydraulic
gradient; permeability; porosity; speci® c surface area; density, viscosity, and tem-
perature of ¯ uid; pore-water salinity; geometry of pores and pore channels (tortu-
osity); shape and size of pores and pore channels; and size, shape, type, packing,
sorting, distribution, and orientation of grains (anisotropy).
In the present study, emphasis is placed on determination of permeability, with
respect to the porosity and the speci® c surface area, for the grain-size fractions and
the layers of the S-H aquifer and the aeration zone, using grain-size analysis and the
Kozeny-Carman equation.

Theory
For permeability …k† determination, several equations have been theoretically,
experimentally, and empirically developed (e.g., Slichter, 1899; Van Terzaghi,
1923; Krumbein and Monk, 1942; Wyllie and Rose, 1950; Loudon, 1952; Rose,
1957; Harr, 1962; Chilingar et al., 1963; Davis and De Wiest, 1966; Berg, 1970;
Todd, 1980; De Marsily, 1986; Katz and Thompson, 1986; Johnson et al., 1987;
Salem, 1994; Salem and Chilingarian, 1999). Those equations are dependent, one
way or another, on three fundamental equations: Darcy’s equation (Darcy’s law),
Poiseuille’s equation, and the Kozeny-Carman equation.
The temporal rate of change of the position of a ¯ uid particle is represented by
means of the particle velocity. Fluid velocity is one of the major factors in the
mechanism of ¯ uid ¯ ow through a medium because it is aŒected by the dynamic
and kinematic relationships among the ¯ uid, medium and ¯ ow. The apparent veloc-
ity of ¯ uid ¯ ow …¾ap †, in cm/s, also known as ® lter (microscopic) velocity, is de® ned
as the mean velocity of a ¯ uid, ¯ owing with a rate q, in cm3 /s, through the entire
space of a porous medium, having a cross-sectional area A, in cm2 , and permeability
k, in cm/s, i.e.,
q
¾ap ˆ …1†
A
Equation (1) is one of the simplest forms of Darcy’s law. The actual velocity of
¯ uid …¾ac †, in cm/s, also known as distance (macroscopic) velocity is obtained by
dividing ¾ap by the fractional porosity …¿† of the medium. For a ¯ uid with viscosity ·
(in cP) ¯ owing with a rate q (in cm3 /s) under a pressure gradient ¢P (in atm/cm),
normal to cross-sectional area A (in cm2 ) of a medium with permeability k (in
Darcy), the apparent velocity …¾ap †, in cm/s, is (Darcy’s law):
³ ´
q k
¾ap ˆ ˆ ¢P …2†
A ·
 The Kozeny-Carman Equation to Permeability Determination 463

Using the same units given in Equation (2), k (in Darcy) for the same medium,
having length L (in cm), is
q·L
kˆ …3†
A¢P
For a ¯ uid with viscosity · (in Poise) ¯ owing through a number of capillary
tubes nc , each with capillary length Lc and capillary radius rc (both in cm), where ¢P
is in dyne/cm 2 , the general form of the Poiseuille’s equation for capillary ¯ ow is
!³ ´
nc ºr4c ¢P
qˆ …4†
8· Lc

For linear ¯ ow and capillary ¯ ow, the Darcy’s law and the Poiseuille’ s equation
are quite similar (Tiab and Donaldson, 1996). Using the same units given in Equa-
tions (2)± (4), q of a ¯ uid passing through capillary tubes with a total cross-sectional
area At (in cm 2 ) is
³ ´³ ´
kAt ¢P
qˆ …5†
· Lc

Based on the equations of Darcy and Poiseuille, Kozeny (1927) derived an

equation that was later modi® ed by Carman (1937, 1938) and was thus known as
the Kozeny-Carman equation. The Kozeny-Carman equation is a good-working
hypothesis for determination of permeability or speci® c surface area (Loudon,
1952; Wyllie and Splanger, 1952; Rose, 1957; Kezdi, 1974; De Marsily, 1986;
Salem and Chilingarian, 1999). The Kozeny-Carman equation and its derivatives
can be expressed as follows:

¢Pg¿3
¾ap ˆ …6†
Kcc s2s ·Lc
where
¾ap 5 apparent velocity of ¯ uid ¯ ow (cm/s);
¢P 5 pressure gradient in the direction of ¯ uid ¯ ow (g/cm2 );
g 5 gravity acceleration (ˆ 981 cm/s 2 );
¿ 5 porosity (fractional);
Kcc 5 Kozeny-Carman coe cient (dimensionless);
ss 5 speci® c surface area (cm ¡1 );
· 5 viscosity of ¯ uid (Poise ˆ g/cm.s);
Lc 5 length of capillary tubes (cm).
Substituting · by f¸»g, where ¸ is ¯ uid’s kinematic viscosity (in cm2 /s) and » is
¯ uid’s density (in g/cm3 ), and then substituting f¢P=»Lc g by the hydraulic gradient,
I, dimensionless, Equation (6) is

Ig¿3
¾ap ˆ …7†
¸Kcc s2s

It is important to mention that the symbol I is used for the hydraulic gradient
instead of i because i is used later for the grain-size fractions. Substituting f¿ap =Ig by
k, then k (in cm/s) is
464 H. S. Salem

g¿3
kˆ …8†
¸Kcc s2s

Carman (1937, 1938) substituted ¿3 by f¿3 =…1 ¡ ¿†2 g, dimensionless, known as

porosity factor, which is a measure of texture of the medium, relating k (in cm/s) to
grain size; consequently, Equation (8) is
( )» ³ ´¼
¿3 g
kˆ …9†
…1 ¡ ¿†2 …¸Kcc s2s

For k, in cm 2 , the Kozeny-Carman equation can be simply expressed as (Wyllie

and Gregory, 1955; Chilingar et al., 1963; Pfannkuch, 1969; Salem and Chilingarian,
1999)

¿
kˆ …10†
Kcc s2s

The Kozeny-Carman coe cient, Kcc , is de® ned as the product of tortuosity …½†
and shape factor …Shf †, both are dimensionless, i.e., fKcc ˆ ½Shf g. The shape factor is
a measure of the shape of the grains, pores, and pore channels in a porous medium.
The tortuosity and shape factor re¯ ect the geometry of the cross-sectional area of the
pore channels normal to the ¯ ow direction. For unconsolidated sediments, Carman
(1937, 1938) assigned a value of 2.0 for ½ and a value of 2.5 for Shf , which both
results in a value of 5.0 for Kcc .
The speci® c surface area, ss , is variably de® ned as the interstitial surface area of
the pores and pore channels for each unit of bulk volume, grain volume, pore
volume, in cm2 /cm 3 (ˆ cm¡1 ), or for a unit of weight of a material, in cm2 /g. For
a medium, with grain diameter D, in cm, and porosity ¿, in fraction, Carman (1937)
gave the following equation for ss :

6…1 ¡ ¿†
ss ˆ …11†
D

If porosity and grain size are known, then Equation (11) can be used to obtain
the speci® c surface area of fractions of sediments …ssf , in cm¡1 †. For a layer con-
sisting of diŒerent fractions (X i to X n), with various grain sizes and various speci® c
surface areas, the speci® c surface area of all sediment fractions in that layer (ssl , in
cm ¡1 ) can be obtained as (Loudon, 1952)
( )
n
X
ssl ˆ L X i ssi …12†
iˆ1

where
L 5 dimensionless coe cient ranging from 1.1 (for rounded grains) to 1.4 (for
angular grains);
ssi 5 speci® c surface area of fraction i, in cm¡1 (ˆ 6=Dmi †;
Dmi 5 mean diameter of the grains in fraction i (in cm).
 The Kozeny-Carman Equation to Permeability Determination 465

Methodology
The permeability, k, was determined for the grain-size fractions and the layers of the
S-H aquifer and its aeration zone with respect to the porosity, ¿, and the speci® c
surface area, ss . That was achieved by using grain-size analysis (GSA) of the sedi-
ments obtained from 6 wells at depth (Z) ranging from 1 to 32 m and by applying the
Kozeny-Carman equation.
The fractions of silts, ® ne, medium, and coarse sands and gravels, as well as a
small amount of clays were recognized at various depths. The weight percentage
(WP) and the grain-size distribution (GSD), both obtained from GSA, were plotted
on semi-log paper to construct the accumulative curves that represent the various
fractions of the sediments. The accumulative curves were then used to obtain the
grain size (Gs , in mm) as D10 , D50 , and D90 , which are, respectively, de® ned as the size
of the grains (in terms of diameter D) regressed at WP of 10, 50, and 90% . The
uniformity coe cient …Uc †, dimensionless, was obtained as the ratio of D regressed
at 90% to D regressed at 10% , i.e., fUc ˆ D90 =D10 g.
For each accumulative curve, the values of Uc and D50 (in mm) were introduced
in the following empirical equations, given by Urish (1981) for similar heterogeneous
glacial aquifers, to obtain the porosity, in % , as maximum …¿max † and minimum
…¿min †, from which the average porosity …¿av † was obtained as f…¿max ‡ ¿min †=2g

log ¿max ˆ 1:62563 ¡ 0:08653 log D50 ¡ 0:03636 log U c …13†

log ¿min ˆ 1:53902 ¡ 0:18968 log D50 ¡ 0:08201 log Uc …14†

The speci® c surface area of the grain-size predominant fractions of the grain
sizes of the sediments in each layer (ssf , in cm ¡1 ) was obtained in accord with
Equation (11). The speci® c surface area of all the fractions in each layer (ssl , in
cm ¡1 ) was obtained in accord with Equation (12). For this purpose, one requires
Gs regressed at D10 , D50 , and D90 and the corresponding WP (both read from the
accumulative curves), as well as a value for L, which was assumed as 1.3, because of
the variations in the grain shape of the sediments.
The values of porosity and speci® c surface area were then used in the Kozeny-
Carman equation (Equation 9) to determine the permeability …kf † and …k1 †, in cm/s,
for the fractions and the layers, respectively. A value of 0.01 cm 2 /s was used for ¸ and
a value of 5.0 (dimensionless) was used for Kcc .
The values of D10 , D50 , and D90 (in mm), U c (dimensionless), ¿av (in % ), ssf and
ssl (in cm ¡1 ), kf and k1 (in m/s), corresponding to the various layers penetrated by the
six wells at diŒerent depths …Z†, are given in Table 1. Empirical equations [Equations
(15)± (32)], along with their coe cients of correlation …Rc †, ranging from 0.65 to 1.0,
are given in Table 2. These 18 equations represent relationships correlating among
the various parameters determined in this study. Examples of the relationships are
given in Figures 1± 4.

Results and Discussion

The grain-size analysis showed that the sediments exhibit a range of Gs from
µ 63 mm (clays and silts) to ¶ 2 £ 104 mm (coarse gravels). The analysis also
showed that the amount of clays is very small, agreeing with the results obtained
by Schroeter (1983), who indicated that the clay fraction does not exceed 1.5% of the
 Table 1
Grain size of sediments (diameter of grains; D10 , D50 , and D90 ), in mm, regressed at weight of 10, 50, and 90% ; uniformity coe cient …Uc †,
dimensionless; average porosity …¿av †, in % ; speci® c surface area of the predominant grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …ssf †, in cm¡1 ;
speci® c surface area of all grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …ssl †, in cm¡1 ; permeability of the predominant grain-size fractions of
sediments in a layer …kf †, in m/s; and permeability of all grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …k1 †, in m/s. The parameters were
determined from grain-size analysis for samples taken from 6 wells penetrating the aeration zone and the aquifer (S-H, northern Germany) at
depth (Z) ranging from 1 to 32 m
Z D10 D50 D90 ¿av ssf ssl kf k1
WELL (m) (mm) (mm) (mm) Uc (% ) (cm ¡1 † (cm¡1 ) (m/s) (m/s)
A 1± 5 100 590 3,800 38.0 33.3 68 172 2.13 £ 10¡2 3.33 £ 10¡3
77 600 3,200 5,400 9.0 29.3 13 49 4.60 £ 10¡1 3.35 £ 10¡2
722 125 525 2,700 21.6 35.2 75 218 1.94 £ 10¡2 2.23 £ 10¡3
B 3.5± 4 15 200 525 35.0 42.3 173 2,285 4.80 £ 10¡3 2.76 £ 10¡5
76.2 10 35 182 18.2 50.8 844 7,100

466
2.85 £ 10¡4 4.02 £ 10¡6
77 80 440 2,600 32.5 35.2 89 190 1.36 £ 10¡2 2.98 £ 10¡3
C 5.5± 6.5 12 110 575 47.9 45.0 300 2,878 1.78 £ 10¡3 1.94 £ 10¡5
710.5 215 800 17,500 81.4 29.6 53 158 2.96 £ 10¡3 3.30 £ 10¡3
D 1± 6 16 220 1,550 96.9 39.5 166 1,896 4.71 £ 10¡3 3.57 £ 10¡5
78 145 1,800 4,600 31.7 28.1 24 284 1.33 £ 10¡1 9.49 £ 10¡4
714 180 3,500 4,400 24.4 25.0 13 173 3.93 £ 10¡1 2.18 £ 10¡3
722 130 600 4,600 35.4 33.7 67 575 2.27 £ 10¡2 3.02 £ 10¡4
E 1± 6 230 600 3,800 16.5 35.1 65 226 2.52 £ 10¡2 2.08 £ 10¡3
712.5 160 380 1,400 8.8 38.6 97 153 1.31 £ 10¡2 5.27 £ 10¡3
F 1± 9 85 440 6,750 79.4 33.5 91 153 1.20 £ 10¡2 4.22 £ 10¡3
710 20 925 30,000 1,500 26.0 48 1,133 3.00 £ 10¡2 5.37 £ 10¡5
719 102 390 2,200 21.6 36.6 98 212 1.19 £ 10¡2 2.53 £ 10¡3
721 83 290 775 9.3 39.9 125 431 8.42 £ 10¡3 7.02 £ 10¡4
732 95 500 7,000 73.7 33.1 81 148 1.51 £ 10¡2 4.44 £ 10¡3
 The Kozeny-Carman Equation to Permeability Determination 467

Table 2
Empirical equations [Equations (15)± (32); listed as indicated in the text] with
coe cients of correlation (Rc , ranging from 0.65 to 1.0) correlating among grain size
of sediments (diameter of grains; D10 , D50 , and D90 ), in mm, regressed at weight of 10,
50, and 90% ; average porosity …¿av †, in% ; speci® c surface area of the predominant
grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …ssf †, in cm¡1 ; speci® c surface area of all
grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …ssl †, in cm¡1 ; permeability of grain-size
fractions …kf †, in m/s; and permeability of layers …k1 †, in m/s. These equations are
based on grain-size analysis for samples obtained from 6 wells at depth (Z) ranging
from 1 to 32 m, penetrating the aeration zone and the aquifer (S-H northern
Germany). The equations represent grain size ranging from µ 63 mm to
¶ 2 £ 104 mm, which correspond to clays and silts (µ 63), ® ne sands (63± 200),
medium sands (200± 630), coarse sands (630± 2000), ® ne gravels (2000± 6300), medium
gravels …6:3 £ 103 –2 £ 104 †, and coarse gravels …¶ 2 £ 104 †. Equations (21), (26),
(28) and (32) correspond, respectively, to Figures 1± 4

Eq. # Equation Nature of Correlation Rc Figure

…¡0:095548 †
(15) ¿av ˆ 52:525 D10 Inverse Correlation 0.65
…¡0:157640 †
(16) ¿av ˆ 92:052 D50 Inverse Correlation 0.95
…¡0:130970 †
(17) ¿av ˆ 97:993 D90 Inverse Correlation 0.92
…¡1:0499†
(18) ssl ˆ 36299 D10 Inverse Correlation 0.90
(19) ssl ˆ 1:03 £ 105 D…¡0:90457
50
†
Inverse Correlation 0.96
…¡0:63162 †
(20) ssl ˆ 57009 D90 Inverse Correlation 0.91
…4:9434†
(21) ssf ˆ 1:9334 £ 10¡6 ¿av Direct Correlation 0.96 Fig. 1
…4:4436†
(22) ssl ˆ 5:4557 £ 10 ¡5 ¿av Direct Correlation 0.92
…1:1724†
(23) kf ˆ 1:04 £ 10¡4 D10 Direct Correlation 0.77
(24) kf ˆ 1:03 £ 10¡6 D…1:5673†
50 Direct Correlation 0.99
…1:9423†
(25) k1 ˆ 1:589 £ 10¡7 D10 Direct Correlation 0.97
…¡0:096014 †
(26) ¿av ˆ 23:436 kf Inverse Correlation 0.92 Fig. 2
(27) ssf ˆ 10:155 k…¡0:28482
1
†
Inverse Correlation 0.85
…¡0:57796 †
(28) ssl ˆ 35:937 kf Inverse Correlation 0.96 Fig. 3
(29) kf ˆ 32:143 s…¡1:7268†
sf Inverse Correlation 1.00
…¡1:8536†
(30) k1 ˆ 44:284 ssl Inverse Correlation 0.99
(31) ssl ˆ 4:9474 s…0:99285†
sf Direct Correlation 0.96
…1:0031†
(32) k1 ˆ 4:3827 £ 10¡2 kf Direct Correlation 0.72 Fig. 4

sediments. The D10 (Table 1) covers a Gs range of 10± 600 mm (median ˆ 100 mm),
corresponding to silts, ® ne and medium sands, and the small clay portion. The D50
(Table 1) covers a Gs range of 35± 3500 mm (median ˆ 500 mm), corresponding to silts,
® ne, medium, and coarse sands, and ® ne gravels. The D90 (Table 1) covers a Gs range
from 182 to 3 £ 104 mm (median ˆ 3800 mm), corresponding to ® ne, medium, and
468 H. S. Salem

coarse-grained sands and gravels. The median values (100, 500, and 3800 mm) corre-
spond, respectively, to ® ne sands, medium sands, and ® ne gravels. The sediments
within the aquifer exhibit a general range of Gs from 100 to 6300 mm, corresponding
to ® ne, medium, and coarse sands, as well as ® ne gravels. The Gs range of the aquifer
coincides with the median values of Gs (100, 500, 3800). These results indicate that
the values of Gs (regressed at D10 , D50 , and D90 ) cover together the whole range of the
size of the grains present in the aquifer and the aeration zone.
The obtained physical parameters (Table 1) have the following ranges and median
values (given in brackets): ¿av ˆ 25± 51% (35.1% ), corresponding to a range of ¿max of
33± 55% and a range of ¿min of 16± 42% ; ssf 5 13± 844 cm¡1 (81 cm¡1 ); ssl ˆ 49±
7100 cm¡1 (218 cm¡1 ); kf ˆ 2:85 £ 10¡4 –4:6 £ 10¡1 m/s (1:15 £ 10¡2 m/s); k1 ˆ 4:02£
10¡6 –3:35 £ 10¡2 m/s (2:18 £ 10¡3 m/s). The wide ranges of these parameters can be
contributed to the high degree of lateral and vertical heterogeneitie s characterizing
the sediments of the aquifer and the aeration zone.
It is important to mention that the median values are used instead of the mean
values, because the median values are more representative of the wide variations of
the parameters obtained than the mean values. In addition, a median value (repre-
senting the value of the middle variable of a class of data and corresponding to the
50% point on an accumulative frequency range of values) is not sensitive to extreme
values, as in the case of the mean value. Regarding the porosity in particular, the
diŒerence between the mean value (35.3% ) and the median value (35.1% ) is negli-
gible because ¿ has no extreme values, similar to the other parameters.
The interrelationships among the various parameters determined for the frac-
tions and the layers [Table 2; Equations (15)± (32); Figures 1± 4] show the presence of
a strong interconnection between Gs (represented by D10 , D50 , and D90 ), ¿, ss , and k.
Table 2 shows that an increase in ¿ is associated with a decrease in Gs [Equations
(15)± (17)]; an increase in ss is associated with a decrease in Gs (Equations (18)± (20)
and with an increase in ¿ [Equations (21)± (22); Figure 1]; and an increase in k is
associated with an increase in Gs [Equations (23)± (25)] and with a decrease in ¿
[Equation (26); Figure 2], as well as with a decrease in ss [Equations (27)± (30);

Figure 1. Average porosity …¿av †, in % , versus speci® c surface area of the predominant grain-
size fractions of sediments in a layer …ssf †, in cm¡1 ; 19 readings representing 6 wells penetrating
the aeration zone and the aquifer (S-H, northern Germany).
 The Kozeny-Carman Equation to Permeability Determination 469

Figure 2. Permeability of the predominant grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …kf †, in

m/s, versus average porosity …¿av †, in % ; 19 readings representing 6 wells penetrating the
aeration zone and the aquifer (S-H, northern Germany).

Figure 3. Permeability of the predominant grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …kf †, in

m/s, versus speci® c surface area of all grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …ssl †, in cm¡1 ;
19 readings representing 6 wells penetrating the aeration zone and the aquifer (S-H, northern
Germany).

Figure 3]. The speci® c surface area of the predominant grain-size fractions …ssf † and
that of all the fractions together in a layer …ssl † show a progressive increase with each
other [Equation 31]. Also, the permeability of fractions …kf † and that of layers …k1 †
increase progressively with each other [Equation (32); Figure 4]. The fact that
ssf < ssl and kf > k1 (Table 1) suggests that an increase in the number of fractions
in a layer, particularly those of a ® ner grain size, leads to an increase in the speci® c
surface area of the sediments, which results in a lower permeability of that layer. The
uniformity coe cient …Uc ˆ D90 =D10 † does not show strong correlations with the
various parameters obtained because it re¯ ects a wide range of grain sizes, indicating
lack of uniformity of the sediments. The range of Uc [º 9–97, with a single reading of
1500 (median ˆ 32.5); Table 1] agrees well with the ranges of heterogeneous glacial
deposits given by other researchers.
470 H. S. Salem

Figure 4. Permeability of the predominant grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …kf †, in

m/s, versus permeability of all grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer …k1 †, in m/s; 19
readings representing 6 wells penetrating the aeration zone and the aquifer (S-H, northern
Germany).

The speci® c surface area is a sensitive parameter to the variations of Gs .

The results indicate that an increase in the value of ss is related to an increase in
the amount of ® ne-grained sediments (associated with an increase in ¿ and a decrease
in k). Also, a decrease in the value of ss is related to an increase in the amount of
coarse-grained sediments (associated with a decrease in ¿ and an increase in k). It is
important to mention that if clays were present in a greater amount, the values of ss
would be much higher than those obtained, and thus the values of k would be much
lower than those obtained. Davis and De Wiest (1966) presented k values for clays,
ranging from 10¡10 to 10¡8 m/s (0.01± 1 mD). For hydrocarbon reservoirs, composed
of shaly (clayey) sandstones, Salem and Chilingarian (1999) obtained values of ss of
up to º 4:8 £ 104 cm ¡1 …k ˆ 1:9mD†, corresponding to clays …Gs ˆ 1:2 mm†. The
variations of ss aŒect strongly the variations of k, because ss contributes to
the nature of the grain-to-grai n contact and the size of the pores, which both play
a considerable role in the mechanism of ¯ uid ¯ ow through the pore channels
(capillaries).

Conclusions
Permeability of aquifers can be determined empirically, theoretically or experiment-
ally from laboratory measurements, tracer tests, or pump tests. For the glacial
aquifer in S-H (northern Germany), the permeability, along with the speci® c surface
area and the porosity, was determined from grain-size analysis using the Kozeny-
Carman equation. The aquifer is composed of unconsolidated, heterogeneous sedi-
ments that consist of a variety of grain sizes and diŒerent mineralogical composi-
tions. Variations of the parameters that control the hydraulic ¯ ow through the
aquifer are strongly aŒected by the grain-size distribution of the sediments. The
nature of the relationships between the various parameters is primarily dependent
on the grain-size distribution and variations of the grain size. A decrease in the grain
size leads to an increase in the speci® c surface area, which results in a decrease in the
 The Kozeny-Carman Equation to Permeability Determination 471

permeability. The high degree of heterogeneity of the aquifer contributes to the wide
variations of the physical properties of the sediments, re¯ ected in the water-¯ ow
nonuniformity. The results obtained agree well with those obtained experimentally
for the same aquifer or other aquifers composed of glacial deposits. The obtained
empirical equations, correlating among several parameters, can be successfully
applied to similar deposits.

Nomenclature
A Cross-sectional area of a porous medium, normal to ¯ uid ¯ ow (cm2 )
At Total cross-sectional area of capillary tubes in a porous medium (cm2 )
D Diameter of grains (cm, mm, mm)
Dm Mean diameter of grains (cm, mm, mm)
D10 Size of grains regressed at 10% of weight (cm, mm, mm)
D50 Size of grains regressed at 50% of weight (cm, mm, mm)
D90 Size of grains regressed at 90% of weight (cm, mm, mm)
Gs Grain size (cm, mm, mm)
I Hydraulic gradient (dimensionless)
Kcc Kozeny-Carman coe cient (dimensionless)
L Length of medium (cm)
Lc Length of capillary (cm)
Rc Correlation coe cient (dimensionless)
Shf Shape factor of grains, pores, and pore channels (dimensionless)
Uc Uniformity coe cient (dimensionless)
X i¡n Weight percentage of grain-size fractions (i± n) in a layer (% )
X Variable of the X-axis in the empirical equations of Figures 1± 4 (various
dimensions)
Y Variable of the Y-axis in the empirical equations of Figures 1± 4 (various
dimensions)
Z Depth (m)
a Empirical-equation coe cient in Figure 1 (dimensionless)
g Gravity acceleration (ˆ 981 cm/s2 )
k Permeability (cm/s, m/s, mD, Darcy, cm2 )
kf Permeability of the predominant grain-size fractions in a layer (m/s)
kl Permeability of a layer (m/s)
nc Number of capillaries in a medium
q Rate of ¯ uid ¯ ow (cm3 /s)
rc Radius of capillary (cm)
ss Speci® c surface area (cm¡1 , cm 2 /g)
ssi–n Speci® c surface area of grain-size fractions (i± n) in a layer (cm ¡1 )
ssf Speci® c surface area of the predominant grain-size fractions in a layer (cm ¡1 )
ssl Speci® c surface area of all grain-size fractions of sediments in a layer (cm ¡1 )
L Coe cient of roundness and angularity of grains (dimensionless)
· Viscosity of ¯ uid (Centipoise ``cP,’’ Poise, g/cm.s)
¸ Kinematic viscosity of ¯ uid (cm2 /s)
¿ Porosity (fraction or % )
¿av Average porosity (% )
¿max Maximum porosity (% )
¿min Minimum porosity (% )
472 H. S. Salem

» Density of ¯ uid (g/m3 )

½ Tortuosity (dimensionless)
¾ac Actual velocity of ¯ uid (cm/s)
¾ap Apparent velocity of ¯ uid (cm/s)
¢P Pressure drop (atm/cm, dyne/cm2 , g/cm 2 )
GSA Grain-size analysis
GSD Grain-size distribution
S-H Schleswig-Holstein
WP Weight percentage (% )

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