12/06/20

Duhok Technical College of Engineering

Dept. of Highways & Bridges
Geotechnical Engineering Lab
3rd Year (20 – 21)

Lab Notes #10

‫زانكـــويا پوليتــــةكنيكى يا دهـــوك‬
‫جامعــــــــة دهــــــــــوك التقـــــنية‬
Lecturer Assist.: Nazeer M. Ali Duhok Polytechnic University
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Standard Test Methods for

Measurement of Hydraulic Conductivity of
Saturated Porous Materials Using a Flexible
Wall Permeameter (Falling Head)

ASTM D5084 – 03
References:
1. https://www.scribd.com/doc/241309538/Falling-Head-Permeability-Test-lab-report
2. SOIL MECHANICS - LAB MANUAL (B. DAS, 9TH Ed. 2016 )
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WHAT IS PERMEABILITY?
• A measure of how easily a fluid (e.g., Water) can pass through a porous
medium (e.g., Soils)

Loose Soil
Dense Soil
 Easy to Flow
 Difficult to Flow
 High Permeability
 Low Permeability

OBJECTIVE

1. To Determine permeability of soils of Intermediate and Low permeability

 (k < 10-4 m/s) - Silts and Clays.

2. To Describe the general accepted practice to determine the Coefficient

of Permeability, k of Silts and Clays.

3. To Identify the relationship between Permeability and Pore Size of the

Fine grained soils.

4. To Measure the Coefficient of Permeability, k of Silts and Clays.

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THEORY BACKGROUND

• In the Falling head test a relatively short sample is connected to a Standpipe

which provides both
 The Head of water and
 The measuring the Quantity of Water flowing through the sample.
• Several Standpipes of different diameters are available from which can be
selected the diameter most suitable for the type of material being tested.
• In Permeability Tests on Clays, much higher hydraulic gradients (i) than are
normally used with Sands can be applied.
• The cohesion of Clays provides resistance to failure by piping at gradients
of up to several hundred, even under quite low confining or surcharge
pressures.
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THEORY BACKGROUND
• The Falling head principle can be applied to:
 An Undisturbed Sample in a Sampling Tube and
 A sample in an Oedometer Consolidation Cell.
• The equation used in determine the Permeability of Fine grained soils is:

• The time difference (t2 − t1) can be expressed as the Elapsed time, t (mins).
• The heights h1 and h2 in (mm)
• The Length, L in (mm)
• The areas A and a in mm2.
𝒂𝑳 𝒉𝟏
𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝑲𝑻 = 𝑨 𝒙 𝟔𝟎𝒕 𝒍𝒏 (mm/s)
𝒉𝟐
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THEORY BACKGROUND
• To convert Natural logarithms to ordinary (base 10) logarithms,
• Multiply by 2.303.
• If Permeability, k is expressed in cm/s;

 h1 = Initial head
 h2 = Final head
 t = Time interval
 ɑ = Cross-sectional area of the liquid Stand pipe
 A = Cross-sectional area of the Soil sample
 L = Length of Soil sample
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TEST METHOD

• The Time to perform permeability test depends on:

1. The Initial Degree of Saturation of the test specimen,

2. The Hydraulic Conductivity of the test specimen.

• The testing time is ultimately controlled by meeting the Equilibrium criteria

for each Method.

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TEST EQUIPMENT
1. Falling head Permeameter,
2. Balance sensitive to 0.1 g.
3. Thermometer
4. Stopwatch
5. Funnel
6. Two wire mesh
7. Different stand pipe Dimeters
7. Two porous stone
8. Water basin to get full saturation

FALLING HEAD PERMEAMETER

• The top of the specimen tube is connected to a burette (Manometer ) by
plastic tubing.

• The specimen tube and the burette are

held vertically by clamps from a stand.
• The specimen tube is in water basin
when testing (Optional, depend on soil
sample type or Permeameter cell type)
• The funnel is held vertically by a clamp
from another stand.
• A scale is also fixed vertically to this
stand.
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TEST PROCEDURE
1. Prepare the soil sample similar to compaction test.

• Put one wire mesh over the porous stone at the base of Specimen

• Place a soil sample in the cell, then put the second wire mesh below the
porous stone,

• Add sufficient amount of water to the soil, make about three layers and
compact each layer constant number of blows.(The sample must be fine soil).

2. When you finished put the sample in to water basin for getting full saturation
Specimen for (24 hour).

3. The Length L, and Diameter D of the specimen along with Masses M1 and M2
should be recorded (DS Table: Lines 1 to 4).

• Connect the plastic tube at the top of specimen

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TEST PROCEDURE

4. Supply Water using a plastic tube with funnel from the water inlet to the burette

• The water will flow from the burette to the specimen .

• Check to see that there is no leak.

• Remove all Air bubbles.

5. Allow the water to flow for some time in order to Saturate the specimen.

6. When the water will flow from outlet:

• Using the Control valve , close the flow of water through the specimen.

• Record the high of water in burette (Manometer) - h1

7. Open the valve, water will flow through sample until high of (h2) at certain time
(t).
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TEST PROCEDURE
8. Measure the head difference, h (cm).

• Do not add any more water to the burette.

• Record time (t) with a stopwatch until the head difference is equal to h2 (cm).

9. Determine the Volume (Vw) of water (cm3 ) that is drained from burette.

10. Chang the level of sample, add more Water to the burette to make another
run.

• Repeat Steps 6 to 9.

• h1 and h2 should be changed for each run.

11. Record the Temperature, T, of the water to the nearest degree (°C).

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CALCULATIONS
• Calculate void ratio, e (Table 14-1) in a similar way in Table 13-4.

• The Coefficient of Permeability at temperature T, (cm/sec):

ɑ = the inside cross-sectional area of the burette (Standpipe)

(See Line 8 of Table 14-2)

A = Area of the specimen (As in CHP Test)

(See Bottom of Table 14-2)

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CALCULATIONS
• Calculate KT at temperature of 20ºC (Temp. Correction):

 K TºC = Measured Permeability at the actual water temperature in the

Lab

 K20ºC = Permeability at the Standard temperature of 20 ºC

3. Report the Average value of Coefficient of Permeability.

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FALLING HEAD Permeability DATA SHEET

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LABORATORY REPORT
• The laboratory report should contain the following:

 Cover page

 Equipment used

 Description of test procedure

 Results: data sheets for void ratio determination and determination of the
coefficient of permeability, as well as sample calculations

 Discussion- If the value of D10 is available, calculate the values of k using

Eqs. (13.5) and (13.6) and Fig. 13-3. Discuss the variation of k between
the value determined experimentally and those estimated from the above-
mentioned equations and graph.

 Sources of error: discuss any source(s) of error

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THE END

ANY QUESTIONS

‫زانكـــويا پوليتــــةكنيكى يا دهـــؤك‬

‫جامعــــــــة دهــــــــــوك التقـــــنية‬
Assistant Lecturer : Nazeer M. Ali Duhok Polytechnic University