4/11/2021

PBW N302
Credit Hours
CEM/WEE/STE

Dr. Asmaa Moddather

Soil Mechanics and Foundations
Faculty of Engineering – Cairo University

SPRING 2021

SOIL PERMEABILITY

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Permeability
• Definition: is a measure of how easily a fluid (water) can
pass through a porous medium (soil).

Loose Soil Dense Soil

High permeability Low permeability

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

Permeability

• Applications:
o Water wells
 Water production
 Dewatering

o Earth dams
 Estimate quantity of water seeping through the dam
 Evaluating stability of dam

o Ground improvement by preloading

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Darcy’s Law
• Water moves through soil with
discharge Q, and velocity v.
Q = A.v h Q = V/t
v∝ i
v ∝ h/L
v = k h/L
Q = Akh/L 1
Soil
2
A
where:
Q = water discharge (volume/time)
A = area perpendicular to flow direction L
V = velocity of flow (length/time)
i = hydraulic gradient = h/L
Direction of flow
h = total head difference
L = length parallel to flow direction
k = coefficient of soil permeability
Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

Seepage and Discharge Velocities

• Discharge velocity (v):

o velocity of flow through entire cross-section.
o Q = Av
o Can be measured.

• Seepage velocity (vs):

o velocity of flow through voids.
o Q = Avvs
o Can’t be measured, only calculated, how?
L
L
Area of voids
Area

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Seepage and Discharge Velocities

Q = Av = Avvs

Therefore: vs = v ( A/AV)
Multiplying both sides by the length of the medium (L)

vS = v ( AL / AVL ) = v ( V T / VV )
where:
V T = total volume
Vv = void volume

By Definition, Vv / V T = n, the soil porosity

vS = v/n
Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

Factors Affecting k

• Soil type
ksand > kclay
• Void ratio A
e  k (kloose sand > kdense sand)
• Particles orientation
kB > kA B A

• Type of fluid
Viscosity  k
• Temperature
Temperature  Viscosity k
Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Laboratory Determination of k

• Constant head test

• Falling head test

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

Constant Head Test

• Head is constant
• Apply Darcy’s law:
Continuous
o Q = Av water supply
c
o V/t = Akh/L
o k = (V/t)L/Ah
• Suitable for coarse-grained
soils.
Overflow:
Volume V in
Time t

Direction of flow

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Falling Head Test

• Head is variable
• Coefficient of permeability can be calculated using the
following relationship:

h o Ak
ln = T
h f La a T
ho

• Suitable for fine-grained soils. h

f
Overflow

Direction of flow
A

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Falling Head Test

h
• Q=Av=Aki= A.k. -------- (1)
L
dh.a
• Q at time dt = − -------- (2) dt
dt
∆h
h dh.a a
• A.k. = −
L dt ho
aL dh h
• dt = − . f
Ak h Overflow

T h
aL f dh
•
0 dt = − Ak h h Direction of flow
A
o

aL
• T=−
Ak
[ h
]
ln h h fo
h o Ak
• ln = T
h f La Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Limitations of Permeability Lab Tests

• Non-homogeneity of soil

• Anisotropy of soil

• Sampling disturbance

• Cracks and inclusions

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Definitions:
o Aquifer: a water-bearing layer of soil with considerable
amount of water.

o Piezometer: a small-diameter pipe used to measure the

groundwater head in aquifers.

o Confined versus Unconfined aquifer.

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Confined versus Unconfined aquifer:

Piezometer Water level Land surface

Aquitard

Unconfined
aquifer
Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Confined versus Unconfined aquifer:

Piezometric surface

Piezometer Water level Land surface

Aquitard

Aquitard

Confined aquifer

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Unconfined (Gravity) Aquifer:

Initial water table

Aquitard

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Unconfined (Gravity) Aquifer:

Pumping well

Initial water table

Aquitard

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Unconfined (Gravity) Aquifer:

Q
Pumping well

Initial water table

Drawdown water table H

Aquitard

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Unconfined (Gravity) Aquifer:

Piezometer (1)
Q
Pumping well r2
r1
Piezometer (2)
Initial water table

∆ h1 ∆ h2
Drawdown water table H
h1 h2

Aquitard

h1 = H – ∆h1 Q ln(r2 / r1 )
k=
h2 = H – ∆h2 π h22 − h12 Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021
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Field Determination of “k”

• Confined (Artesian) Aquifer:

Initial water table Aquitard

Aquitard

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Confined (Artesian) Aquifer:

Initial
piezometric
surface Pumping well

Water table

Aquitard

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Confined (Artesian) Aquifer:

Initial Q
piezometric
surface Pumping well

Water table

H D

Aquitard

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Field Determination of “k”

• Confined (Artesian) Aquifer: Piezometer (1)

r2
Initial Q
piezometric r1
Piezometer (2)
surface Pumping well

∆ h1 ∆ h2
Water table

h1 h2 H D

Aquitard

h1 = H – ∆h1 Q ln(r2 / r1 )
k=
h2 = H – ∆h2 2πD h2 − h1 Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021
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Field Determination of “k”

• Overcomes the limitations of laboratory tests.

• Much more expensive compared to laboratory tests.

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Empirical Correlations for “k”

• Coarse-grained soils
o Hazen’s (1930):
2
k(cm/sec)= cD10
where
c = constant ranging from 1 to 2
D10 = effective grain size in mm

o Chapuis (2004):
0.7825
 2 e3 
k(cm / sec) = 2.4622 D10 
 (1 + e) 
where
e = void ratio
D10 = effective grain size in mm Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Empirical Correlations for “k”

• Fine-grained soils:
 en 
k = C 
1+ e 
where
C and n = constants determined experimentally
e = void ratio

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Empirical Correlations for “k”

• Example:
If a clayey soil was tested in the lab and the following values were
determined:
Estimate “k” for void ratio = 0.75.

Void ratio k (cm/sec)

1.1 0.302 x 10-7
0.9 0.12 x 10-7

• Answer:  (1.1)n 
0.302x10−7 = C  
 en   1 + 1.1 
k = C  
 1+ e   (0.9)n 
0.120x10−7 = C  
 1 + 0.9 
Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Empirical Correlations for “k”

• Example:
If a clayey soil was tested in the lab and the following values were
determined:
Estimate “k” for void ratio = 0.75.

Void ratio k (cm/sec)

1.1 0.302 x 10-7
0.9 0.12 x 10-7

• Answer:
 (1.1) n 
 
0.302x10−7  1 + 1.1 
= n = 5.098
0.120x10−7  (0.9) n 
 
 1 + 0.9  Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Empirical Correlations for “k”

• Example:
If a clayey soil was tested in the lab and the following values were
determined:
Estimate “k” for void ratio = 0.75.

Void ratio k (cm/sec)

1.1 0.302 x 10-7
0.9 0.12 x 10-7

• Answer:

 (1.1)5.098 
0.302x10−7 = C   C = 0.390x10−7
 1 + 1.1 

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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 4/11/2021

Empirical Correlations for “k”

• Example:
If a clayey soil was tested in the lab and the following values were
determined:
Estimate “k” for void ratio = 0.75.

Void ratio k (cm/sec)

1.1 0.302 x 10-7
0.9 0.12 x 10-7

• Answer:

 (0.75)5.098 
k = 0.390x10−7   = 0.051x10−7 cm / sec
 1 + 0.75 

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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Typical Values of “k”

Soil Type k (cm/sec)

Gravel 100 – 10-1
Coarse Sand 10-1 – 10-2
Fine Sand 10-2 – 10-3
Silty Sand 10-3 – 10-4
Silt 10-4 – 10-5
Clay <10-6

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – PBW N302 – Spring 2021

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