Permeability of soils

Dr. S S Chandrasekaran
2. The discharge of water collected from a constant
head permeameter in a period of 15 minutes is 500
ml. The internal diameter of the permeameter is 5
cm and the measured difference in head between
two gauging points 15 cm vertically apart is 40 cm.
Calculate the coefficient of permeability.
Solution:

Discharge

The coefficient of permeability (k) = 0.106 mm/sec

2. A sample in a variable head permeameter is 8 cm in
diameter and 10 cm high. The permeability of the
sample is estimated to be 10 × 10–4 cm/s. If it is
desired that the head in the stand pipe should fall
from 24 cm to 12 cm in 3 min., determine the size of
the standpipe which should be used.
Solution:
Variable head permeameter:
Soil sample diameter = 8 cm ; height (length) = 10 cm
Permeability = 10 × 10–4 cm/s
h1 = 24 cm, h2 = 12 cm, t = 180 s
Substituting in the equation
2.303aL h1
k log10
At h2
2.303  a  10  24 
10 3   log10  
  16  180  12 
a  1.305cm 2
Capillary Water
The soil water classified into two
categories
• 1 Free water
• 2 Held water

The Free water moves in the pores of the soil under

the influence of gravity.
The held water is retained in the pores of the soil and
it cannot move under the influence of gravitational
force.
• Held water is further divided in to three types
1. Structural water
2. Adsorbed water
3. Capillary water
Structural water

Water that is chemically combined as a part of the crystal structure of the

mineral of the soil grains is called ‘Structural water’. Under the loading
encountered in geotechnical engineering, this water cannot be separated by
any means. Even drying at 105° – 110°C does not affect it. Hence structural
water is considered as part and parcel of the soil grains.

Adsorbed water
Water which is held on the surfaces of a material by electrochemical forces;
important for clay

Capillary water

Water which is in a suspended condition, held by the forces of surface tension

within the interstices and pores of capillary size in the soil, is called ‘capillary
water’.
Surface tension
Capillary rise in Small Diameter Tubes
• Water rises in small diameter, capillary tubes, because
of adhesion and cohesion.
• Adhesion occurs because water adheres or sticks to
the solid walls of the tube.
• Cohesion is due to mutual attraction of water
molecules. If the effect of adhesion , the liquid wets
the surface and liquid rises at the point of contact.
• However, if the effect of cohesion is more
predominant than adhesion, the liquid level is
depressed at the point of contact, as in the case of
mercury.
• If the glass tube of small diameter, open at both ends, is
lowered into water, the level rises in the tube, as the water
wets the tube
• Let θ be the angle of contact between the water and the
wall of the tube
• For a clean glass tube and pure water , the
meniscus is hemispherical then θ = 0,therefore,
Capillary Tension
• The water in capillary tube is under
a negative pressure, commonly
called tension. The pressure
variation in the capillary tube can
be deter mined as follows
• The pressure at point D at the free
surface is atmospheric i.e equal to
zero gauge pressure.the pressure
at point c which is at the same
level as point D , is also zero. From
laws of hydrostatic, the pressure at
point B, which is at a height of hc
above the free surface is given by
• The capillary rise at any point E is h, and therefore
the pressure is given by

• The capillary tension varies linearly with the height

of point above the water surface as shown in Fig. b.
• The pressure at point F below the water surface is
positive.
 Capillary Rise in Soil
• The water which falls on the ground as rain flows under
gravity and passes through the soil and reaches a
surface known as Ground Water table. The soil is
saturated below the ground water table.
• The ground water table is also called as the ground
phreatic surface.
• A soil mass consists of number of interconnected
interstices which act as capillary tubes of varying
diameters. Although the channels formed by
interconnected interstices are not circular in cross-
section, the results of capillary rise in circular tubes are
useful to understanding the phenomenon of capillary
rise in soils.
• Capillary rise in soils depends upon the size and grading
of the particles. The diameter (d) of the channel in pore
passage depend upon the diameter of the particle, it is
generally taken as one-fifth of the effective diameter
(D10) in case of coarse grained soils.
• The height to which capillary water rises in soils known
as capillary fringe.

• Terzaghi and Peck (1948) gave a relationship between

the maximum height of capillary fringe and the
effective size
Soil suction
• As in the case of a capillary tube , the water in the soil
above the water table has a negative pressure. The soil
is in a state of reduced pressure known as Soil Suction.
The soil suction is measured in terms of the height of
water column suspend in soil.
• Generally , it is expressed in terms of the common
logarithm of the height in centimetres and known as PF
equal to 2
• 100 = 102 cm and log10100 = 2
Illustrative Example

• The capillary rise in a soil A with an effective size of

0.02mm was 60cm. Estimate the capillary rise in a
similar soil B with an effective size of 0.04mm.
Solution:
Illustrative Example

• The capillary rise in silt is 50cm and that in fine

sand is 30cm. What is the difference in pore size of
two soils?
• Solution
 Effective stresses in soils Saturated by Capillary
action
• If the soil above the water table is saturated by capillary action, the
effective stresses can be determined using effective stress formulae
• However, in this case the pore water pressure above the water
table is negative. The water table is at level B-B . Let us consider
two cases
1. Soil saturated upto surface level A-A
2. Soil saturated upto level D-D
1. Soil saturated upto surface level A-A (fig .(a))
The pore pressure diagram is drawn on the right side
2. Soil saturated upto level D-D (fig .(b))
Let us consider the case when the soil above the water
table B-B is saturated only upto level D-D up to height H1’’.
The soil above level; D-D is wet and has a unit weight of γ.
Illustrative Example
Solution