COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Department : Construction and Building Engineering.

Course : Soil Mechanics
Course No : CB 362
Sheet No. : [ 7 ] Permeability
Lecturer : Prof. Dr. Adel M. Belal

7.1 A permeable soil layer is underlain by an impervious layer as shown in Figure 7.32
knowing that k= 4.8 x 10-3 cm /sec for the permeable layer, calculate the rate of
seepage through this layer in m3/hr/m width. Given: H = 4.2 m and α= 6° .

7.2 Find the rate of flow in m3/sec/m (at right angles to the cross section shown in
Figure 7.33) through the permeable soil layer. Given: H = 4 m, H1 = 2 m, h = 2.75 m, S
= 30 m, α = 14°, and k = 0.075 cm/sec.

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7.3 The results of a constant-head permeability test for a fine sand sample having a
diameter of 150 mm and a length of 300 mm are as follows (refer to Figure 7.5):
• Constant-head difference = 500 mm
• Water collected in 5 min = 350 cm3
• Void ratio of sand = 0.61
Determine:
a. Hydraulic conductivity, k (cm/sec)
b. Seepage velocity

7.4 In a constant-head permeability test, the length of the specimen is 150 mm and the
cross-sectional area is 3167 mm2. If k = 0.062 cm/sec and a rate of flow of 160
cm3/min has to be maintained during the test, what should be the head difference
across the specimen? Also, determine the discharge velocity under the test
conditions.

7.5 The following data are for a falling-head permeability test:

• Length of the soil sample = 150 mm
• Area of the soil sample = 1964 mm2
• Area of the standpipe = 25 mm2
• At time t = 0, head difference = 400 mm
• At time t= 8 min, head difference = 200 mm
a. Determine the hydraulic conductivity of the soil (cm/sec).
b. What was the head difference at t = 6 min?

7.6 The following data are for a falling-head permeability test:

• Length of the soil sample = 500 mm
• Area of the soil sample = 1600 mm2
• Area of the standpipe = 97 mm2
• At time t = 0, head difference = 410 mm
• At time t = 10 min, head difference = 185 mm
If the test was conducted at 20°C at which Ɣw = 9.789 kN/m3
and Ƞ = 1.005x 103 N.s/m2,
a. Determine the absolute permeability of the soil (cm/sec).
b. What was the head difference at t = 7 min?

7.7 The hydraulic conductivity of a sandy soil is 0.009 cm/sec at a room temperature of
28°C. What would be the coefficient of permeability at 20°C? Use Eq. (7.15).

7.8 The hydraulic conductivity of a sand at a void ratio of 0.62 is 0.03 cm/sec. Estimate
its hydraulic conductivity at a void ratio of 0.48. Use Eq. (7.31).

7.9 For a sandy soil, the following are given:

 Maximum void ratio = 0.68
 Minimum void ratio = 0.42
 Effective size, D10 = 0.4 mm
Determine the hydraulic conductivity of the sand at
a relative density of 52%. Use Eq. (7.32).

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7.10 For a sandy soil, the following are given:
• Maximum void ratio = 0.72
• Minimum void ratio = 0.46
• Hydraulic conductivity at a relative density of 80% = 0.006 cm/sec.
Determine the hydraulic conductivity of the sand at a relative density of 67%.

7.11 For a sand, the following are given: porosity (n) = 0.36 and k = 0.072 cm/sec.
Determine k when n = 0.48. Use Eq. (7.31).

7.12 The maximum dry unit weight of a quartz sand determined in the laboratory is
16kN/m3. If the relative compaction in the field is 90%, determine the hydraulic
conductivity of the sand in the field compaction condition. Given: Gs = 2.7; D10 =
0.23 mm; Cu = 3.1. Use Eq. (7.34).

7.13 The grain-size analysis data for a sand is given in the following table. Estimate
the hydraulic conductivity of the sand at a void ratio of 0.68. Use Eq. (7.30) and
SF = 7.5.

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7.14 For a normally consolidated clay, the following values are given:

Estimate k at a void ratio of 1.1. Use Eq. (7.38). Redo Problem 7.14 using the Mesri and
Olson (1971) procedure given by Eq. (7.37).

7.15 A layered soil is shown in Figure 7.34. Given that

• H1 = 1 m k1 = 10-4 cm/sec
• H2 = 1 m k2 = 2.8 x 10-2 cm/sec
• H3 = 2 m k3 = 3.5 x 10-5 cm/sec
Estimate the ratio of equivalent permeability, kH(eq)/kV(eq).

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 *Con’t Problem 16.7:

7.16 Figure 7.35 shows the cross section of a levee that is 500 m long and is underlain
by a 2-m-thick permeable sand layer. It was observed that the quantity of water
flowing through the sand layer into the collection ditch is 250 m 3/day. What is the
hydraulic conductivity of the sand layer?

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