On completion of the test, full identification of the material and that

immediately surrounding the sample should be carried out by sampling, visual

examination and laboratory testing. Tests on relatively small samples of single
joints might give useful values of angle of shearing resistance, but the cohesion
parameter tends to be size dependent.

48 Geohydraulic testing
COMMENTARY ON CLAUSE 48
It is necessary to understand the groundwater regime within which a project is to be
constructed for a number of reasons. These include the correct evaluation of the soil
parameters for the design of the structure and its foundations, the design and
implementation of temporary works to enable construction of the works and the
protection of the environment, in particular groundwater as a valuable and
sustainable resource during the construction and life time of the works.
Intrinsic permeability is usually measured with respect to air and is independent of
the fluid.
Permeability, as used in this British Standard, is strictly the hydraulic conductivity, a
measure of the rate of water flow.
The guidance given in BS EN 1997-2:2007, 2.1.4 and BS EN ISO 22282-1 should be
followed. In order to meet these requirements, tests should be carried out in the
field to determine the properties of the ground, in particular the permeability
of the soil and the transmissivity and storage coefficients for aquifers.
In-situ permeability testing should be carried out in accordance with the various
parts of BS EN ISO 22282. It is important that the correct test is carried out as
the tests are often limited to a particular situation and in particular to a limited
range of permeabilites.
NOTE 1 Before carrying out any tests, it is important to identify the aquifer and
understand whether it is confined or unconfined. The determination of in-situ
permeability by tests in boreholes involves the application of an hydraulic pressure in
the borehole different from that in the ground, and the measurement of the rate of
flow due to this difference. The pressure in the borehole may be increased by
introducing water into it, which is commonly called a "falling head" or "inflow
test", or it may be decreased by pumping water out of it in a "rising head" or
"outflow test". The pressure may be held constant during a test (constant head test)
or it may be allowed to vary (a variable head test). The technique is applicable only
to the measurement of permeability of soils below groundwater level. The
measurement of the permeability of unsaturated or partially saturated zones is
extremely difficult. A variety of tests is available, ranging from the simple, which can
nevertheless be used to investigate complex situations, to the sophisticated; the
interpretation of the data is crucial. It is important to establish the normal
fluctuations within the aquifer.
NOTE 2 For most types of ground, field permeability tests yield more reliable data
than those carried out in the laboratory, because a larger (although still modest)
volume of material is tested, and because the ground is tested in situ, thereby
avoiding the disturbance associated with sampling.
To achieve representative test results, care should be taken in the choice of
appropriate drilling methods and careful drilling techniques used to avoid
disturbing the ground to be tested. In coarse soils, the ground can be loosened
below the bottom of the borehole; in laminated ground, a skin of remoulded
mixed material can be formed on the walls of the borehole, thus blocking the
more permeable laminations; in fractured rock, the fractures might be blocked
by the drilling debris.