52.

6 Hydraulic piezometers
COMMENTARY ON 52.6
Hydraulic piezometers normally consist of a small piezometer tip (a water filled
chamber with porous, normally ceramic walls), small-bore water filled plastic tubes
and a remote pressure measuring device such as a pressure transducer and electrical
readout, or more simply a Bourdon gauge. Hydraulic piezometers are frequently
installed directly in trenches, but can also be installed in boreholes.
The most common type of hydraulic piezometer is the twin-tube piezometer
(see Bishop, Kennard and Vaughan, 1964 [118]) shown in Figure 19. In this, the
piezometer tip is connected to the measuring device by two tubes, so that water can
be circulated to flush out any air.
Hydraulic piezometers usually have quick response times, although the time to
respond is affected by the length of the hydraulic tubes (see Figure 17). They can be
used for in-situ measurements of permeability.
Twin-tube hydraulic piezometers can be used for measuring a limited range of
negative pore water pressures (i.e. suctions). An adaptation of the traditional twin
tube hydraulic piezometer is the flushable piezometer (see Ridley et al., 2003 [119])
shown in Figure 20. This piezometer incorporates a hydraulically operated shuttle
valve that is used to isolate the sensor, which is located immediately behind the
filter, from the flushing tubes, thereby enabling the piezometer to measure the
maximum pore water tension, irrespective of the depth of installation. The hydraulic
valve is screwed into the bottom of a plastic tube with a ceramic filter at the bottom
of it. If air forms in the piezometer it can be removed by opening the valve and
circulating de-aired water around the system. This piezometer also has the
advantage that the calibration of the sensor can be checked in situ by comparing
the pressure measured by the sensor with the known head of water when the valve
is open and all of the air has been removed from the system. If the calibration has
drifted the valve and the pressure sensor can be removed and replaced.
Hydraulic piezometers have also been adapted to the measurement of groundwater
levels at multiple points within the same borehole (see Black et al., 1986 [120]) To do
this a central access pipe is installed and the levels where pore water pressures are
to be measured are isolated using packers placed either side of the measuring point,
between the borehole and the access pipe. A mechanical valve located at the level
of the measuring point allows fluid to be circulated and air to be purged. A
measurement probe attached to a wireline is subsequently lowered to each
measurement point in turn and sealed against a measurement port using a
mechanical shoe.
If the pressure in the piezometer system drops below atmospheric pressure, air
can form in the system causing erroneous readings; therefore the chamber and
the tubes should be kept full of de-aired water. Circulation of water through the
tubes and the chamber should be done slowly so that the pressure at the
measurement point is left as close as possible to the working pressure. The
tubing should also be ductile and in service should be able to accommodate any
strains (e.g. settlement) that might be generated in the surrounding soil.
Frequent (e.g. every 5 m) coils should be included in the tubing when laying it
in trenches.