Packer test

Ref BS 5930: 1990 (Code of Practice for Site Investigations)

General

The packer or Lugeon test gives a measure of the acceptance by in-situ rock of water under pressure.
The test was originally introduced by Lugeon to provide a standard for measuring the impermeability of
grouted ground; it is also widely used as a packer test to measure the permeability of dam foundations
[63]. In essence, it comprises the measurement of the volume of water that can escape from an uncased
section of borehole in a given time under a given pressure. Flow is confined between known depths by
means of packers, hence the more general name of the test. The flow is confined between two packers
in the double packer test, or between one packer and the bottom of the borehole in the single packer
test.

The test is used to assess the amount of grout that rock accepts, to check the effectiveness of grouting,
to obtain a measure of the amount of fracturing of rock, or to give an approximate value of the
permeability of the rock mass local to the borehole.

The results of the test are usually expressed in terms of Lugeon units. A rock is said to have a
permeability of 1 Lugeon if, under a head above groundwater level of 100 m, a 1 m length of borehole

accepts 1 l/min of water.

Packers
Several types of packer are in use, such as the mechanical tail pipe, the manual mechanical-expanding
packer and the hydraulic self-expanding packer, but by far the most commonly used is the pneumatic
packer. This comprises a rubber canvas duct tube, which can be inflated against the sides of the
borehole by means of pressurized gas. Bottled nitrogen or compressed air is fed down the borehole
through a small diameter nylon tube.

The inflation pressure should be that required to just inflate the packer to the required diameter, to seat
the packer and to overcome the hydrostatic pressure in the borehole. Excessive pressures should be
avoided. The difference between the diameter of the uninflated packer and the diameter of the
borehole should be such that the packer can be easily inserted. At the same time, the inflated diameter
of the packer should be sufficient to prove an efficient seal.

A double packer is two packers connected by a length of pipe of the same length as the test section. The
test water is introduced between the packers.

Application and measurement of pressure

It is essential that the maximum water pressure to beapplied is not sufficient to cause uplift of the
groundor to break the seal of the packers in deep holes in weak rock. The pressure to be determined for
use in the calculation of permeability is that causing flowinto the rock itself. The pressure can be
measured directly with an electric pressure gauge set in the test zone or indirectly by gauges at ground
level. The use of direct pressure measurement is preferred and pressures should be measured at the
bottom and preferably below the test section. This avoids the difficulties associated with corrections for
fluid density, friction losses etc. in indirect measurements. If it is necessary to take indirect readings at
ground level, these are adjusted in accordance with the following expression:

HT = P +(H- Hg) - Hf

where
HT is the pressure head causing flow into the rock in metres (m);
P is the Bourdon gauge reading converted to head in metres (m);
H is the height of Bourdon gauge above mid-point of test section in metres (m);
Hg is the height of natural groundwater level above mid-point of test section in metres
(m);
Hf is the friction head loss in the pipes in metres (m).

Consideration should be given to the quality of water used in the test, especially when carrying out tests
in the vicinity of aquifers. It is also possible to carry out “pump out” packer tests, where a section of
borehole is isolated using a similar packer arrangement as in conventional packer tests, but where water
is removed from the test section using a small submersible pump. Pressures are measured with
transducers.

Measurement of flow
The rate of flow of water may be measured either by a flowmeter or by direct measurement of flow out
of a tank of known dimensions by means of a dipstick or depth gauge. Where a flowmeter is used, it
should be installed upstream of the pressure gauge, well away from bends or fitting in the pipework,
and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

The accuracy of the meter should be checked before the test begins, and periodically afterwards, by
measuring the time taken to fill a container of known volume at different rates of flow. Where the flow
out of a tank is to be measured, the use of one large tank can lead to inaccuracies where the plan area is
large and the fall in level correspondingly small. A better arrangement is to use a number of small
containers.

Execution of test
Developing or cleaning the borehole before testing is vital. The test may be carried out either as a single
or as a double packer test. Appropriate measurement devices should be included to allow detection of
leakage past the packers; this is assisted by continuous logging of the readings. However, the single
packer test is normally done periodically during the drilling of the hole, which makes it more costly. An
important point is to ensure that the packer is properly seated in the boreholes. Where a complete core
has been recovered from the borehole, or where appropriate logging or television inspection has been
carried out, a careful examination may reveal suitable places to seat the packer. Where the seating
proves unsatisfactory, the length of the test section should be altered or test sections overlapped, so as
to seat the packer at a different depth in the borehole.