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CE5101 Lecture 2
Darcys Law and Soil
Permeability
by
Prof Harry Tan
14 Aug 2013
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Outline
Soil and Ground Water Conditions
Unsaturated and Saturated Soils
Balance Equations
What is Darcys Law?
Permeability
Lab Measurement of k
Field Measurement of k
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Soil and Ground Water
Soil are products of weathering forming:
Residual Soils (weathered in place)
Transported Soils (displaced by wind or
water)
Physical weathering produce soil particles
of gravels, sands and silts
Chemical weathering produce clay
minerals Kaolin, Illite and
Montmorillonite (bentonite)
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Ground water
All soils are permeable (porous medium)
and water flow through interconnected
pores of void spaces
Saturated soils when voids are completely
filled with ground water
Unsaturated soils when voids are partially
filled with water and air in the form of
occluded bubbles held by tension capillary
stresses
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Ground Water Table
Pressure of pore water is measured relative to
atmospheric pressure Pa (taken as zero pore
pressure)
The water table (GWT) or phreatic surface is the
level at Pa or zero pore pressure
Atmospheric pressure = 1 bar or 14.7 psi or 100
kPa)
Below the WT, the soil is assumed to be fully
saturated (positive pore water pressure)
Above the WT, the soil is unsaturated (negative
pore water pressure or pore water tension or
suction) where we have capillary water in
Vadose Zone
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Unsaturated/Saturated Soils
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Types of GWT
Hydrostatic
Seepage
Perched WT
Artesian WT
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Hydrostatic GWT
w
h u * 1 =
w
h u *
2
=
GWT unsaturated
Saturated
soil
h1
h2
w
h u *
1
=
Soil is saturated below GWT
GWT is dependent on local
climate; balance of
precipitation, evaporation and
plant evapo-transpiration
GWT is also affected by
construction activities,
especially excavations
Above WT, pore water held at negative pressure by
capillary tension; smaller pores give higher capillary rise;
in general degree of saturation decrease with height
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Perched GWT
Occur locally, contained by soil of low
permeability above normal GWT
GWT
Clay lens
Perched WT
Sandy Soils
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Artesian GWT
GWT
Clayey Soils Cap or
Aquiclude
Sandy Soils ( Confined Aquifer)
Artesian PWP
GWT
Inclined soil layer of high permeability is confined locally by overlying
clayey soil; the pressure in the artesian layer is governed by a higher WT
at a distant location where layer is unconfined
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Balance Equations
Fluid Mechanics
Balance of Mass (Continuity)
Balance of Momentum
Balance of Energy (Heat)
Most physical problems need the 1
st
two
balance equations
If heat not important, 3
rd
equation is
ignored for flows in soils
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Continuity Equation
P v
x
x
1
x
1
+v
x
t
Vs
Vv
e
e
e
n
=
+
=
1
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x
z
y
A
H
G
F
E
D
C
B
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Darcys Law (Conservation of
momentum of fluid flow)
x
F
D
F
D
is drag force of soil
skeleton on flowing
water
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Permeability
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Permeability
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Permeability
Clay Silt Sand Gravel Cobble
Fine Medium Coarse Fine Medium Coarse Fine Medium Coarse
<0.002
mm

0.002

0.006

0.02

0.06

0.2

0.6

2

6

20

>60
<10
-9

m/s

10
-8


10
-7


10
-6


10
-5


10
-4


10
-3


10
-2


10
-1


1

>1 m/s

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Measurements of Permeability
Laboratory Methods
Constant head test
Falling head test
Hydraulic cell Test
Field Methods
Steady state field pumping tests
Falling head bore hole tests
Rapid test
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Constant head permeameter
Steady state test
Flow rate q=Q/t
Hydraulic gradient i=h/l
Darcys law: v=ki or q=vA = kiA
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Example 1 Constant head test
o
C K
T
10 1.299
15 1.133
20 1.000
25 0.906
30 0.808
40 0.670
Temperature correction due to
effect on viscosity of water ,
which increase with higher
temperature
K k
w

=
K=absolute permeability in m
2
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Falling head permeameter
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Example 2 Falling head test
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Hydraulic cell permeameter vertical k
Steady state is assumed when
inflow and outflow < 10% difference
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Example 3 Hydraulic cell test
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Hydraulic cell permeameter horizontal k
Steady state is assumed when
inflow and outflow < 10% difference
Theory see pumping test
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Field Permeability Steady State Pumping Tests in
Confined Aquifer
Confined aquifer: i=dh/dr and A=2rD
Pumping rate low enough to keep drawdown above top of acquifer
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Pumping Test in Confined Aquifer
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Example 4 Pumping Test in Confined Aquifer
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Example 4 Pumping Test in Confined Aquifer
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Field Permeability Steady State Pumping Tests in
Unconfined Aquifer
Confined aquifer: i=dh/dr and A=2rD
Pumping rate low enough to keep drawdown above top of acquifer
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Field Permeability Steady State Pumping Tests in
Unconfined Aquifer
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Field Permeability Steady State Pumping Tests in
Unconfined Aquifer
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Example 5 Pumping Tests in Unconfined Aquifer
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Example 5 Pumping Tests in Unconfined Aquifer
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Borehole Tests
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Rapid Field Test
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