Lecture 4

 Darcy’s law governs the flow of water through

soil.
 Darcy (1856) proposed that the average flow
velocity through soils is proportional to the
gradient of the total head.
 𝒗 = 𝒌𝒊
Seepage Velocity, 𝒗𝒔 = 𝒗/𝒏

Where:
∆ℎ
 𝑖= (Hydraulic Gradient)
𝐿
 𝑘 = 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓
𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑐
𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦
 𝑛 = 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦

Flow of Water Through Soil Formula

 Constant Head Test
is used to
determine the
coefficient of
permeability of
coarse-grained
soils.
 𝑉𝐿
𝑘=
𝑡𝐴ℎ
Where:
𝑘 = 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝑉 = 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡
𝐴 = 𝐶𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙
𝐿 = 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒
𝑡 = 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
For constant head laboratory permeability test on a fine
sand, the following values are given:
◦ Length of Specimen, L = 10 inches
◦ Diameter of Specimen, = 2.5 inches
◦ Head Difference, h = 22 inches
◦ Water collected in 2 min = 0.044 cubic inches
The void ratio of the specimen is 0.34.
1. Determine the conductivity, k, of the soil in in/min.
2. Determine the discharge velocity through the soil in
in/min.
3. Determine the seepage velocity in in/min.
Given:

L = 10 inches
D = 2.5 inches
h = 22 inches
Volume of water 2 min
= 0.044 cubic inches
e = 0.34.
 The falling head test is used for fine-grained
soils because the flow of water through these
soils is too slow to get reasonable
measurement from the constant-head test
 𝑎𝐿 ℎ1
𝑘= ln
𝐴 𝑡2 − 𝑡1 ℎ2

Where:
 𝑎 = 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 − 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙
𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒
 ℎ1 = ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡1
 ℎ2 = ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡2
A falling head permeability test was run on a soil
sample 9.6 cm in diameter and 10 cm long. The head
at the start of the test was 90 cm. The coefficient of
permeability of the soil was found to be 5 𝑥 10 −
6 cm/s. The diameter of the stand pipe was 1 cm.
◦ Determine the flow at the start of the test, in cm3/hr
◦ Determine how much the head loss was lost during the first
30 min.
◦ Determine the flow of water after 30 minutes, in cm3/hr.
𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡
ℎ
𝑖=
𝐿
cos 𝛼
A permeable soil is underlain by an
impervious layer, as shown in Figure below.
For the permeable layer, k = 0.0048 cm/sec.
H= 3 m and α = 5 degrees.
◦ Calculate the hydraulic gradient?
◦ Calculate the flow of water per meter width in
m3/hr
◦ Calculate the total number of water percolated
per day per meter width in cubic meter.
Parallel Flow:
𝑘𝑥 𝑒𝑞 𝐻 = ෍ 𝑘𝑥 𝑧

or
𝑘𝑥 𝑒𝑞 𝐻 = 𝑘𝑥1 𝑧1 + 𝑘𝑥2 𝑧2 + 𝑘𝑥3 𝑧3 + ⋯ 𝑘𝑥𝑛 𝑧𝑛
Normal Flow (Perpendicular Direction):
𝐻 𝑧
=෍
𝑘𝑧 𝑒𝑞 𝑘𝑧
or
𝐻 𝑧1 𝑧2 𝑧3 𝑧𝑛
= + + +…+
𝑘𝑧 𝑒𝑞 𝑘𝑧1 𝑘𝑧2 𝑘𝑧3 𝑘𝑧𝑛
Consider the stratified soil deposit shown in Figure below
Where:
Hydraulic gradient is equal; 𝑖𝑒𝑞 = 𝑖1 = 𝑖2 = ⋯ = 𝑖𝑛
Quantity of flow in each layer is added to make the total flow q
Note: Darcy’s equation v=ki and q=vA; kH1, kH2, kH3, …. kHn are
the coefficients of permeability of the individual layers in the
horizontal direction. Consider 1 unit width.
◦ Derive the expression for the equivalent coefficient of permeability in
the horizontal direction.
◦ If there are four layers, 3m thick each and kH1=2 x 10-3, kH2 = 1 x 10-
5, k
H3 = 2 x 10 , kH4 = 1 x 10
-4 -3 in cm/sec, determine the equivalent
coefficient of permeability in the horizontal direction.
◦ If i = 0.70, determine the total flow q in cm3/sec.
Figure below shows layers of soil in a tube that is 100 mm x 100
mm in cross section. Water is supplied to maintain a constant head
difference of 400 mm across the sample. The hydraulic
conductivities of the soil in the direction of flow through them are
as follows:
Soil K(cm/sec) Porosity, n
A 1 x 10-2 25%
B 3 x 10-3 32%
C 4.9 x 10-4 22%
a. Calculate the equivalent k in cm/sec
b. Calculate the rate of water supply in cm3/hr.
c. Calculate the seepage velocity through soil C in m/sec.
Gravity Wells or Water-Table Wells
- Pressure at the surface of the surrounding
underground water is atmospheric.
Artesian Wells or pressure wells
- Pressure is above atmospheric because an
impervious soil stratum overlies the aquifer.
Discharge:

𝜋𝑘(ℎ22 − ℎ12 )
𝑄=
ln(𝑅2 /𝑅1 )
Discharge:

𝜋𝑘𝑡(ℎ2 − ℎ1 )
𝑄=
ln(𝑅2 /𝑅1 )
A pumping test was carried out in soil bed of
thickness 15 meter and the following
measurements were recorded. Rate of pumping
was 10.6 𝑥 10−3 𝑚3 /𝑠 ; drawdowns in observation
wells located at 15m and 30 meters from the
center of the pumping well were 1.6m and 1.4m,
respectively, from the initial groundwater level.
The initial groundwater level was located at 1.9m
below ground level. Find the coefficient of
permeability
Flow Nets
- is a graphical representation of a flow
field that satisfies Laplace’s Equation and
comprises a family of flow lines and
equipotential Lines.
Flow Lines
- is the path followed by a particle of
water as it moves through saturated soil mass.
Equipotential Lines
- is a line connecting points of equal
potential energy
 𝑁𝑓 𝑁𝑓
𝑞 = 𝑘𝐻 𝑞=𝐻 𝑘𝑥 𝑘𝑧
𝑁𝑑 𝑁𝑑

Isotropic Soil Anisotropic Soil

 𝑘 = 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦
 𝐻 = ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑
 𝑁𝑓 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑜𝑟
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝐿𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒
 𝑁𝑑 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑠 𝑜𝑟
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒
The section of a cofferdam is as shown in the
figure. If the coefficient of permeability of the
soil is 𝑘 = 5 × 10−3 m/s, determine the
seepage into the ditches per meter length of
the cofferdam