PERMEABILITY EXAMPLES

Problem 1
For a constant laboratory permeability test on a fine sand, the following data are given:
Length of specimen = 16 cm
Diameter of specimen = 9.6 cm2
Constant-head difference = 50 cm
Water collected in a period of 4 min = 420 cm3
Void ratio of the specimen = 0.55

Calculate the hydraulic conductivity in cm/sec, the discharge velocity in cm/sec, and the seepage velocity in
cm/sec.

a. Coefficient of permeability
𝑄𝐿
𝐾=
𝐴ℎ𝑡
(420 𝑐𝑚3 )(16𝑐𝑚)
𝐾= 𝜋
[ 4 (9.6𝑐𝑚)2 ] (50𝑐𝑚)[4(60𝑠)]

𝐾 = 7.74 𝑥 10−3 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐

b. Discharge velocity
𝑄
𝑉=
𝐴𝑡
420𝑐𝑚3
𝑉= 𝜋
[ 4 (9.6𝑐𝑚)2 ] [4(60𝑠)]
𝑉 = 0.024 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐

c. Seepage velocity
𝑒 0.55
𝑛= = = 0.355
𝑒+1 0.55 + 1

𝑉 0.024 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝑉𝑠 = = = 0.068𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝑛 0.355
Problem 2
The data from a falling head test are shown below:
Diameter of standpipe = 6mm
Initial head = 92cm
Final head = 85cm
Duration of test = 12min
Length of soil sample = 30cm
Diameter of permeameter = 40cm

Calculate the hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic gradient, rate of flow of water in the soil, and seepage
velocity if the porosity of the soil is 0.25.

a. Coefficient of permeability
✓ Area of standpipe
𝜋
𝑎= (0.6𝑐𝑚)2 = 0.283𝑐𝑚2
4
✓ Area of permeameter
𝜋
𝐴= (40𝑐𝑚)2 = 1257𝑐𝑚2
4
𝑎𝐿 ℎ1
𝑘 = 2.303 𝑙𝑜𝑔10
𝐴𝑡 ℎ2
(0.283𝑐𝑚2 )(30𝑐𝑚) 92𝑐𝑚
𝑘 = 2.303 2
𝑙𝑜𝑔10
(1257𝑐𝑚 )(12𝑚𝑖𝑛) ℎ2 85𝑐𝑚
= 4.45𝑥10−5 𝑐𝑚/𝑚𝑖𝑛

b. Hydraulic gradient
ℎ 92𝑐𝑚−85𝑐𝑚
𝑖= 𝐿= = 0.233
30𝑐𝑚

c. Flow rate of water

𝑄 = 𝑘𝑖𝐴 = (4.45𝑥10−5 𝑐𝑚/𝑚𝑖𝑛)(0.233)(1257 𝑐𝑚2 ) = 0.013𝑐𝑚3 /𝑚𝑖𝑛

d. Seepage velocity
✓ Discharge velocity
𝑄
𝑉=
𝐴𝑡
0.013𝑐𝑚3 /𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑉=
1257𝑐𝑚2
𝑉 = 1.03𝑥10−5 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐

𝑉 1.03𝑥10−5 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝑉𝑠 = = = 4.14𝑥10−5 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝑛 0.25
Problem 3
For a normally consolidated soil, the following values are given:
Void ratio k (cm/sec)
1.10 0.302 x 10-7
0.9 0.12 x 10-7

Estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the clay at a void ratio of 0.75.

Solution:
✓ Compute the value of n

𝑒𝑛
𝑘 = 𝐶 (1+𝑒)
𝑒1𝑛
𝑘1 𝐶 ( )
1 + 𝑒1
=
𝑘2 𝑒2𝑛
𝐶 1+𝑒 )
(
2
1.1𝑛
0.302 𝑥 10−7 (1 + 1.1)
=
0.12 𝑥 10−7 0.9𝑛
(1 + 0.9)
𝑛 = 5.1
✓ Compute the value of C
𝑒𝑛
𝑘 = 𝐶( )
1+𝑒

(1.1)5.1
0.302 𝑥 10−7 = 𝐶 ( 1+1.1 )

𝐶 = 0.39𝑥10−7
✓ Compute the value of “k” at e is equal to 0.75
𝑒𝑛
𝑘 = 𝐶 (1+𝑒)

(0.75)5.1
𝑘 = 0.39𝑥10−7 ( 1+0.75 ) = 0.514 𝑥 10−8 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
Problem 4
A layered soil is shown and the following parameters are given:
H1 = 1.5 m k1 = 10-4 cm/sec
H2 = 3 m k2 = 3.2 x 10-2 cm/sec
H3 = 2 m k3 = 4.1 x 10-5 cm/sec

Estimate the ratio of equivalent hydraulic conductivity.

✓ Horizontal hydraulic conductivity

1
𝑘𝐻 (𝑒𝑞) = (𝑘 𝐻 + 𝑘𝐻2 𝐻2 + 𝑘𝐻3 𝐻3 )
𝐻 𝐻1 1
1
𝑘𝐻 (𝑒𝑞) = [(10−4 )(1.5 ) + (3.2 𝑥 10−2 )(3) + (4.1 𝑥 10−5 )(2)]
(1.5 + 3 + 2)
𝑘𝐻 (𝑒𝑞) = 148.05 𝑥 10−4 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐

✓ Vertical hydraulic conductivity

𝐻
𝑘𝑉 (𝑒𝑞) =
𝐻 𝐻 𝐻
( 1) + ( 2) + ( 3)
𝑘𝑣1 𝑘𝑣2 𝑘𝑣3
1.5 + 3 + 2
𝑘𝑉 (𝑒𝑞) =
1.5 3 2
( −4 ) + ( ) + ( )
10 3.2 𝑥 10−2 4.1 𝑥 10−5
𝑘𝑉 (𝑒𝑞) = 1.018 𝑥 10−4 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐

Hence:
𝑘𝐻(𝑒𝑞) 148.05 𝑥 10−4 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
= = 145.4
𝑘𝑉(𝑒𝑞) 1.018 𝑥 10−4 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
Problem 5
The figure shows three 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 300 mm across the sample. The hydraulic conductivities of the soils
in the direction of flow through them are as follows:

Soil k (cm/sec)
A 10-2
B 3 x 10-3
C 4.9 x 10-4
Find the rate of water supply in cm3/hr.

✓ Vertical hydraulic conductivity

𝐻
𝑘𝑉 (𝑒𝑞) =
𝐻 𝐻 𝐻
( 1) + ( 2) + ( 3)
𝑘𝑣1 𝑘𝑣2 𝑘𝑣3
150 + 150 + 150
𝑘𝑉 (𝑒𝑞) =
150 150 150
( −2 ) + ( ) + ( )
10 3 𝑥 10−3 4.9 𝑥 10−4
𝑘𝑉 (𝑒𝑞) = 0.001213 𝑐𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐

✓ Rate of water
300𝑚𝑚 𝑐𝑚3
𝑞 = 𝑘𝑣(𝑒𝑞) 𝑖𝐴 = 0.001213 𝑐𝑚/ sec ( ) (10𝑐𝑚 𝑥 10𝑐𝑚) = 0.0809
450𝑚𝑚 𝑠𝑒
Problem 6
A permeable soil layer is underlain by an impervious layer. For permeable layer, k = 4.8 x 10 -3 cm/sec and
α = 5o, determine the rate of seepage in cm3/hr/meter.

Δh
A

L B

✓ Hydraulic gradient
∆ℎ 𝐿 tan 5𝑜
𝑖= = = 0.0872
𝐴𝐵 𝐿
cos 50

✓ Cross-sectional Area
𝐴 = 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ(1𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ) = (3𝑐𝑜𝑠55 )(1) = 2.98858𝑚2

✓ Rate of seepage cm3/hr/meter.

Kindly answer this….