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Percolation Test Procedure PDF
Percolation Test Procedure PDF
= =
=
Transform it we get
2 dr
kTHdH
r Q
=
Integration with respect to, respectively,
horizontal distance r from the well, and the
height of the drawdown cone, we have
2 2
1 1
2
r h
r h
dr
kT HdH
r Q
=
The integration gives
2
2
1
1
2
2 1
ln
2
h
r
r
h
r kT H
Q
=
So that if we know the head h in each well and
the wells locations, we can calculate the
hydraulic conductivity k
and
) ( ) ln( ln ln
2
1
2
2
1
2
1 2
h h kT
Q r
r
r r = =
3
2
2 2 2
2 1 1
2
2 2
2 1 1
2
10
2 2
2 1 1
ln( ) [ ] [ ]
( ) sec sec
ln( ) /
( )
2.303
log ( )
( )
r Q m m
k
T h h r m
r q
k q Q T
h h r
r q
k
h h r
= =
= =
Percolation Test
Percolation test is a passive and cheap way
to estimate soil permeability.
Percolation Test
In the leaching field of the septic system:
Need more than 6 holes, after test do the average;
Each hole to certain depth, usually 3-5;
Put 2 thick of coarse sand or gravel into the hole;
Fill 12 water above the sand/gravel;
Stay overnight;
In the next day before testing filling water by 6
above the sand/gravel;
Measure the water level drop at 30 minutes interval
for 4 hours. Every time, if needed, add 6 of water
again;
The drop occurred at the final 30 min. is used to
determine the percolation rate;
If the soil is highly permeable, use 10 min. for the
duration of 1 hour.
The permeability is:
1 2
1 2
2
2
) (
4 . 1
t t
h h
a
t
Q
Q with
dh
Q
k
A
h1
h2
dh
A
a
Section 6.11: in situ hydraulic
conductivity tests for compacted clay
soils adapt similar approach as showed
in the above percolation test. It is dry
and straightforward, you can easily read
through it.
Summary Soil Index Properties
(Das, Ch. 2-6)
Elements of soil mechanics
Index properties:
Index properties mean the observable physical
characteristics with significant influence on a
soils behavior. Index properties include the
descriptions of:
Soil particles;
Soil density;
Phase relationships;
Soil consistency;
Relative density;
moisture content.
Soil mechanics is a fundamental subject of
Geotechnical Engineering, which applies the
geological knowledge into foundation engineering
and highway engineering.
Soil index property related subjects
Soil moisture (Ch. 3);
Soil consistency (Ch. 3);
Soil classification (Ch. 4);
Soil compaction (Ch. 5);
Permeability/hydraulic conductivity (Ch. 6).
Lab tests
1. specific weight, moisture content,
dry unit weight
2. Sieve test/hydrometer test
3. Atterberg limit test
Soil particles
The description of the grain size distribution of soil
particles according to their texture (particle size,
shape, and gradation).
Major textural classes include:
gravel (>2 mm);
sand (0.1 2 mm);
silt (0.01 0.1 mm);
clay (< 0.01 mm).
Furthermore, gravel and sand can be roughly
classified as coarse textured soils, wile silt and clay
can be classified as fine textures soils.
For engineering purposes, soils can also be divided
into cohesive and non-cohesive soils. Non-cohesive
means the soil has no shear strength if no
confinement.
Cohesive soil contains clay minerals and posses
plasticity.
In engineering practice, plasticity is defined as the
ability to be rolled into thin thread before breaking
into pieces.
Clay is cohesive and plastic. For example, mud
sticking on shoes in a rainy day when one walk in a
field.
Sand is non-cohesive and non-plastic.
Phase relationship: the phase diagram
Wt: total weight
Ws: weight of solid
Ww: weight of water
Wa: weight of air = 0
Vt: total volume
Vs: volume of solid
Vw: volume of water
Vv: volume of the void
Solid
Air
Water
W
T
W
s
W
w
W
a
~0
V
s
V
a
V
w
V
v
V
T
Weight-Volume Relationships (Table 3.1)
The 3
rd
column is a special case of the 1st column when S = 1.
Example: If you have a soil sample with a weight of 150 g, after
thorough sieving you get the following result.
sieve# size(mm) W(g) % accum% 100-accum%
4 4.750 30.0 20 20 80
20 0.850 40.0 26.7 46.7 53.3
60 0.250 50.0 33.3 79 21
100 0.150 20.0 13.3 92 8
200 0.074 10.0 6.67 98 2
The last column shows the percentage of material finer than that
particular sieve size by weight.
West, Figure 7.1
D10
D60
D60 D60
D10
D10
Soil Consistency
Soil consistency is defined as the relative ease
with which a soil can be deformed use the
terms of soft, firm, or hard.
Consistency largely depends on soil minerals
and the water content.
Atterberg limits are the limits of water content
used to define soil behavior. The consistency
of soils according to Atterberg limits gives the
following diagram.
Consistency of Soils
Increase
permeability and
decrease
compressibility
West, Figure 7.11 Plasticity Chart
Lower compressibility
Higher compressibility
Soil Properties
Index properties
(Soil Characteristics)
Mechanical
Moisture Cont.
Unit Weight
Compressibility Permeability
Specific
Gravity
Gradation
Atterberg
Limits
Strength
(Shear)
Soil Properties
Compaction
In summary, course lectures in the past 5 weeks
discussed in detail about the physical properties
(the index property) of soil as a material.
After these 5 weeks, we will change the theme to talk
about the behavior of soil under a variety of load,
i.e., we start to talk about the mechanics and the
mechanical properties of soil.
Midterm Exam
Open book, open notes
Das, Chs. 2-6
Problems similar to homework in style
~4 problems.