Department of Civil & Structural Engineering

Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment

UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA

LABORATORY REPORT
SEMESTER 1, SESSION 2017/2018

KKKH 2113 GEOLOGY AND SOIL MECHANICS

Title of Experiment : Resin and permeability test
Name : Syazana Liyana binti Azhar
Date : 14/11/2017 Date of Submission : 21/11/2017
Demonstrator (s) : JamaL M.A ALsharef
Lecturer : Dr Mohd Syazwan bin Md Rahim

TEAM MEMBERS

NO NAME MATRIC NO.

1 LOH WAI ONN A160949
2 AZMAN BIN AMIR A159228
3 AFIQ FAHMIN BIN AHMAD ZAMRI A160717
4 NURUL AIDA AISHAH BINTI MOHD AYOB A160794
DISTRIBUTION OF MARKS

ITEM (S) TOTAL (%) MARKS (%)

Introduction 10
Calculation and Result 40
Discussion and Suggestion 30
Conclusion 15
Neat and Orderly 5
TOTAL 100
Introduction

Based on Darcy(1956), water flowing rate through soil sample that contains surface area. A,
is equilibrium with hydraulic gradient being imposed. This equation is called as Darcy ‘s
Principle .

Q=KIA

Where

Q = water flowing rate going through soil sample with surface area A

I = hydraulic gradient

= Head loss / length of flow

K = Hydraulic conductivity

However ,Darcy principle only true for saturated soil which no air in soil void. Water will
flow through small channel between the particles of solid soils. Therefore, physical properties
of the soil will specify the soil permeability. Grain size and soil compaction will specify the
size and the amount of channel .Therefore, the soil permeability is not easy to predicted.

Other factors including fluid concentration and degree of saturation will affect the soil
permeability.
Constant Head Meter Test

Objective

The aim is to specify the coefficient of soil permeability with rate particles.

Apparatus

a. constant permeable meter

b. measuring cylinder

c. stopwatch

Procedure

1. Soil sample being putted into the perspective cylinder.

2. Wire filter installed in upper and lower section sample.

3.Upper section sample connected with the water tank. Water from tank will went down and
permeated through soil. Resin volume jotted down.

4.Before taking the reading ,make sure that resin in a good condition, which reading taken
after the flow rate and difference of the second head of the vertical pipe installed on the
perspective cylinder is in a constant mode.
Report and calculation

V = ki

Q = AV

Which

Q/ t = kai

and

i =H/L

k = QL/(Aht)
Result

Test No Quantity of Flowing Difference Difference Surface area K=Q.L/(A.h.t)

water flow time ,t between Between of the (cm/s)
through sample, (sec) head of measurement sample, A (
Q(cc) pipe, h (cm) points, L (cm) cm2)

1 100 33.75 4 10 67.64 0.110

2 150 35.16 7 10 67.64 0.090

3 200 37.80 16 20 67.64 0.098

4 100 45.83 2.9 10 67.64 0.111

5 150 48.87 4.6 10 67.64 0.099

6 150 33.36 13.4 20 67.64 0.099

Test1 as example of calculation

From results, we obtained

Q = Q2 - Q1

= 150-50

= 100

t = 33.75 sec

h = 4 cm

L = Section 1 to Section 2

= 10 cm

A = ¼ π D4

= ¼ π (9.28)4

= 67.64 cm2
Then ,
𝑄.𝐿
k = 𝐴.ℎ.𝑡

100.10
= 67.64×4×33.75

= 0.110

Discussion

From the result obtained in the table, we have conducted the experiment and repeated it for
six times. It helps us to determine the accurate value of soil permeability. We calculated the k
value in each test to take the average value of k. We found that all the six test shown a
consistent value among each other. The range of k value is around 0.09 -0.11.For the first
three test that been conducted, we found that head loss are increases which is from 4 -
16.Then,It decreases to 2.9 and showed an increased value for the last two test. This will
affect the k value. K value for the first three test also increasing and start to decreases during
test 4.But,it increased back for the fifth and sixth test. This happen because the water start to
flow in the saturated soil specimen. The pressure at the top is higher compared to the middle
and the bottom part. As the pressure decreases , the shorter the time taken for the water to
absorbed in the soil. Thus , the soil permeability will decreases.

After conducted the experiment , there are some error that may occur during the lab session.
Firstly, error might be occur is the parallax error . The misreading of measurement of the
volume of water and difference of head loss may affect the results. It is due to the eye that
was not perpendicular to the scale reading . Next , human error also can be occur during the
reading of the stopwatch . Time may be not accurate as the person who in charge of the
stopwatch is not alert.

As a precaution, we have to repeat the test for many times and takes the average value of k so
that the result is more accurate and precise. Next , we also must make sure that eye is
perpendicular to the scale reading during taking the measurement.
Conclusion

As a conclusion, the results obtained showed the overall value of k for all the test is almost
the same and have a small range of value. It showed that our results is accurate. Constant
head test is used for coarse grain soils. Water will flow through small channel between the
particles of solid soils. By using the Darcy’s Law, we can find the soil permeability by
finding the value of Q, t ,h, L and A. Lastly, Grain size and soil compaction will specify the
size and the amount of channel .