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Constant Head Permeability Test
Constant Head Permeability Test
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVE
LEARNING OUTCOME
a.
Identify the relationship between permeability and pore size of the coarse grained soils.d.
Measure the coefficient of permeability of sands and gravels containing little or no slit.
THEORY
The most common permeability cell (permeameter) is 75mm in diameter and is intendedfor
sands containing particles up to about 5mm. A larger cell, 114mm, can be used for
testingsands containing particles up to about 10mm, i.e. medium gravel size. As a general
rule the ratioof the cell diameter to the diameter of the largest size of particle in significant
quantity should beat least 12. The constant head permeability cell is intended for testing
disturbed granular soilswhich are recompacted into the cell, either by using a specified
compactive effort, or to achieve acertain dry density, i.e. void ratio.In the constant head test,
water is made to flow through a column of soil under theapplication of a pressure difference
which remains constant, i.e. under a constant head. Theamount of water passing through
the soil in a known time is measured, and the permeability of the sample is calculated by
using Equation (1).If the connections to the cell are arranged so that water flows upwards
through the sample,the critical hydraulic gradient can be determined after measuring the
steady state permeability,and the effects of instability (boiling and piping) can be observed.
It is important that use onlyair-free water, and measures for preventing air bubbling out of
solution during these tests is verycrucial.
3.0 LEARNING OUTCOME
a.
Identify the relationship between permeability and pore size of the coarse grained soils.d.
Measure the coefficient of permeability of sands and gravels containing little or no slit.
4.0 THEORY
The most common permeability cell (permeameter) is 75mm in diameter and is intendedfor
sands containing particles up to about 5mm. A larger cell, 114mm, can be used for
testingsands containing particles up to about 10mm, i.e. medium gravel size. As a general
rule the ratioof the cell diameter to the diameter of the largest size of particle in significant
quantity should beat least 12. The constant head permeability cell is intended for testing
disturbed granular soilswhich are recompacted into the cell, either by using a specified
compactive effort, or to achieve acertain dry density, i.e. void ratio.In the constant head test,
water is made to flow through a column of soil under theapplication of a pressure difference
which remains constant, i.e. under a constant head. Theamount of water passing through
the soil in a known time is measured, and the permeability of the sample is calculated by
using Equation (1).If the connections to the cell are arranged so that water flows upwards
through the sample,the critical hydraulic gradient can be determined after measuring the
steady state permeability,and the effects of instability (boiling and piping) can be observed.
It is important that use onlyair-free water, and measures for preventing air bubbling out of
solution during these tests is verycrucial.
A = area of sample,
i= hydraulic gradient,
=(h1-h2)/L (m/s)
TEST EQUIPMENTS
1.Constant head permeability cells, fitted with loading piston, perforated plates, flow
tubeconnections, piezometer nipples and connections, air bleed valve, sealing rings. Figure
1shows permeameter cells that commonly used in laboratory testing.Figure 1: Permeameter
cells for constant head test: (a) 75mm, (b) 114mm(Courtesy of ELE International, 2007
PROCEDURES
ii.Distance between centres of each set of manometer connection pointsalong the axis of
the cell (L mm),
mm),c.
D
2
/4 mm
/1000 cm
iii. Approximate mass of soil required, if placed at a density
Mg/m
,mass =
AH
/1000 g
2.Select sample,
b.Sieve the soil sample and any particles larger than 5 mm need to be removed bysieving.
c.The material needs to be reduced by the usual riffling process to produce several batches
of samples each about equal to the mass required to fill the permeameter cell
a.The sample may be placed in the permeameter cell by one of three methods:
i.Compacting by rodding,
ii. Dry pouring,
a.Place a second porous disc (if one has already been used) and the second wiregauze disc
on top of the soil, followed by about 40mm thickness of glass balls or gravel filter material,
b.The level of the top surface of the filter should be within the limits required
toaccommodate the top plate,
c.Slacken the piston locking collar on the cell top, pull the piston up as far as it willgo, and re-
tighten the locking collar,
d.Fit the cell top on the cell and tighten it down into place by progressivelytightening the
clamping screws,e.
Release the piston locking collar and push the piston down until the perforated plate bears
on the filter material,f.
5.Connect up cell
a.Connect the nozzle at the base of the cell to the de-aired water supply, and closethe inlet
cock,
b.Connect each piezometer point that is to be used to a manometer tube and closewith a
pinchcock close to the cell,
c.Connect the top outlet of the cell to the vacuum, fitted with a water trap, usingrigid plastic
or thick-walled rubber tubing
a.Turn on the supply of de-aired water to the constant head device, which be at alow level
initially,
b.Open water supply valve that connect it to the cell, and the base outlet cock
c.Allow water to flow through the sample until the conditions appear to be steadyand the
water levels in the manometer tubes remain stationary
d.Adjust valve on the supply line to the constant head device so that there is acontinuous
small overflow; if this is excessive, the de-aired water will be wasted.
e.To start a test run, empty the measuring cylinder and start the timer at the instantthe
measuring cylinder is placed under the outlet overflow.
, h
2
, etc) and measure thewater temperature (T
When the level in the cylinder reaches a predetermined mark (such as 50ml or 200ml) stop
the clock, record the elapsed time to the nearest half second,
a. Emtpy the cylinder, and make four to six repeat runs at about 5 minutes intervals.
10.
Calculate results12.
Report
Figure 2: General arrangement for constant head permeability test (downward flow)
8.0 DATA ANALYSIS
Sample area,
A = 5026 mm
……………..……
Sample Volume,
V = 1166 cm
…………………
....
from lab sheet
Hydraulic gradient,
Rate of flow,
= 6.500 x 10
-6
/s
Rate of flow,
= 6.417 x 10
-6
/s
Rate of flow,
3
= 380.33 ml/min= 383.33 ml/min x 1 lit/1000ml x 1 m
= 6.389 x 10
-6
/s
Rate of flow,
= 6.333 x 10
-6
/s
Permeability,
k
== 6.500 x 10
-6
(5.026 x 0.42)
= 3.079 x 10
-6
m/s
Permeability,
k
== 6.417 x 10
-6
(5.026 x 0.42)
= 3.040 x 10
-6
m/s
Permeability,
k
== 6.389 x 10
-6
(5.026 x 0.42)
= 3.027 x 10
-5
m/s
Permeability,
k
== 6.333 x 10
-6
(5.026 x 0.42)
= 3.000 x 10
-5
m/s
1/
q = Q / t
potential drainage.The coefficient of permeability may be defined as the flow velocity
produced by ahydraulic gradient of unity. The value of k is use as a measure of the resistance
to flow offered bythe soil, and it is affected by several factors:a)
The type of cation and thickness of adsorbed layers associated with clay mineral.f)
CONCLUSION
As a conclusion, we get the time is found to be constant at volume of water. The time weget
is faster. This is because the permeability of the gravel soil absorbs the water is low.
Thisgravel soil has a large molecular space. Therefore, the water diffusion rate is low. It
appears to bea function of three factors for a constant paste amount and character:
effective air void content,effective void size and drain down. From the coefficient of
permeability for the given sample of soil value, we can say that the rate of flow the sample
has get the value higher.