Session 4

Hydraulic Conductivity
In this chapter, we will discuss the procedures for determining hydraulic conductivity
of soils in the laboratory and in the field.

Lecture:

Soils have interconnected voids through which water can flow from points of high
energy to points of low energy. The study of the flow of water through porous soil
media is important in soil mechanics. It is necessary for estimating the quantity of
underground seepage under various hydraulic conditions, for investigating problems
involving the pumping of water for underground construction, and for making stability
analyses of earth dams and earth-retaining structures that are subject to seepage
forces.

Bernoulli’s Equation
For fluid mechanics we know that, according to Bernoulli’s equation, the total head, h,
at a point in water under motion can be given by the sum of the pressure, velocity,
and elevation heads, or

� �2
ℎ = + + �
�� 2�
where
ℎ = total head
� = pressure
� =velocity
� = acceleration due to gravity
�� = unit weight of water
If Bernoulli’s equation is applied to the flow of water through a porous soil medium
�
ℎ= +�
��
The loss of total head between two points, A and B, can be given by
�� ��
∆ℎ = ℎ� − ℎ� = + �� − + ��
�� ��
The total head loss, ∆ℎ, can be expressed in a nondimensional form as
∆ℎ
�=
�

In most soils, the flow of water through the void spaces can be considered laminar
�∞�

Darcy’s Law
� = ��
Where
� = discharge velocity, which is the quantity of water flowing in unit time
through a unit gross cross-sectional area of soil at right angles to the
direction of flow
� = hydraulic conductivity ( otherwise known as the coefficient of
permeability)

The actual velocity of water (that is, the seepage velocity) through the void
spaces is greater than � . A relationship between the discharge velocity and
the seepage velocity can be derived by referring to the figure below.

�
�� =
�
Hydraulic Conductivity
The hydraulic conductivity of a soil is also related to the properties of the fluid
flowing through it by the following equation:
��
�= �
�

Where
�� = unit weight of water
� = dynamic viscosity of water
� = absolute permeability
The absolute permeability, �, is expressed in units of length squared (that is,
cm2 ). It is independent of the permeant properties.

Laboratory Determination of Hydraulic Conductivity

A. Constant Head Test

Ql
k
Aht
Where

Q = volume water collected

L = length of permeameter
A = cross section of the soil
h = constant head
t = duration of test
B. Falling Head Test

�� ��
� = �. ��� �����
�� ��

Where
a = cross section of stand pipe
A = cross section of the soil
L = length of the soil
t = duration
h1 = initial head difference
h2 = final head difference

Empirical Relations for Hydraulic Conductivity

Granular Soil
For fairly uniform sand (that is, a small uniformity coefficient), Hazen (1930)
proposed an empirical relationship for hydraulic conductivity in the form
cm
� = ��210
s

Where
� = a constant that varies from 1.0 to 1.5
�10 = the effective size (mm)
Another form of equation that gives fairly good results in estimating the
hydraulic conductivity of sandy soils is based on the Kozeny-Carman
equation (Kozeny, 1927; Carman, 1938, 1956). The derivation of this equation
is not presented here. Interested readers are referred to any advanced soil
mechanics book. According to the Kozeny-Carman equation

1 �� �3
�=
�� �2� �2 � 1+�

Where
�� = shape factor, which is a function of the shape of flow channels
�� = specific surface area per unit volume of particles
� = tortuosity of flow channels
�� = unit weight of water
� = dynamic viscosity of permeant
� = void ratio
Carrier (2003) has modified Kozeny-Carman equation
2

2
100% 1 �3
� = 1.99 � 104
�� �� 1+�
0.5 0.5
��� � ���
Carrier (2003) further suggested a slight modification, which can be written as
2
100% 1 2 �3
� = 1.99 � 104 �� �� 1+�
0.404
��� � �0.595
��

Cohesive soil

According to their experimental observations, Samarasinghe, et al. (1982)

suggested that the hydraulic conductivity of normally consolidated clays can
be given by the following equation:
��
�=� 1+�

Where C and n are constants to be determined experimentally

Equivalent Hydraulic Conductivity in Stratified Soil
Permeability Test in the Field by Pumping from Wells

UNCONFINED AQUIFER

�1
2.303 � log10
�2
�=
�(ℎ21 − ℎ22 )

CONFINED AQUIFER

�1
� log10
�2
�=
2.727 �(ℎ1 − ℎ2 )
Examples:

The hydraulic conductivity of a clayey soil 3 x 107 cm/s. This dynamic viscosity
s
of water at 25° C is 0.894 � 10−3 N. m2 . Calculate the absolute permeability of
the soil, �
The hydraulic conductivity of a sand at a void ratio of 0.5 is 0.02 cm/s.
Estimate the hydraulic conductivity of this sand at a void ratio of 0.65. USE
A. KOZENY-CARMAN
B. CASAGRANDE
The void ratio and hydraulic conductivity relation for a normally consolidated
clay are given below:
Void ratio k (cm/s)
1.2 0.6 � 10−7
1.52 1.519 � 10−7
The results of a sieve analysis for a sand is given below. Estimate the
hydraulic conductivity using Carrier Equation. Given the void ratio of the sand
is 0.6. Use �� = 7.
U.S sieve no. Percent passing
30 100
40 96
60 84
100 50
200 0
For a constant head permeability test in a sand, the following values are given:
 L = 350 mm
 A = 125cm2
 H = 420 mm
 Water collected in 3 min = 580 cm3
 Void ratio of sand = 0.61
Determine:
a. Hydraulic conductivity, k (cm/s)
b. Seepage velocity
Two cylindrical soils specimen (A and B) are subjected to a modified constant
head test as shown in Figure 6.15, where the two specimens are tested
simultaneously. The diameter of the specimens is 75 mm. In 10 minutes,
650 g of water is collected iin a bucket. Determine the hydraulic conductivity
of the two soil specimens.
A compacted clay specimen of 101.6 mm diameter and 116.4 mm height is
subjected to a falling head permeability test. The inner diameter of the
standpipe is 3 mm. When the test started, the head difference was 1050 mm,
which dropped to 835 mm after 20 minutes. Determine the hydraulic
conductivity of the specimen.
If the same soil specimen is subjected to a constant head permeability test,
under a head difference of 600 mm, how much water will you collect in 20
minutes?
A 500 m long levee made of compacted clay impounds water in a reservoir as
shown in Figure 6.17. There is a 1 m thick (measured in the direction
perpendicular to the seam) sand seam continuing along the entire length of
the levee at 100 degrees inclination to the horizontal, which connects the
reservoir and the ditch. The hydraulic conductivity of the sand is
2.6 � 10−3 cm/s. Determine the volume of water that flows into the ditch every
day.
A site consists of a homogeneous dense silty sand layer of 10 m thickness,
which is underlain by an impervious stiff clay stratum. The initial water table
was at 3.0 m depth below the ground level. A pumping test was carried out by
pumping out water at the rate of 0.5 m3 /min. Observation wells were dug into
the ground at 20 m and 30 m distances from the center line of the well. The
steady state (i.e., when there was no change in water levels in the
observation wells), the water levels in the two wells dropped by 500 mm and
150 mm, respectively. Determine the hydraulic conductivity of the clayey sand
layer.