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Soil Behavior Type and Permeability Estimates

The document provides guidance on estimating soil hydraulic conductivity (k) and permeability from cone penetration test (CPT) data. It includes two tables that estimate k values for different soil behavior types based on CPT soil classification charts. It also presents equations and data from other studies that can be used to estimate horizontal permeability (kh) from CPT dissipation tests and soil properties. The estimates provided are approximate but help indicate variations in potential permeability.

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Mohamed Khalil
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144 views2 pages

Soil Behavior Type and Permeability Estimates

The document provides guidance on estimating soil hydraulic conductivity (k) and permeability from cone penetration test (CPT) data. It includes two tables that estimate k values for different soil behavior types based on CPT soil classification charts. It also presents equations and data from other studies that can be used to estimate horizontal permeability (kh) from CPT dissipation tests and soil properties. The estimates provided are approximate but help indicate variations in potential permeability.

Uploaded by

Mohamed Khalil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Guide to In-Situ Testing – 2006 Cone Penetration Test (CPT)

Hydraulic Conductivity (k)

An approximate estimate of soil hydraulic conductivity or coefficient of


permeability, k, can be made from an estimate of soil behavior type using the
CPT SBT charts. Table 6 provides estimates based on the non-normalized
chart shown in Figure 15, while Table 7 provides estimates based on the
normalized chart shown in Figure 16. These estimates are approximate at
best, but can provide a guide to variations of possible permeability.

Zone Soil Behavior Type (SBT) Range of permeability


k (m/s)
1 Sensitive fine grained 3x10-9 to 3x10-8
2 Organic soils 1x10-8 to 1x10-6
3 Clay 1x10-10 to 1x10-9
4 Silty clay to clay 1x10-9 to 1x10-8
5 Clayey silt to silty clay 1x10-8 to 1x10-7
6 Sandy silt to clayey silt 1x10-7 to 1x10-6
7 Silty sand to sandy silt 1x10-5 to 1x10-6
8 Sand to silty sand 1x10-5 to 1x10-4
9 Sand 1x10-4 to 1x10-3
10 Gravelly sand to dense sand 1x10-3 to 1
11 Very stiff fine-grained soil 1x10-8 to 1x10-6
12 Very stiff sand to clayey sand 3x10-7 to 3x10-4

Table 6 Estimation of soil permeability (k) from the non-normalized CPT


SBT chart by Robertson et al. (1986) shown in Figure 15

Baligh and Levadoux (1980) recommended that the horizontal coefficient of


permeability can be estimated from the expression:

⎛ γw ⎞
kh = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ RR ch
⎝ 2.3 σ' vo ⎠

where RR is the re-compression ratio in the overconsolidated range. It


represents the strain per log cycle of effective stress during recompression
and can be determined from laboratory consolidation tests. Baligh and
Levadoux recommended that RR should range from 0.5x10-2 to 2x10-2.

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Guide to In-Situ Testing – 2006 Cone Penetration Test (CPT)

Zone Soil Behavior Type (SBT) Range of permeability


k (m/s)
1 Sensitive fine grained 3x10-9 to 3x10-8
2 Organic soils 1x10-8 to 1x10-6
3 Clay 1x10-10 to 1x10-9
4 Silt mixtures 3x10-9 to 1x10-7
5 Sand mixtures 1x10-7 to 1x10-5
6 Sands 1x10-5 to 1x10-3
7 Gravelly sands to dense sands 1x10-3 to 1
8 Very stiff sand to clayey sand 1x10-8 to 1x10-6
9 Very stiff fine-grained soil 1x10-8 to 1x10-6

Table 7 Estimation of soil permeability (k) from the normalized CPT SBT
chart by Robertson (1990) shown in Figure 16

Robertson et al. (1992) presented a summary of available data to estimate


the horizontal coefficient of permeability from dissipation tests, and is
shown in Figure 22. Since the relationship is also a function of the
recompression ratio (RR) there is a wide variation of + or – one order of
magnitude. Jamiolkowski et al. (1985) suggested a range of possible values
of kh/kv for soft clays as shown in Table 8.

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