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SOIL MECHANICS

5 PERMEABILITY

1. INTRODUCTION

It is defined as the property of a porous material which permits the passage or seepage of
water through its interconnecting voids. Permeability is also known as ‘Hydraulic Conductivity’.
Typical values of permeability according to soil type are as follow.

Soil Type Coefficient of Permeability (cm/sec)

1 Gravel >1

2 Sand 1 – 5 × 10–2

3 Fine Sand 5 × 10–2 – 1 × 10–3

4 Silt 5 × 10–4 – 1 × 10–5

5 Clay < 10–7

2. DARCY’S LAW

The law of flow of water through soil was first studied by Darcy. As per Darcy’s law, for laminar
flow in saturated soils, velocity of flow is directly proportional to hydraulic gradient.

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Mathematically,
Hydraulic Head Loss
i=
Length of flow
H1 − H2 HL
 i= =
L L
As per Darcy’s law
vi
 𝑣 = 𝑘𝑖
Here,
k = permeability or coefficient of permeability.
Therefore, the coefficient of permeability is defined as the average velocity of flow that will
occur through total cross-sectional area of soil under unit hydraulic gradient. This law is not
valid for gravels as flow in gravel is turbulent flow.
Since the flow takes place through voids. The actual velocity is more than the discharge
velocity. This actual velocity is called the seepage velocity (v s) and is defined as the rate of
discharge of percolating water per unit sectional area of voids perpendicular to the direction of
flow.
The seepage velocity is also proportional to the hydraulic gradient, so
Vs = kpi
Here,
kp = coefficient of percolation
From Darcy’s law, v = ki
v s kp 1
 = =
v k n
k
 kp =
n
Example: Water is permeated through a soil sample having length 60 cm and dia 20 cm having
coefficient of permeability 3.4 × 10-4 cm/sec. If the water is flowing due to a head difference
of 30 cm, determine the discharge coming out of the soil sample. Also, determine the seepage
velocity if the porosity of the sample is 0.45.
Solution.
Area of the sample = 𝜋 × (10)2 = 314.16 𝑐𝑚2
Hydraulic gradient = h/L = 30/60 = 0.5
Discharge Q = kiA = 3.4 × 10-4 × 0.5 × 314.16 = 0.053 cm3/sec
3.4×10−4 ×0.5
Seepage velocity (vs) = v/n = = 3.78 × 10-4 cm/sec
0.45

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2.1. Factors Affecting Permeability

(i) Grain size:
Permeability varies approximately as the square of the rain size. According to Allen Hazen
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k = CD10

Where,
k = coefficient of permeability (cm/sec)
c = constant (value = 100)
D10 = effective diameter (cm)
One more relation was given by Kozeny, it is expressed as

1 n3
k= 
Kk S52 1 − n2
Where,
n = porosity
ss = specific surface of particles (cm2/cm3)
 = viscosity (g – sec/cm2)
KK = constant, equal to 5 for spherical particle.
(ii) Effect of void ratio:
Void ratio and permeability can be related by following expression.

e3
k =
1+e
Where,
e = void ratio of soil
(iii) Density and Viscosity of Fluid:
This relation between the fluid property and permeability can be given as
𝛾
𝑘∝( )
𝜇

Where,
γ = unit weight of fluid
 = dynamic viscosity of fluid.
(iv) Degree of saturation:
Higher is the degree of saturation of the medium higher is its permeability as lower is the
presence of our in its voids which offers resistance to the flow of the fluid in the form of
air block.
(v) Entrapped Gases:
Higher is the presence of entrapped gases lower is the permeability of the medium as
higher is the resistance offered by these gases to the flow of fluid in form of air blocks.

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(vi) Foreign Impurity:

Presence of foreign impurities and permeability are inversely proportional to each other.
As the presence increases, from permeability decreases.
(vii) Adsorbed water:
Higher is the presence of adsorbed water, lower is the availability of the area for pore
fluid to flow through the medium. Hence permeability decreases.

3. DETERMINATION OF AVERAGE PERMEABILITY

3.1. Average permeability parallel to Bedding plane

Here,
z1 , z2 and z3 = thickness of layer

v1, v2 and v3 = velocity through layers.

k1, k2 and k3 = coefficient of permeability
i = hydraulic gradient
q1, q2 and q3 = discharge through the layer
Now,
q = q1 + q2 + q3 + …. + qn

k1z1 + k2z2 + k3z3 + .... + knzn

Kx =
z1 + z2 + z3 + .... + zn

kizi
kx =
zi

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3.2. Average permeability perpendicular to bedding plane

Here,
H = h1 + h2 + h3 + ….. + hn
H = iz  h1 = i1z1, h2 = i2z2
 iz = i1z1 + i2z2 + … + inzn
 𝑉 = 𝑘𝑧 𝑖, So, V = k1i1 , V = k 2i2

Therefore,
z
Kz =
z1 z2 z z
+ + 3 + .... + n
K1 K2 K3 Kn

zi
 Kz =
z
 i
Ki

Example: Find the average coefficient of permeability in horizontal and vertical direction
of flow if the soil is composed of two layers. The properties of the layers are given below:
Layer 1 - H = 20 cm, k = 0.03 mm/sec
Layer 2 – H = 30 cm, k = 0.05 mm/sec
Solution.
20×0.003+30×0.005
Average permeability in horizontal direction KH = = 0.0042 𝑐𝑚/𝑠
20+30
20+30
Average permeability in vertical direction Kv = 20 30 = 0.0039 𝑐𝑚/𝑠
+
0.003 0.005

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4. DETERMINATION OF PERMEABILITY

Permeability can be determined using the following methods:

4.1. Laboratory Method
(a) Constant Head Method:
It is used for coarse grained soils through which substantial discharge can be obtained in
given time. In this method, water is allowed to flow through the medium under the
constant head and the amount of water collected in given time is used to find the
permeability of the medium.

According to this method

𝑄 =𝐾⋅𝑖⋅𝐴
V H
=K A
t L
VL
 k =
t HA

Here,
V = velocity of fluid flowing through soil
L = length of soil medium
t = time
H = head
A = Area of cross section
Example: Constant head permeability test was performed on a soil sample having length
15 cm and area of cross section 250 cm2 under a hydraulic head of 10 cm. If the water
collected in the tank in 1 hour is 45 cm3, calculate the coefficient of permeability.
Solution.
𝑉𝐿 45×15 𝑐𝑚
Coefficient of permeability = 𝑘 = = = 0.000075 = 7.5 × 10−5 𝑐𝑚/𝑠
𝑡𝐻𝐴 3600×10×250 𝑠

(b) Falling Head Method:

This test is used for relatively less permeable soils where discharge is small. Basically, be
suited for fine grained soil.

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Here, at time ‘t’, water flows under the head of ‘h’ through the pipe. Discharge through
pipe in ‘dt’ time

 dh 
dq = a  −  = k  i  A
 dt 
 dh  h
a −  = k   A
 dt  L
h2 t = t2
dh k  A
 
h1
h
=
L a 
t = t1
dt

h1 kA t2
 ln hh = t 
2 aL   t1
aL h
 k = 2.303 log10 1
At h2

Here, a = area of stand pipe

Note: If one more height ‘h3’ is given or taken into consideration along with h 1 and h2,
then

h2 = h1h3

Example: Falling head permeability test was performed on a soil having length 15 cm
and area of cross section 150 cm 2. If the head at t=0 and t = 15 sec is 10 cm and 8 cm
respectively, the coefficient of permeability of soil is (The area of stand pipe is 4 cm 2).
Solution.
𝑎𝐿 ℎ1 4×15 10
Coefficient of permeability k = 2.303 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 = 2.303 × log = 0.0059 𝑐𝑚/𝑠
𝐴𝑡 ℎ2 150×15 8

(c) Capillary Permeability Test:

It is used to determine the coefficient of permeability as well as the capillary height h c of
the soil sample.

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Let any time ‘t’, distance traversed by water in sample be ‘x’

Here,
head at A = h0
head at B = –hc
Head under which flow takes place from A to B = h0 − (hc ) = h0 + hc

h0 + hc
We know that, hydraulic gradient = i =
x
dx
Velocity of water (Vs ) =
dt
v
Vs =
s
  s vs = v

So, v = k i (saturated soil)

v = ku i (partially saturated soil)

dx  h + hc 
 s = ku  0 
dt  x 
x = x2 t
ku 2

 
x = x1
x  dx =
s
(h0 + hc )  dt
t1

x22 − x12 2ku

 = (h + hc )
t2 − t1 s 0

Here we have two unknowns which are k u and hc therefore two sets of observation are

taken in order to get the two equations. Under constant head of ho1 and ho2 .

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4.2. Field Method

(a) Pumping out method:
Compared to laboratory test, field permeability tests are more reliable. Since they give
insitu value of permeability with minimum disturbance. This method is suitable for large
area of influence in which water is being pumped out from the medium in order to
compute its permeability.
Case I: Well is unconfined aquifer

(i) As per Dupit’s Theory:

2.303qlog10 (R / r)
k=
(
 H2 − h2 )
Here,
r = radius of well
H = thickness of aquifer, measured from the impermeable layer to the initial level of
water table.
S = drawdown at the well.
h = depth of water in the well measured above the impermeable layer.
q = discharge pumping out

R = 3000S k

Here,
S is in ‘m’
k is in ‘m/sec’
(ii) As per Theim’s theory:

2.3036 qlog10 (r1 / r2 )

K=
(
 h12 − h22 )
Here,

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r1 and r2 = radial distance of two wells

h1 and h2 = depth of water in both wells
Case II: Well is in confined aquifer

(i) As per Dupit’s theory:

2.303 qlog10 (R / r)
K=
2D (H − h)

Here, D = width of confined aquifer.

(ii) As per Theim’s theory:

2.303 qlog10 (r1 / r2 )

K=
2D (h1 − h2 )

(b) Pumping in test:

The US bureau of reclamation has devised two types of pumping in test.
Open end tests: An open-end pipe is sunk in the strata and the soil is taken out of the
pipe just to the bottom. Clean water, having temperature slightly higher than the ground
water, is added through a system to maintain gravity flow under constant head.

The coefficient of permeability is given as

q
k=
5.5rh

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Here,
h = differential head of water
r = radius of casing
q = constant rate of flow.
Packer tests: It is commonly used to find permeability of rocks.

The coefficient of permeability can be calculated as follows

If L  10r
q L 
K= log10  
2Lh r 

If r  L  10r
q L 
K= sinh−1  
2Lh  2r 
Here,
L = length of portion of the hole tested.
h = Difference of levels of water at the entry and middle of the section considering the
water table is below the holes tested.

4.3. Indirect method

(a) Allen Hazen method:
According to Hazen, permeability can be determined by following relation.
2
k = CD10

Here,
C = constant (= 100)
D10 = effective size
(b) Konze Karman’s method:
According to this method, coefficient of permeability can be given as
1 2 𝑒3 𝛾
𝐾= 𝑑 ( )
𝐾𝐾 1 + 𝑒 𝜇

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Or,

1 n3
K= 
KK S2S 1 − n2

Here,
SS = specific surface of particle (cm2/cm3)
 = viscosity
kk = constant (= 5 for spherical particle)
(c) Terzaghi’s formula:
According to this method

k = 200D2e e2

De = effective grain size (i.e. the diameter of the sphere for which the ratio of its volume
to its surface area is the same as the similar ratio for a given assemblage of soil particles.
e = voids ratio
(d) Louden’s formula:

( )
log10 K S2S = a + bn

Where,
a and b are constants, the value of which are 1.365 and 5.15 respectively for permeability
at 10°C.
(e) Consolidation method:
According to this method, we can express the coefficient of permeability as follows.
K = Cv mv rw

Here,
CV = coefficient of consolidation (m2/sec)
γw = unit weight of water (N/cm3)
mv = coefficient of volume change (cm3/N)

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