Sub: Geotechnical Engineering Topic : Permeablity

MODULE- 44C
Permeability & Seepage

1. The coefficients permeability of a soil in horizontal and vertical

directions are 3.46 and 1.5 m/day respectively. The base length of a
concrete dam resting in this soil is 100 m. When the flow net is
developed for this soil with 1:25 scale factor in the vertical
direction, the reduced base length of the dam will be

(A) 2.63 m (B) 4.00 m

(C) 6.08 m (D) 5.43 m

Ans:

= x.

As per scale = 100 = 2.63

2. In a falling head permeability test the initial head of 1.0m dropped

to 0.35 m in 3 hours, the diameter of the stand pipe being 5 mm.
The soil specimen was 200 mm long and of 100 mm diameter. The
coefficient of permeability of the soil is:

(A) 4.86 cm/s

(B) 4.86 cm/s

(C) 4.86 cm/s

(D) 4.86 cm/s

Ans:

= ( )

= 4.86 mm/s

= 4.86 cm/s

JH ACADEMY 1
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

3. An unit volume of a mass of saturated soil is subjected to

horizontal seepage. The saturated unit weight is 22 kN/m3 and the
hydraulic gradient is 0.3. The resultant body force on the soil mass
is
(a) 1.98 kN (b) 6.6 kN
(c) 12.37 kN (d) 22.97 kN

Ans:

.i 12
=3
R= = 12.37 kN

4. The figure below shows two flow lines for seepage across an
interface between two soil media of different co-efficient of
permeability. If entrance angle a1=30 , the exit angle a2 will be

(a) 7.50 (b) 14.03

(c) 66.59 (d) 75.96

Ans:

=
= 66.

2
5. In a constant head permeameter with cross section area of 10 cm ,
when the flow was taking place under a hydraulic gradient of 0.5,
the amount of water collected in 60 seconds is 600 cc. The
permeability of the soil is
(a) 0.002 cm/s (b) 0.02 cm/s
(c) 0.2 cm/s (d) 2.0 cm/s

Ans:

a = k .A
= k.0.5 10 k = 2cm/s

6. Water is flowing through the permeability apparatus as shown in

the figure. The coefficient of permeability of the soil is k m/s and
the porosity of the soil sample is 0.50.

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Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

The total head, elevation head and pressure head in metres of water
at the point R shown in the figure are
(a) 0.8, 0.4, 0.4 (b) 1.2, 0.4, 0.8
(c) 0.4, 0, 0.4 (d) 1.6, 0.4, 1.2
Ans:

Hydraulic gradient i=
Elevation head at R=0
Total head = 1.2 (1.0) = 0.4
Presume head = 0.4 0 = 0.4

7. Water is flowing through the permeability apparatus as shown in

the figure. The coefficient of permeability of the soil is k m/s and
the porosity of the soil sample is 0.50.

What are discharge velocity and seepage velocity through the soil
sample?
(A) k, 2k (B) 2/3k, 4/3k
(C) 2k, k (D) 4/3k, 2/3k

Ans:
Discharge velocity = ki = k. = k
Seepage velocity = = = 2k

8. An open ended steel barrel of 1 m height and 1 m diameter is filled

with saturated fine sand having coefficient of permeability
of . The barrel stands on a saturated bed of gravel. The
time required for the water level in the barrel to drop by 0.75 m is
(A) 58.9 s (B) 75 s (C) 100s (D) 150s

Ans:

t=

JH ACADEMY 3
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

9. Two soil specimens with identical geometric dimensions were

subjected to falling head permeability tests in the laboratory under
identical conditions. The fall of water head was measured after an
identical time interval. The ratio of initial to final water heads for
the test involving the first specimen was 1.25. If the coefficient of
permeability of the second specimen is 5-times that of the first, the
ratio of initial to final water heads in the test involving the second
specimen is
(A) 3.05 (B) 3.80 (C) 4.00 (D) 6.25

Ans:

K=
k

( )

( )

10. The flow net around a sheet pile wall is shown in the sketch. The
properties of the soil are: permeability coefficient = 0.09 m/day
(isotropic), specific gravity = 2.70 and void ratio = 0.85. The sheet
pile wall and the bottom of the soil are impermeable.

The seepage loss (in m3 per day per unit length of the wall) of
water is
(A) 0.33 (B) 0.38 (C) 0.43 (D) 0.54

Ans

Q = Kh =0.09

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Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

11. The flow net around a sheet pile wall is shown in the sketch. The
properties of the soil are: permeability coefficient = 0.09 m/day
(isotropic), specific gravity = 2.70 and void ratio = 0.85. The sheet
pile wall and the bottom of the soil are impermeable.

The factor of safety against the occurrence of piping failure is

(A) 3.55 (B) 2.93 (C) 2.60 (D) 0.39

Ans:

( ) ( )
F=

( )

12. The ratio Nf/Nd is known as shape factor, where Nf is the number
of flow lines and Nd is the number of equipotential drops. Flow net
is always drawn with a constant b/a ratio, where b and a are
distances between two consecutive flow lines and equipotential
lines, respectively. Assuming that b/a ratio remains the same, the
shape factor of a flow net will change if the
(A) upstream and downstream heads are interchanged
(B) soil in the flow space is changed
(C) dimensions of the flow space are changed
(D) head difference causing the flow is changed

Ans: (c)

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Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

13. The soil profile below a lake with water level at elevation = 0 m
and lake bottom at elevation = -10 m is shown in the figure, where
k is the permeability coefficient. A piezometer (stand pipe)
installed in the sand layer shows a reading of +10 m elevation.
Assume that the piezometric head is uniform in the sand layer. The
quantity of water (in ) flowing into the lake from the sand
layer through the silt layer per unit area of the lake bed is:

(A) 1.5 x (B) 2.0 x

(C) 1.0 x (D) 0.5 x
Ans:
Q=KiA
= =0.5

14. A soil has a discharge velocity of 6 m/s and a void ratio of

0.5. its seepage velocity is
a) 18 m/s b) 12 m/s
c) 6 m/s d) 3 m/s
Ans:

E = 0.5

seepage velocity =

15. If during a permeability test on a soil sample with a falling head

permeameter, equal time intervals are noted for drop of head from
to and again from to . Then which one of the
following relations would hold good?
a) = b) =
c) = d) ( )=( )
Ans:

16. A flow net is drawn to obtain

a) Seepage, coefficient of permeability and uplift pressure.
b) Coefficient of permeability, uplift pressure and seepage
quantity
c) Exit gradient, uplift pressure and seepage quantity.
d) Exit gradient, seepage and coefficient of permeability.

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Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

Ans: (c)

17. A bed of sand consists of three horizontal layers of equal thickness.

The value of
Darcys k for upper and lower layers is 1x10-2cm/sec.and the
middle layer is 1x 10-1 cm/sec.The ratio of the permeability of the
bed in the horizontal direction to that in the vertical direction is
a) 10.0 to 1 b) 2.8 to 1
c) 2.0 to 1 d)1 to 10
Ans:

= 0.04

18. Due to rise in temperature, the viscosity and unit weight of

percolating fluid are reduced to 70% and 90% respectively. Other
things being constant, the change in coefficient of permeability
will be
a) 20.0% b)28.6%

c) 63.0% d) 77.8%

Ans:

=1.2857

=0.2857 ie 28.6%

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Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

19. Match List I (Flow type) with List II (flow characteristics) and
select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I
A. Transient flow
B. Turbulent flow
C. Steady-state flow
D. Laminar flow
List-II
A. Seepage flow is a function of time
B. Hydraulic gradient varies with square of velocity
C. Flow at low velocity
D. Governing equation in 2-D is =0
Codes:
A B C D
a) 1 2 4 3
b) 3 2 1 4
c) 1 2 3 4
d) 2 1 4 3

Ans: ( A )

20. A flow net constructed to determine the seepage through an earth

dam which is homogenous but anisotropic, gave four flow channels
and sixteen equipotenital drops.
The coefficient of permeability in the horizontal and vertical
directions is 4.0 m/s and 1 m/s respectively. If the
storage head was 20m, then the seepage per unit length of dam (in
/s) would be
a) 5 b) 10
c) 20 d) 40
Ans:

q= h

=10

21. Assertion(A): Constant-head permeability test is not used for fine

grained soils.
Reason (R): The lesser the permeability of the soil, lesser is the
discharge.
Codes:
a) Both A and R is true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R is true but R is not a correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.

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Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

Ans: (A)

22. Assertion (A): Permeability continues to decrease with the

increase in dry density of a compacted soil.
Reason (R): Soil particles in water surroundings may be mutually
attracted or repulsed.
Codes:
a) Both A and R is true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R is true but R is not a correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
Ans: (B)

23. The configuration of flow nets depends upon

a) The permeability of the soil
b) The difference in the head between upstream and downstream
sides
c) The boundary condition of flow
d) The amount of seepage that takes place
Ans: (C)

24. A flow net for an earth dam on impervious foundation consists of a

4 flow channels and 15 equipotential drops. The full reservoir
level is 15m above the downstream water level. Horizontal
permeability is 9 m/s and vertical permeability is 1
m/s, the quantity of seepage through the dam will be
a) 36ml/S/m b) 25 ml/s/m
c) 20 ml/s/m d) 12 ml/s/m
Ans:

q= =12

= 12
=12
25. In a two-layer soil system, the top soil and bottom soil are of same
thickness but the coefficient of permeability of the top soil is twice
that of the bottom soil of coefficient of permeability k. when
horizontal flow occurs, the equivalent coefficient of permeability of
the system will be
a) 2k b)1.5k
c) 1.25k d) 1.2k
Ans:

= 1.5 k

JH ACADEMY 9
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

26. A flow net of a coffer dam foundation has 6 flow channels and 18
equipotenital drops. The head of water lost during seepage is 6m. if
the coefficient of permeability of foundation is 4 m/min, then
the seepage loss per metre length of dam will be
a) 2.16 /day
b) 6.48 /day
c) 11.52 /day
d) 34.56 /day

Ans:

q=4

=11.52

27. The following data were obtained when a sample of medium sand
was tested in a constant head parameter :
Cross-section area of sample: 100
Hydraulic gradient : 10
Discharge collected : 10cc/s
The coefficient of permeability of the sand is
a) 0.1 m/s b) 0.01m/s
c) 1 m/s d) 1 m/s
Ans:

10 = k
k=0.01

28. A Stratified soil deposit has 3 layers of thickness: =4, =1, =2

units and the corresponding permeabilites of = 2, = 1, = 4
units, respectively. The average permeability perpendicular to the
bending planes will be
a) 4 b) 2
c) 8 d) 16
Ans:

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Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

29. Match List-I(Soil description ) with List II( Coefficient of

permeability mm/s) and select the correct answer using the codes
given below the lists:
List-I List-II
A. Gravel 1. 1
B. Clay silt admixtures 2. to
C. Loess 3.
D. Homogeneous clays 4. to
Codes:
A B C D
a) 4 1 3 2
b) 1 4 3 2
c) 4 1 2 3
d) 1 4 2 3
Ans: (d)

30. Consider the following statements:

1. Coarse sand is more than a million times permeable than a
high plasticity clay.
2. The permeability depends on the nature of soil and not on
properties of liquid flowing through soil.
3. If a sample of sand and a sample of clay have the same void
ratio .both samples will exhibit the same permeability.
4. Permeability of soil decreases as the effective stress acting on
the soil increases.
Which of these statements are correct?
a) 1 and 2 b) 1 and 3
c) 1 and 4 d) 2 and 3
Ans: (c)

31. In a falling head permeability test on a soil, the time taken for at
the head to fall from to is t. the test is repeated with same
initial head , the final head is noted in time . Which one of
the following equations gives the relation between , and ?
a) = b) =

c) = d)
Ans: (c)
32. A soil deposit has three layers having same thickness each but
the permeabilities
of the layers are in ratio of 1:2:4 from top to bottom. What is
the ratio of average permeability in the horizontal direction to
that in the vertical direction?
a) 7:2 b) 14:6
c) 28:24 d) 49:36

JH ACADEMY 11
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

Ans:

33. A soil mass under seepage has a downward flow of water. Which
of the following statements are correct with regard to stresses at
any point in the soil mass?
1. Effective stress is decreased by an amount equal to the seepage
force
2. Effective stress is increased by an amount equal to the
seepage force
3. Total stress will change
4. Total stress will be unaltered
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
a) 1 and 3 b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 4 d) 2 and 4
Ans: (d)

34. For a sheet pile wall constructed in a soil having

, the difference of the upstream and downstream water
levels is 3m. if the flow net drawn for the problem yields 2 as the
ratio of number of flow channels, then what is the discharge in
unit of /s/m length of sheet pile wall?
a) 3.0 b) 3.0
c) 1.5 d) 1.5
Ans:

35. Consider the following statements:

1. Permeability of a soil decreases as the effective stress acting
on the soil increases.
2. The presence of organic matter in the soil increases its
permeability.
3. Entrapped air decreases the permeability of a soil.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only b) 1 and 2
c) 2 and 3 d) 1 and 3
Ans: (d)

JH ACADEMY 12
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

36. A homogeneous earth dam is 43m high with 3m as free board and
a 30m long horizontal filter at the downstream end.
a) 0.0004 /s b) 0.0036 /s
c) 0.0039 /s d) 20 /s
Ans:

Q=3

37. Consider the following statements:

1. Void ratio of the soil.
2. Duration of flow.
3. Equivalent diameter of the soil grains.
4. Shape of the circle.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
a) 1,2,3 and 4 b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1, 3, and 4 only d) 3 and 4 only
Ans: (c)
38. A soil has a discharge velocity of 5 m/s and a void ratio of
0.50. its seepage velocity will be
a) 15 m/s b) 10 m/s
c) 20 m/s d) 30 m/s
Ans:

= 15
( )

39. Consider the following statements:

1. The hydraulic head at a point in the soil includes piezometric
head as well as datum head
2. Piping in soil occurs when effective pressure becomes equal to
zero.
3. Piping in soil occurs when soil is highly porous.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
a) 1,2 and 3 b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only d) 2 only

Ans: (A)

40. Assertion (A): The possibility of piping failure in earth dams is

more if black cotton soil is the foundation material.
Reason (R): The highly expansive black cotton soils are the most
common soils whatever basalt rock is present.
Codes:
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A

JH ACADEMY 13
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

c) A is true but R is false

d) A is false but R is true

Ans: (b)
41. Assertion (A): Flow net is dependent on permeability of soil
through which flow is taking place.
Reason(R): The flow net is useful in finding the discharge.
Codes:
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
c) A is true but R is false
d) A is false but R is true

Ans: ( d )

42. A flow net for seepage under a sheet pile wall has =4, = 8
and the permeabilities of soil in the horizontal and vertical
directions are : = 8 m/sec and = 2 m/ sec. if the
head loss through the soil is 2m, the quantity of seepage per meter
length of the wall will be
a) 2 /sec
b) 4 /sec
c) 8 /sec
d) 16 /sec

Ans:

Q= =4

43. Two observation wells penetrating into a confined aquifer are

located 1500m apart in the direction of flow. H eads of 50m
and 25m are indicated at these two observation wells. If the
coefficient of permeability for the aquifer is 30m/day and its
porosity is 0.25, the time of travel of an inert tracer from one well
to another is
a) 75 days b) 750d c) 1200d d)3000d

Ans:

I=
V = ki=30
Time = = = 750days

44. If number of flow channels are 10, number of drops are 6, the total
hydraulic head difference is 4m, the length of dam is 50m and the
coefficient of permeability is 2 , the total loss of water
per day in is
a) 576 b) 5760 c) 57600 d) 576000

JH ACADEMY 14
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

Ans:
Q=2

=0.6667

45. A flow line makes angles and with the normal to the
interface of the soils having permeabilities 3 and
1 before and after deflection. According to the law of
deflection of flow lines at the interface of the dissimilar soils, the
is
a) b) c) d)

Ans:

46. The coefficient of permeability of a soil is 5 cm/sec for a

certain pore fluid. If the viscosity of the pore fluid is reduced to
half, the co-efficient of permeability will be
a) 5 cm/sec
b) 10 cm/sec
c) 2.5 cm/sec
d) 1.25 cm/sec
Ans:
k
if

47. According to Darcys law for flow through porous media, the
velocity is proportional to
a) Effective stress
b) Hydraulic gradient
c) Cohesion
d) Stability number
Ans: (b)
48. A homogeneous anisotropic earth dam which is 20m high
constructed on an impermeable foundation. m/s
and m/s. the water level on reservoir side is at
18m from the base of the dam. Downstream side is dry. It is seen
that there are 4 flow channels and 18 equi potential drop in a square
flow net drawn in the transformed dam section. Estimate the
quantity of seepage per unit length.

Ans:

Q=

JH ACADEMY 15
Sub: Geotechnical Engineering
Topic : Permeablity

49. The equation can be transformed to

by substituting
a)

b)

c)

d)

Ans (d)

50. For an anisotropic soil, permeabilities in and directions

are and respectively in a two dimensional flow. The effective
permeability for the soil is given by

(A) (B)

(C) ( ) (D) ( )

Ans: (d)

JH ACADEMY 16