3
Hydraulic Parameters
3.1. Hydraulic conductivity
Hydraulic conductivity can be measured in two ways: either in the
laboratory or in the field. Measurements conducted in the laboratory are
accurate and refined but have limited applications compared to the field
because they do not represent large discontinuities such as fractures,
anisotropy and alteration. Therefore, correlations specified herein will be
based only on the laboratory values of k.
The well-known Kozeny formula [KOZ 27] will not be considered here
because it requires the specific surface of soil to be measured, which is never
done in standard geotechnical tests.
For saturated clean sands with 0.1 < D10 < 3 mm and the percentage
passing a No. 200 sieve being less than 5%, the Hazen formula [HAZ 11]
relating hydraulic conductivity to a specific grain size can be used:
݇ ൌ ܥǤ ܦଵ ଶ [3.1]
with k expressed in m/s and D10 in mm. The value of C ranges between
0.4 and 1.5 depending on sand size and sorting, with a mean value of 1 being
primarily used.
For saturated sands with less than 3% particles finer than 20 μm at 40%
porosity, Van Ganse [VAN 65] proposed that
݇ ൌ ͲǤʹͷǤ ܦହ ଶ [3.2]
Geotechnical Correlations for Soils and Rocks, First Edition.
Jean-Claude Verbrugge and Christian Schroeder.
© ISTE Ltd 2018. Published by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
22 Geotechnical Correlations for Soils and Rocks
The influence of porosity on k at a void index e can be estimated using
the Casagrande formula [TER 62]:
݇ ൌ ͳǤͶ݇Ǥ଼ହ Ǥ ݁ ଶ [3.3]
or more completely from Van Ganse [VAN 65]:
ǡೄ ସହ ͿǤௌͿ
ൌ െ [3.4]
బǤరǢభ ଼ ሺଵିௌሻమ
where:
k0.85 is the conductivity corresponding to a void ratio of 0.85;
knS is the conductivity at porosity n and saturation ratio S (0 < S < 1);
k0.4;1 is the conductivity at n = 0.4 and S = 1.
For only the saturation ratio, we can use
݇ௌ ൌ ݇ଵ ሺೄషబǤమ
బǡఴ
ሻଶ [3.5]
where:
kS is the conductivity at the saturation ratio S (0 < S < 1);
k1 is the conductivity at saturation (S = 1).
Carrier and Beckman [CAR 84] presented a more general formula,
which is also valid for cohesive soils and not limited to sands unlike the
above cases:
ସǤଶଽ
ିǤଶ൫௪ಽ ିǤଶସଶூ ൯
݇ ൌ ͲǤͲͳͶǤ ൜ ൠ ൗͳ ݁ [3.6]
ூ
For soils with 10í10 < k < 10í3 (m/s), ranging from gravelly sands to
organic clays, Robertson and Cabal [ROB 15] approximated the
permeability from CPT results using the SBTn index IC:
݇ ൌ ͳͲሺǤଽହଶିଷǤସூ ሻ ݂ͳݎǤͲ ൏ ܫ ൏ ͵Ǥʹ [3.7]
and
݇ ൌ ͳͲሺିସǤହଶିଵǤଷூ ሻ ݂͵ݎǤʹ ൏ ܫ ൏ ͶǤͲ [3.8]
Hydraulic Parameters 23
Clay soils are often anisotropic, different hydraulic conductivity with in
the horizontal (kh) and vertical (kv) directions. The ratio of the former to the
latter is called the ratio of anisotropy. Baligh and Levadoux [BAL 80]
suggested the following values that relate to the nature of clay:
– no evidence of layering: ݇ Τ݇௩ ൌ ͳǡʹ േ Ͳǡʹ;
– slight layering: ݇ Τ݇௩ ൌ ʹݐͷ;
– varved clays: ݇ Τ݇௩ ൌ ͳͲ േ ͷ.
Mayne [MAY 07] proposed slightly different limits:
– Homogeneous clay: ݇ Τ݇௩ ൌ ͳǤͲͳݐǤͷ;
– Clay with discontinuous lenses and layers: ݇ Τ݇௩ ൌ ʹݐͶ;
– Varved clays and silts, continuous permeable layers:
݇ Τ݇௩ ൌ ͳǤͷͳݐͷ.
In practice, a value of 3 is commonly used for the ratio of anisotropy.
Water pressure dissipation during a CPTu can be recorded using a u2
piezocone. When t50 corresponding to U = 50% is calculated, horizontal
conductivity can be estimated as [MAY 01]:
݇ ൌ ሺʹͷͳݐହ ሻିଵǤଶହ [3.9]
where kh is expressed in cm/s and t50 in seconds.
3.2. Water storage capacity
The water has a restricted movement when saturating the soil, and a part
of it is retained by suction or water-holding capacity. Thus, the water that is
free to move is not equal to the porosity except for very coarse materials.
This is called the effective porosity ݊ᇱ , which decreases with grain size.
Some orders of magnitude of ݊ᇱ are given below.
3.2.1. For a free water table
– coarse alluvial deposits without clay: 30–40%;
– gravel: 20–25%;
