Experiment No. 7b

Experiment No.
7B
PERMEABILITY TEST FOR FINE-GRAINED SOILS
(FALLING-HEAD METHOD)
Scope
The falling head permeability test is used for determining the permeability of soil samples that
have a permeability less than about 10-3 cm/s.
Apparatus
The apparatus for the falling-head permeability test includes:

1. Falling head permeability cell for cohesive soils
2. Perforated metal or plastic disks, circular wire screens, or porous stones
3. Glass tubing (piezometers) with its support
4. T piece with pinch clip
5. Flexible hoses necessary to connect piezometers and water supply
6. De-airing tank
7. Soaking tank
8. Timing device (watch or clock)
9. Thermometer, range 0 to 50OC, accurate to 0.1OC
Sample Preparation
1. Samples can be prepared by remolding or recompacting a sample into the permeameter. It is

essential that there are no voids through which water may pass and that the sample has a good
contact with the sides of the permeameter.
2. The soil must be trimmed flush (level) with the ends of the permeameter. The soil removed in this
process may be used to determine the water content. Any trimmed material to be used for this
purpose should be rapidly weighed as water may be lose to the atmosphere, this is particularly
important in the case of silty soils.
3. The height and diameter of the sample should be measured at several points and the mean value
recorded. If it is decided to use this mold dimensions these should be measured before the sample
is prepared.
4. The sample and permeameter should be weighed to the nearest 0.1 gram and the weight recorded.
5. Wire gauze should be placed at the top and bottom of the sample.
6. The permeameter should now be placed in the cage.
7. The top clamping plate is packed with steel wool and clamped evenly to the top of the permeameter.
8. The top inlet of the permeameter cell is now connected to the glass T piece using rubber tubing
and the branch of the T-piece closed off
Note 1 – it assists de-airing if the procedures described in no. 7 and 9 are carried out with the
permeameter submerged in a suitably sized bucker of water.
9. The assembled permeameter cell is now placed in the immersion tank, which is slowly filled with
de-aired water, (rapid filling will cause agitation and aeration of the water). The tank should be
filled to the overflow level.
10. The standpipe on the panel should now be opened and the pinch clip released, de-aired water
should be allowed to flow and saturate the sample to ensure that no air is trapped in the apparatus.
The use of a downward prevents air from being trapped at the top plate of the apparatus. This
process may
take some time with soils of low permeability such as clays. The standpipe water levels should be
checked from time to time to ensure that the water level does not fall below the minimum level.
Procedure
1. The pinch clip should be closed and the standpipe to be used for the test should be filled to a
suitable level, the other standpipes should be closed.
2. The initial water level in the standpipe at the start of the test (H1) must be recorded.
3. The pinch clip is then released and at the same time a clock or timer is started. The time taken for
the water level to fall to some point (H2) is recorded. In soils of low permeability the time
required of a significant fall in water level may be many hours.
Several tests may run using the same standpipe by recording new h1 and h2 conditions. The
standpipe can be refilled and the test repeated, or alternatively the other standpipes may be used.
If standpipes of different cross-sectional areas are used, it is important that the particular
standpipe used for a particular set of readings is recorded.
4. The temperature in the water in the immersion tank should be recorded. If the test has run over
several hours, the initial temperature at the start of the test and the final temperature at the end of
the test together with several temperature readings at intermediate time intervals should be
recorded.
Figure 19. Falling Head Cell

Figure 20. Soaking Tank
Calculation
The coefficient of permeability can be computed using the equation:
k = 2.303 a L log10 H1
AT H2
or
k = a L logc H1
AT H2
where:
k = coefficient of permeability, cm/sec

a = cross-sectional area of standpipe (burette), cm2
L = length of specimen, cm
A = cross-sectional area of soil specimen, cm2
T = total time for water in burette to drop from H1 to H2, sec
H1 = hydraulic head at beginning of test, cm
H2 = hydraulic head at end of test, cm
The permeability computed using the above equation is the value for the particular water
temperature at which the test was conducted. It is necessary to correct this permeability to that for
20OC by multiplying the computed value by the ratio of viscosity of water at the test temperature to
viscosity of water at 20OC (see table 10).
Questions
1. Define the total head in terms of water pressure, elevation, and unit weight of water. What is the
physical meaning of total head?
2. Why do we use the hydrostatic definition of total head instead of the Bernoulli definition of total
head?
3. Why do we neglect the term v2/2g in defining the total head in soil? (v is the fluid velocity and g
is the earth gravity). Justify your answer with numbers.
4. Define soil permeability. What are the dimensions and units of permeability?
5. Does the permeability increase or decrease with temperature?
6. Name two laboratory tests used for determining soil permeability. For which types of soils are
they used?
7. Is the fluid velocity larger or smaller than the discharge velocity? What is the relationship
between these velocities?
8. What is the critical hydraulic gradient?
9. Can you name several empirical relationships that relate soil permeability to physical parameters?
10. Derive the expression for permeability for a falling head test.
11. What is a typical range of permeability for gravels, sands, silts and clay?
PRELIMINARY DATA SHEET
Name: Group No.

Subject/ Section: Date:
Experiment No. 7B
TRIAL NUMBER 1 2
DIAMETER OF SPECIMEN (cm)
LENGTH OF SPECIMEN (cm)
AREA OF SPECIMEN (cm2)
DIAMETER OF STANDPIPE (cm)
AREA OF STANDPIPE (cm2)
HEAD AT START OF TEST (cm)
HEAD AT END OF TEST (cm)
VOLUME OF DISCHARGE (ml)
TIME OF DISCHARGE (sec)
COEFF. OF PERMEABILITY (cm/sec)
AVE COEFFICIENT OF PERMEABILITY (cm/sec)
Student’s Signature Instructor’s Signature

FINAL DATA SHEET
Name: Group No.

Subject/ Section: Date:
Experiment No. 7B
TRIAL NUMBER 1 2
DIAMETER OF SPECIMEN (cm)
LENGTH OF SPECIMEN (cm)
AREA OF SPECIMEN (cm2)
DIAMETER OF STANDPIPE (cm)
AREA OF STANDPIPE (cm2)
HEAD AT START OF TEST (cm)
HEAD AT END OF TEST (cm)
VOLUME OF DISCHARGE (ml)
TIME OF DISCHARGE (sec)
COEFF. OF PERMEABILITY (cm/sec)
AVE COEFFICIENT OF PERMEABILITY (cm/sec)
Student’s Signature

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Experiment No.

The apparatus for the falling-head permeability test includes:

1. Samples can be prepared by remolding or recompacting a sample into the permeameter. It is

Figure 19. Falling Head Cell

The coefficient of permeability can be computed using the equation:

k = coefficient of permeability, cm/sec

Name: Group No.

Student’s Signature Instructor’s Signature

Name: Group No.

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