Soil Permeability Apparatus | Constant Head Permeability | Falling Head Permeability Test
Soil Permeability Test Apparatus is a property of soil that permits the flow of water through its interconnecting voids. Permeability is an important engineering property that governs the rate of settlement of saturated compressible soil layers and the rate of flow of aquifer. Permeability is taken into account for pumping groundwater, spacing well points for de-watering foundation sites for excavation, retention of water in reservoirs, design of dams, and selection of soils to be used for various zones of embankments of dams and reservoirs.
The coefficient of permeability can be computed from the effective diameter of particles, porosity, specific surface, and from consolidation test results. But permeability depends on numerous factors; hence, determination of permeability by direct laboratory method using an apparatus called Permeameter is considered more accurate. The specimen used in par is small, time taken is less, and the results obtained are accurate.
There are two types of Parameters, namely Constant Head Parameter and Falling Head Parameter. falling head permeability test parameter are used for testing remolded or undisturbed fine-grained soil having less than 10·2 cm/sec coefficient of permeability and Constant head permeability test Permeameter are used for coarse-grained cohesionless soils