FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

COURSE NAME
COURSE CODE
OPEN-ENDED LAB
SEMESTER

TITLE OF EXPERIMENT :PERMEABILITY

DATE OF EXPERIMENT :13 MAY 2020
NAME :AINUR NASUHA BINTI MOHAMMAD RODZI
UiTM NO :2019892466
CLASS GROUP :EC220 2A1B
LECTURER : EN NORAZLAN BIN KHALID
LEVEL OF OPENESS : 2

MARKS COMMENTS
INTRODUCTION
BASIC CONCEPTS
METHODOLOGY 1 2 3 4 5
RESULTS&ANALYSIS 1 2 3 4 5
DISCUSSION 1 2 3 4 5
CONCLUSION 1 2 3 4 5
ORGANIZATION 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL MARKS

COURSE GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY

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UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

COURSE CODE ECG428

LEVEL OF OPENNESS 2
CATEGORY PARTIALLY OPEN
DEGREE OF OPEN-ENDED (%) 66

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES TEST:

DETERMINATION OF PERMEABILITY FOR SOILS

PREAMBLE Introduction

Level 1 laboratory activity refers to condition where the problem and ways &
means are guided and given to the students. However the answers to the
assignment are left to the students to solve using the group creativity and
innovativeness. The activity is hope to slowly introduced and inculcate
independent learning amongst students and prepare them for a much harder
task of open ended laboratory activities.

A material is said to be permeable if it contains continuous voids. Permeability is

a property of permeable material that permits flow of liquids through the voids.
The flow of liquid through soil either by laminar or turbulent depending on
permeability of soil and the head causing flow.

Darcy (1856) demonstrated experimentally that for laminar flow conditions in a

saturated soil, the rate of flow or discharge per unit time is proportional to the
hydraulic gradient.

q = kiA

where : q = discharge per unit time

k = Darcy’s coefficient of permeability
i = hydraulic gradient
A = total cross-sectional area of soil mass, perpendicular
to the direction of flow.

The coefficient of permeability can be determined using two (2) types of

apparatus, namely:

1. Constant head permeameter apparatus for coarse grained soil.

2. Falling head permeameter apparatus for fine grained soils.

Objectives
To determine the coefficient of permeability of coarse grained and fine grained
soils.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the laboratory activities, students should be able to:

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UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

1. To determine the permeability of coarse grained and fine grained soils.

2. Work in a group to produce the relevant technical report.

Permeability is defined as the capacity of a soil to allow water to pass through

and the coefficient of permeability is the flow velocity produced by a hydraulic
gradient of unity. The coefficient of permeability (or simply permeability) of soils
can be determined in the laboratory using permeameter under constant head or
variable head. Under constant head if Q is total quantity of flow (cm 3) in time
interval, t (sec) through cross sectional area of specimen, A (cm 2) and L (cm) is
PROBLEM STATEMENT length of specimen, H (cm) height of water in the tube, h (cm) is the head loss
measurement.

The falling head test is used to determine the coefficient of permeability of fine-
grained soils such as silts and clays. For these types of soil, the rate of water
flowing through is too small such that it is unable to measure the flow of liquid
through fine grained soils using constant head permeameter.

WAYS & MEANS Permeability of Coarse Grained Soils using Constant Head Permeameter

Apparatus
Pemeameter complete with accessories,de-aired water,balance,mixing
pan,graduated measuring cylinder, meter scale, stopwatch, beaker.

Procedures
1. The mould had cleaned and grease on inside the mould had applied.weight
recorded.
2. Sample prepared
a) the sample trimmed to the size of mould from undisturbed lump of soil
collected from the site.the sample fitted into the mould.wax around periphery
of the sample-mould applied to prevent leakage.

OR

b) Prepared statically compacted remolded specimen of desired density and

water content.

OR

c) Compacted remolded specimen of desired density and water content had

been prepared dynamically.

3. The excess soil trimmed.Filter paper placed on top of soil specimen and
perforated base plate fixed.
4. The assembly turned upside down and compaction plate or end plug and
collar had been removed,placed top perforated plate on top of soil
specimen,sealing gasket had been inserted and top cap fixed properly.
5. The sample had saturated.Vacuum dessicators was used if available.
6. Specimen(mould) had take out when saturation was completed.
7. The mould had placed in bottom tank.
8. The bottom tank had been filled up to its outlet.
9. Outlet tube of constant head tank was connected to the inlet nozzle of the
permeameter.All air bubbles was removed from the system.

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10. Hydraulic head was adjusted.Head been recorded.

11. Stop watch was started and the same time beaker was put under the outlet
of bottom tank.
12. The test was running for some convenient time interval.The time was
recorded.
13. The quantity of water collected during that time was measured and
recorded.
14. The test repeated two times more under the same head and for the same
time interval.

Figure 1:Constant head permeameter

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SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

Figure 2:Constant head permeameter configuration(Whitlow,2000)

Permeability of Fine Grained Soils using Falling Head Permeameter

Apparatus
Falling head permeameter, standpipes, triaxial cell or compaction mould,
stopwatch, thermometer(If necessary), bucket, sample extruder.

Procedure
1. A U100 sample from a core-cutter tube was taken and the sample was
trimmed to assure that both surface is flat and smooth.
2. The soil sample was placed fully into a triaxial cell on top of a porous stone
and again was placed a porous stone on top of the soil sample.
3. The whole set up was placed in a bucket partially submerged in water.The
sample was be encased in the triaxial cell to make sure that no air bubbles was
entrapped in the soil sampple.
4. The length,L and the diameter,D of the sample was measured.The diameter
was recorded,a of the standpipe used in the test.
5. The standpipe connected to the sample.The connection of the standpipe to
the sample would be intact to make sure that the presence of air is minimised.
6. The valve was open and the water had been filled into the standpipe to
marked initial height of the standpipe.The inititial reading for height ,h1 and
time,t1 before the commencement of the test was recorded.
7. The valve closed and the test was started by observing the flow of water and
time of the reduction.Once the flow of water reaches the final height mark,time
was stopped and the final reading for height,h2 and time,t2 was recorded
simultaneously.
8. The temperature was recorded at the time of the test and the temperature
correction from Table 1 for kT and k20 was obtained.The average value of k was
computed by repeating the above procedure.The correction for the effect of
temperature is given by:

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SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

Figure 3:Falling head permeameter configuration(Whitlow,2000)

RESULTS Data of the test:

Length of specimen (L) = 127 mm

Area of specimen (A) = 7,854 mm2
Volume of specimen (V) = 997,458 mm3
Area of stand pipe (a) = 113 mm2
Specific gravity of soil (G)= 2.65
Temperature of water = 30° C

i) Constant Head

Time, t Head, h Quantity, Q Q=Q/t kT

(seconds) (mm) (mm3) (mm3/s) (mm/s)
1 150 300 32,400 216 0.0776
2 300 300 66,000 220 0.0395

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SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

3 450 300 96,300 214 0.0256

ii) Falling head

Initial head, Final head, h2 Time, t Log10 kT (mm/s)

h1 (mm) (mm) (seconds) (h1/h2)
1 1,200 550 122 0.3388 5.074 × 10^-3
2 1,200 400 173 0.4771 5.039 × 10^-3
3 1,200 250 244 0.6812 5.101 × 10^-3

iii) Dry density, void ration and degree of saturation

Mass of saturated soil, M = 2,087g

Mass of moisture cup = 18.3 g
Mass of cup with wet soil = 37.09g
Mass of cup with dry soil = 34.10g
Water content = 18.92%

Ms
ρd =
V

=0.01580/(9.9746 × 10^-4)
=15.840 kg/m^3

G ρW
e= -1
ρd

=(2.65×1000÷ 15.840) - 1
=166.30

ωG
ST =
e

=(0.1892 × 2.65 )÷ 166.30

=3.0149 × 10^-3

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UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

Figure 4

I) Constant Head
From the experiment, we can know that the objective of the experiment is to
determine the permeability for coarse-grained soils.From the experiment that
have done,we can know that the objective for this experiment was
achieved.This is because the value of permeability of soils is k=4.757 × 10^-5
m/s.From the table of value of permeability ,our results test was categorized as
medium clean sands.It means that the soil are using through this experiment are
course-grained soils.
CONCLUSION
II) Falling Head
From this experiment, we can know that the objective of the experiment is to
determine the permeability for fine-grained soils.From the experiment that
have done,we can know the objective for this experiment was achieved.This is
because the value of permeability of soils is k=5.071 × 10^-6 m/s.From the table
at figure 4,the results test was categorized as very fine of silty sands.It means
that the soil are using though this experiment are fine-grained soils.

DISCUSSION AND I) Constant Head

RECOMENDATION The test of Constant head permeability is carried out to determine permebility
of soils of coarse-grained soils.

The coefficient of permeability for our soil sample is kT1=7.76 × 10^-5

m/s,kT2=3.95 × 10^-5 and kT3=2.56 × 10^-5

The value of the k(permeability) that we get is 4.757 × 10 ^-3 m/s.This value we
get using the formula k=QL÷Aht.Based on the figure 4, the sample soil is
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SHAH ALAM LABORATORY MANUAL

classified as medium clean sands.

II) Falling Head

The test of falling head permeability is carried out to determine the
permeability of soils of fine-grained soils such as clays and silts.For these types
of soil,the rate of water flowing through is too small .

The coefficient of permeability for our soil sample is kT1=5.074 × 10^-3mm/s

,kT2=5.039 × 10^-3 mm/s and kT3=5.101 × 10^-3 mm/s.

The average coefficient of permeability is 5.071 × 10^-6 m/s. Based on

Figure 4,the sample soil is classified as very fine or silty sands.

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