Using the borehole permeameter to estimate saturated hydraulic conductivity for glacially over-consolidated soils.

Kindred, J. Scott; Reynolds, W. Daniel

The borehole permeameter (BP) method was developed in the 1950s by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to estimate saturated soil hydraulic conductivity (KS) in shallow boreholes completed above the water table. The approach has been improved over the years, and now accounts for flow due to pressure, gravity and soil capillarity. However, the BP method is calibrated only for normally consolidated soils and ponding depth (H) versus borehole radius (r) ratios (H/r) ≤ 22. The primary objective of this study was to recalibrate the BP method for use in glacially over-consolidated soils with H/r ranging from 0.05 to 200. Recalibration consisted of using numerically simulated steady BP flow for five representative glacially over-consolidated soils to update the BP shape function fitting parameters (Z1, Z2, Z3) for nine specified KS values and 15 test pit and borehole configurations. Four sets of fitting parameters were determined, which apply for H/r ≤ 20, H/r ≥ 20, soil with <12% silt content, and soil with >12% silt content. Relative to specified KS, the updated shape function parameters yielded BP estimates of KS with a maximum error of 13% and an average error of 3%, whereas the original shape function parameters (developed for normally consolidated soils and H/r ≤ 22) produced a maximum KS error of 94% and an average error of 23%. The numerical simulations were also used to develop criteria for estimating time required to achieve steady BP flow, and for correcting BP estimates of KS where steady flow was not achieved.

UNITED States. Bureau of Reclamation; HYDRAULIC conductivity; SOIL permeability; SOILS; SOIL depth; WATERLOGGING (Soils); WATER table; BOREHOLES

Hydrogeology Journal, 2020, Vol 28, Issue 5, p1909

1431-2174

Academic Journal

10.1007/s10040-020-02149-3