STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC

(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.

_________________
Student Signature

Name

Matric No. :
Date

FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : FALLING HEAD
PERMEABILITY TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

1/5

3/01/12
3/01/12

1.0 OBJECTIVE
TO DETERMINE PERMEABILITY OF SOILS OF INTERMEDIATE AND LOW PERMEABILITY
(LESS THAN 10-4 m/s), I.E. SILTS AND CLAYS.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this experiment, students are able to:
Describe the general accepted practice to determine the coefficient of permeability of silts
and clays.
Identify the relationship between permeability and pore size of the fine grained soils.

Determine the coefficient of permeability of silts and clays.

3.0 THEORY
In the falling head test a relatively short sample is connected to a standpipe which provides both the
head of water and the means of measuring the quantity of water flowing through the sample. Several
standpipes of different diameters are normally available from which can be selected the diameter most
suitable for the type of material being tested.
In permeability tests on clays, much higher hydraulic gradients than are normally used with sands can
be applied, and are often necessary to induce any measurable flow. The cohesion of clays provides
resistance to failure by piping at gradients of up to several hundred, even under quite low confining or
surcharge pressures. Dispersive clays however are very susceptible to erosion at much lower gradient.
The falling head principle can be applied to an undisturbed sample in a sampling tube and to a sample
in an oedometer consolidation cell. The equation used in determining the permeability of fine grained
soils is given in Equation 1.

Permeability , k (m / s)

h
2.303aL
log 10 1
1000 A t
h2

(1)

Where: a = area of cross-section of standpipe tube (mm 2)

A = area of cross section of sample (mm2)
h1 = heights of water above datum in standpipe at time t1 (mm)
h2 = heights of water above datum in standpipe at time t2 (mm)
L = heights of sample (mm)
t = elapsed time in sec

FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : FALLING HEAD
PERMEABILITY TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

4.0 TEST EQUIPMENTS

1. Permeameter cell, comprising:
Cell body, with cutting edge (core cutter), 100 mm diameter and 130 mm long.
Perforated base plate with straining rods and wing nuts.
Top clamping plate.
Connecting tube and fittings.

Figure 1: Compaction permeameter

(Courtesy of ELE International, 2007)

2/5

3/01/12
3/01/12

FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : FALLING HEAD
PERMEABILITY TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

3/5

3/01/12
3/01/12

5.0 PROCEDURES
1. Assemble apparatus,
a. The apparatus is set up as shown in Figure 2. The volume of water passing through a
sample of low permeability is quite small and a continuous supply of de-aired water is
not necessary, but the reservoir supplying the de-airing tank should be filled with
distilled or de-ionised water
2. Calibrate manometer tubes,
a. The areas of cross-section of the three manometer tubes should be determined as
follows for each tube:
i.
Fill the tube with water up to a known mark near the top of the scale,
observed to the nearest mm,
ii.
Runoff water from the tube into a weighted beaker, until the level in the tube
has fallen by about 500mm or more,
iii.
Read the new water level on the scale, to the nearest mm,
iv.
Weigh the beaker containing water from the tube (weighings should be to the
nearest 0.01g)
v.
The diameter of the manometer can be calculated as follows:

diameter , a

vi.

1000m w
mm2
h1 h2

If mw = mass of water (g),

h1 = initial level in tube (mm),
h2 = final level in tube (mm),
A = area of cross-section of tube (mm2)
Repeat the measurements two or three times for each tube, and average the
results.

3. Prepare cell,
a. Dismantle the cell,
b. Check the cell body is clean and dry, and weigh it to the nearest 0.1g,
c.
Measure the mean internal diameter (D) and length (L) to the nearest 0.5mm
4. Prepare sample,
a. Undisturbed sample can be taken by means of core cutter.
b. Make sure that the sample is a tight fit in the body and there are no cavities around
the perimeter through which water could pass,
5. Assemble cell
6. Connect cell
7. Saturate and de-air sample
8. Fill manometer system
9. Run test
a. Open screw clip at inlet to allow water to flow down through the sample, and observe
the water level in the standpipe,
b. As soon as it reaches the level h1, start the timer clock,
c.
Observe and record the time when the level reaches h 3, and when it reaches h2, then
stop the clock,
d. Close screw clip at inlet

FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPARTMENT : INFRASTRUCTURE AND
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : FALLING HEAD
PERMEABILITY TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

10. Repeat test

11. Calculate permeability
12. Report result

Figure 2: Falling head permeability cell with manometer tubes

(Courtesy of ELE International, 2007)

4/5

3/01/12
3/01/12

FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

TEST TITLE : FALLING HEAD

PERMEABILITY TEST

5/5

3/01/12
3/01/12

6.0 RESULTS AND CALCULATIONS

Falling Head Permeability test
Location: Batu Pahat
Operator:
Soil description: Clayey silt

Sample no: 1
Date:

Method of preparation: Hand trim into mould

Sample diameter, D:
Sample area, A:

100 mm
7854

960 g

Mass of mould:
Mass of sample:

mm2

Moisture content:
Standpipe diameter:

130 mm

Sample volume, V:

1021 cm3

Mass of sample+mould:

2670 g

1710 g

S.G. measured/assumed: 2.7

Bulk density, :

Sample length, L:

Voids ratio: 1.2

16.43 kN/m3

14.94 kN/m3

Dry density, :

40 %

Test temperature:

4.05 mm

Standpipe area, a:

c
mm 2

Reading:
Reference
point

Height above
datum, y
(mm)

Height above
outlet, h
(mm)

1 (900 mm)

Test
Point

Time, t
(sec)

1-2

2 (800 mm)
2-3

3 (700 mm)

Calculations:

Permeability, k (m/s) =

h
2.303aL
log10 1
1000 A t
h2

7.0 QUESTIONS

1. Determine the coefficient of permeability for the given soil sample.

2. Give a conclusions for this test.

Height ratios