Improvement of field falling-head test and determination of hydraulic conductivity using Darcy’s equation

Abstract

This study presents a novel permeameter design for field falling-head tests to determine vertical hydraulic conductivity (K) using Darcy's equation. The design features an open-ended standpipe with two ports for simultaneous measurement of hydraulic heads at both ends of the sediment column, enabling direct estimation of flow rate (q) and hydraulic gradient (i). Flow rate is calculated by differentiating the best-fit curve for water level change above the sediment, and the hydraulic gradient is derived from the head difference between the ports. Laboratory and field tests consistently demonstrated a strong linear relationship between q and i (R2 > 0.999), validating the applicability of Darcy's equation for this new permeameter design. The K values obtained using the proposed method matched those obtained using the Hvorslev equation method. Furthermore, the design allows for continuous measurement of heads after the falling-head permeameter test, facilitating the collection of time series data for the hydraulic gradient. When combined with a pre-determined K value, this enables calculation of time series for the seepage rate across the surface water/sediment interface. To demonstrate this capability, preliminary tests were conducted using commercially-available pressure transducers to monitor heads and obtain seepage time series. The results of these tests are also presented.