Flow Characteristics through Saturated Soil: Experimental Study

Abstract

The flow characteristics through saturated soil is complex. For low heads, the flow is essentially linear, where Darcy’s law is applicable. For higher head, the flow is nonlinear and mathematically identified as Forchheimer’s flow. The critical flow velocity for this transition and the relevant Reynold’s number depends upon several factors, including soil and fluid characteristics. In this paper, an experimental investigation has been carried out by means of falling head permeameter with locally available soft soil sample. A critical analysis and interpretations of the test results to identify the linear and nonlinear flow characteristics have been performed and important conclusions are drawn therefrom.

Flow Characteristics through Granular Soil Influenced by Saline Water Intrusion: A Laboratory Investigation

“…where a is the inner cross-sectional area of the inlet standpipe and A is the cross-sectional area of the soil mass in the permeameter mould. Expressing Equation 6 in finite difference form, the average flow velocity through the soil mass is given by [8]:…”

“…The increasing population in coastal localities worldwide demands enhancement of freshwater extraction in those regions initiating saltwater interface to advance towards the aquifers, producing saline water intrusion [3]. Such intrusion not only contaminates coastal fresh groundwater resources remarkably making it unsuitable for consumption for domestic, irrigation, and industry usages, but also alters the geotechnical and geohydraulic properties of the aquifer materials affecting their flow characteristics, influencing the pumping and other engineering activities [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”