Effect of Shape Factor on Hydraulic Conductivity of Porous Media For Different Sized & Different Proportions Of Material

Abstract

Hydraulic conductivity is one of the most important physical properties of soil which governs the quantitative evaluation of groundwater resources. It depends upon large number of variables such as particle size, porosity of the packing, shape of the individual particles, size distribution of particles in the packing, arrangement of particles in the bed with respect to each other, particle surface roughness and permeameter walls. In common practice the coefficient of permeability is usually obtained by Constant Head Permeability test as it is easy to apply. It is desirable to predict the Hydraulic Conductivity (Permeability) value of different Shape group particles of different sizes and mixed in some proportions for knowledge of their statistical size and shape distribution. However, a comprehensive study of the effects of Shape factors of sediments on permeability of the porous materials is not available. Hence, to investigate the effect of Shape factors of sediments on hydraulic conductivity through porous media, the present study has been conducted on Constant Head permeameter with appurtenances to measure discharge, pore pressure differences and temperature. Four number of materials such as 6.3 mm White Marble chip, 6.3 mm Crushed Quartzite, 10 mm River Washed Gravel, 16 mm Glass Spherical Glass balls and making a mixture of these above mentioned materials in fixed proportion and
then conducting Hydraulic Conductivity tests on it. Four tests namely Sieve analysis test, Specific gravity test, Volume displacement method test and Hydraulic test are conducted.