The effects of density and hydraulic gradient on clay permeability

摘要

The Permeability of compacted clay-based materials and the mechanisms controlling this property have been investigated based on the Kozeny-Carmen relationship and the diffuse double-layer theory together with the available data. The study showed that permeability depends on a number of parameters such as density, soil type and structure, water salinity, hydraulic gradient and temperature. The existence of a threshold gradient particularly in active clay mineral is shown to depend on soil fabric, density and water salinity. This information is important in the design of clay-based hydraulic barriers.