State-of-the-Art Field Hydraulic Conductivity Testing of Compacted Soils

摘要

The report documents the available technical information on field hydraulic conductivity test methods for soil liners. The methods discussed are currently used and readily available for determining the hydraulic conductivity of soils compacted in the field. Hydraulic conductivity test methods currently used on soil liners were evaluated for their ability to meet the minimum requirements for field tests; i.e., that the test be capable of measuring hydraulic conductivities at least as low as 1 x 10 to the -9th power m/s and that the values obtained be representative of the overall soil liner. Of the few methods capable of meeting the minimum requirements, even fewer are both practical to use and rarely give false low values. Based on the advantages of the methods evaluated, the best and most practical currently available technologies for evaluating hydraulic conductivity are large single-ring infiltrometers and sealed double-ring infiltrometers.