ISSN:
1745-6584
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Geosciences
Notes:
Data collected during ring infiltrometer tests are often analyzed while assuming either that the effect of gravity is negligible (early-time, transient data) or that it is dominant (late-time, steady-state data). In this paper, an equation is proposed for inter-preting both early-time and late-time data measured during infiltration tests under falling head conditions. It is shown that the method used by previous authors for interpreting both early-time data is a special case of the proposed equation. The equation is applied to data collected during tests performed in fine-grained soils, and results are discussed. The analysis suggests that to assume a priori values of the soil sorptive number, as indicated in the literature for various soils, may in some cases lead to severely underes-timated values of the saturated hydraulic conductivity. Conversely, in low permeability soils, to assume steady-state gravity drainage may lead to order of magnitude overestimates of the saturated hydraulic conductivity. A dimensionless analysis provides characteristic times that correspond either to the duration of the log-log half slope displayed by early-time data or to the log-log unit slope characteristic of late-time data.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2000.tb00225.x
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