SEDL / STP / STP746-EB / STP28319S

Permeability of Soils Using Contaminated Permeant

Gordon, BB
Consultant, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, San Francisco, Calif.

Forrest, M
Geotechnical engineer, International Engineering Co., San Francisco, Calif.

Pages: 20    Published: Jan 1981

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Abstract

This paper describes two laboratory permeability testing programs involving the use of contaminated fluids as permeants. The first program involved the use of an alkaline permeant, and in the second program, an acidic permeant was used. Contaminated permeants were used in order to model field conditions anticipated in mining projects. Permeability depends on the properties of both the porous media and the permeant, whereas intrinsic permeability depends only on the void space of the porous material. The chemical and physical properties of the permeants were different from those of distilled water, which is normally used as a permeant. Therefore, the permeability of soils using contaminated permeants should not be expected to be the same as for a distilled water permeant. The equipment, development, and test methodology and results are discussed in this paper.