Journal Published Online: 01 March 2000
Volume 23, Issue 1

Evaluation and Application of the Transient-Pulse Technique for Determining the Hydraulic Properties of Low-Permeability Rocks—Part 2: Experimental Application

CODEN: GTJODJ

Abstract

In Part 1 of this study, the general solution to the transient-pulse test (Hsieh et al. 1981) was extended to evaluate quantitatively the transient variations in hydraulic head and the corresponding distributions of hydraulic gradient within a test specimen. In addition, the conditions and the validity of using the expression proposed by Brace et al. (1968) to compute the low permeability of a rock specimen from a transient-pulse test were examined. Some theoretical considerations related to the optimal design of a transient-pulse test were also discussed. Part 2 presents a relatively general and convenient approach for determining not only the hydraulic conductivity and specific storage of a specimen directly from a transient-pulse test, but also the compressive storage of the fluid reservoirs. The accuracy and efficiency of this method are demonstrated through (1) the comparison of the compressibility of the fluid-reservoir (permeating) system back-calculated from the transient-pulse tests with the value obtained from calibration tests, and (2) its application to a series of experimental studies designed to investigate the effects of confining pressure on the hydraulic properties of Shirahama sandstone and Inada granite, two rock types available widely in Japan.

Author Information

Zhang, M
Geological Survey of Japan, Ibaraki, Japan
Takahashi, M
Geological Survey of Japan, Ibaraki, Japan
Morin, RH
United States Geological Survey, Denver, CO
Esaki, T
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Pages: 9
Price: $25.00
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Stock #: GTJ11127J
ISSN: 0149-6115
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ11127J