Designation:D6391−11(Reapproved2020)StandardTestMethodforFieldMeasurementofHydraulicConductivityUsingBoreholeInfiltration1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationD6391;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.1.Scope1.1Thistestmethodcoversfieldmeasurementofhydraulicconductivity(alsoreferredtoascoeffıcientofpermeability)ofporousmaterialsusingacasedboreholetechnique.Whenisotropicconditionscanbeassumedandaflushboreholeisemployed,themethodyieldsthehydraulicconductivityoftheporousmaterial.Whenisotropicconditionscannotbeassumed,themethodyieldslimitingvaluesofthehydraulicconductivityintheverticaldirection(upperlimit)ifasinglestageisconductedandthehorizontaldirection(lowerlimit)ifasecondstageisconducted.Foranisotropicconditions,determinationoftheactualhydraulicconductivityrequiresfurtheranalysisbyqualifiedpersonnel.1.2Thistestmethodmaybeusedforcompactedfillsornaturaldeposits,aboveorbelowthewatertable,thathaveameanhydraulicconductivitylessthanorequalto1×10–5m/s(1×10–3cm/s).1.3Hydraulicconductivitygreaterthan1×10–5m/smaybedeterminedbyordinaryboreholetests,forexample,U.S.BureauofReclamation7310(1)2;however,theresultingvalueisanapparentconductivity.1.4Forthistestmethod,adistinctionmustbemadebetween“saturated”(Ks)and“field-saturated”(Kfs)hydraulicconduc-tivity.Truesaturatedconditionsseldomoccurinthevadosezoneexceptwhereimpermeablelayersresultinthepresenceofperchedwatertables.Duringinfiltrationeventsorintheeventofaleakfromalinedpond,a“field-saturated”conditiondevelops.Truesaturationdoesnotoccurduetoentrappedair(2).Theentrappedairpreventswaterfrommovinginair-filledpores,whichmayreducethehydraulicconductivitymeasuredinthefieldbyasmuchasafactoroftwocomparedwithconditionswhentrappedairisnotpresent(3).Thistestmethoddevelopsthe“field-saturated”conditi...
