ASTM_D_5084_-_10.pdf

Designation:D508410Standard Test Methods forMeasurement of Hydraulic Conductivity of Saturated PorousMaterials Using a Flexible Wall Permeameter1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5084;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope*1.1 These test methods cover laboratory measurement of thehydraulic conductivity(also referred to as coeffcient of per-meability)of water-saturated porous materials with a flexiblewall permeameter at temperatures between about 15 and 30C(59 and 86F).Temperatures outside this range may be used;however,the user would have to determine the specific gravityof mercury and RT(see 10.3)at those temperatures using datafrom Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.There are sixalternate methods or hydraulic systems that may be used tomeasure the hydraulic conductivity.These hydraulic systemsare as follows:1.1.1 Method AConstant Head1.1.2 Method BFalling Head,constant tailwater elevation1.1.3 Method CFalling Head,rising tailwater elevation1.1.4 Method DConstant Rate of Flow1.1.5 Method EConstant VolumeConstant Head(by mer-cury)1.1.6 Method FConstant VolumeFalling Head(bymercury),rising tailwater elevation1.2 These test methods use water as the permeant liquid;see4.3 and Section 6 on Reagents for water requirements.1.3 These test methods may be utilized on all specimentypes(undisturbed,reconstituted,remolded,compacted,etc.)that have a hydraulic conductivity less than about 1 106m/s(1 104cm/s),providing the head loss requirements of 5.2.3are met.For the constant-volume methods,the hydraulicconductivity typically has to be less than about 1 107m/s.1.3.1 If the hydraulic conductivity is greater than about1 106m/s,but not more than about 1 105m/s;then thesize of the hydraulic tubing needs to be increased along withthe porosity of the porous end pieces.Other strategies,such asusing higher viscosity fluid or properly decreasing the cross-sectional area of the test specimen,or both,may also bepossible.The key criterion is that the requirements covered inSection 5 have to be met.1.3.2 If the hydraulic conductivity is less than about1 1011m/s,then standard hydraulic systems and tempera-ture environments will typically not suffice.Strategies that maybe possible when dealing with such impervious materials mayinclude the following:(a)controlling the temperature moreprecisely,(b)adoption of unsteady state measurements byusing high-accuracy equipment along with the rigorous analy-ses for determining the hydraulic parameters(this approachreduces testing duration according to Zhang et al.(1)2),and(c)shortening the length or enlarging the cross-sectional area,orboth,of the test specimen.Other items,such as use of higherhydraulic gradients,lower viscosity fluid,elimination of anypossible chemical gradients and bacterial growth,and strictverification of leakage,may also be considered.1.4 The hydraulic conductivity of materials with hydraulicconductivities greater than 1 105m/s may be determined byTest Method D2434.1.5 All observed and calculated values shall conform to theguide for significant digits and rounding established in PracticeD6026.1.5.1 The procedures used to specify how data are collected,recorded,and calculated in this standard are regarded as theindustry standard.In addition,they are representative of thesignificant digits that should generally be retained.The proce-dures used do not consider material variation,purpose forobtaining the data,special purpose studies,or any consider-ations for the users objectives;and it is common practice toincrease or reduce significant digits of reported data to becommensurate with these considerations.It is beyond the scopeof this standard to consider significant digits used in analysismethods for engineering design.1.6 This standard also contains a Hazards section aboutusing mercury,see Section 7.1.7 The time to perform this test depends on such items asthe Method(A,B,C,D,E,or F)used,the initial degree ofsaturation of the test specimen and the hydraulic conductivity1This standard is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil andRock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.04 on HydrologicProperties and Hydraulic Barriers.Current edition approved July 1,2010.Published August 2010.Originallyapproved in 1990.Last previous edition approved in 2003 as D508403.DOI:10.1520/D5084-10.2The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references appended tothis standard.*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standardCopyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 of the test specimen.The constant volume Methods(E and F)and Method D require the shortest period-of-time.Typically atest can be performed us