10. Permeability Of Soil: Pressure, Elevation and Total Heads
The chapter discusses the permeability of soil, including the concepts of pressure, elevation, and total heads affecting water flow through the soil's interconnected pores. Various factors, including soil type and particle size, determine permeability, which is essential for understanding groundwater movement in different soil conditions. Additionally, Darcy's Law provides a foundational equation for quantifying fluid flow in saturated soils.
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Sections
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What we have learnt
- Permeability is the measure of how easily water can flow through soil's pores.
- Total head consists of elevation head, pressure head, and in some cases, velocity head, though velocity head is often negligible in soil contexts.
- Darcy's law describes the linear relationship between flow velocity and hydraulic gradient in saturated soils.
Key Concepts
- -- Permeability
- A measure of the ease with which water flows through the interconnected pores of soil.
- -- Darcy's Law
- An empirical relationship that correlates flow velocity and hydraulic gradient in saturated soils.
- -- Total Head
- Sum of elevation head, pressure head, and velocity head that determines the flow of water in soil, usually simplified to the piezometric head.
- -- Seepage Velocity
- The actual velocity of water within the pores of the soil, typically greater than superficial velocity.
- -- Hydraulic Gradient
- The slope of the total head between two points in soil that drives water flow.
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