UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA

Centre for Diploma Studies

________________________________________________________________
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
LABORATORY

LABORATORY REPORT

DAC 22103 / GEOTECHNICAL

Code / Course Name
ENGINEERING
U02 FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY
Experiment No / Title
TEST
Section 5

Group No. 6

Lecturer / Instructor’s CIK ANIS AYUNI BINTI SUIED

Name

Group Members Matric No.

1. NURSYAZWIY WAFIY BIN MOHD NOH
AA211232
2. MUHAMMAD MUHRIZ BIN MAZANI
AA212514

3. NUR AQILAH BINTI ADZMI AA212161

4. DENIEL NAJMUDDIN BIN NORHAIZAT AA211551

Date of
Experiment 17 MAY 2023

Date of
Submission

ULASAN COP DITERIMA/RECEIVED

PEMERIKSA/COMMENTS STAMP
 Experiment Title:
Lab Report Rubric DAC 22103 – GEOTECHNICAL
(Assessment Form) ENGINEERING
SC W R
Criteria 1 2 3 4 5 TSC
R T (%)
Theory, • Theory and • Theory and • Theory and other • Theory and other • Theory and other
objective, other other information information information regarding
procedure information information regarding the regarding the the laboratory are well
(10%) regarding the regarding the laboratory are laboratory are presented 2 0
laboratory are laboratory are partly presented presented with some
not presented presented mistakes
minimally
Analysis / • Trends / • Trends / • Trends / patterns • Trends / • Trends / patterns are
Result patterns patterns are are logically patterns are logically analyzed
(25%) are not not analyzed analyzed for the logically • Analysis is insightful
Cognitive
analyzed • • Analysis is most part analyzed • 5 0
Analysis is inconsistent • Analysis is general Analysis is
not thoughtful
relevant
Referen • Reference • Reference • Reference was • Reference was • Reference was
ce (5%) was not was minimally partly presented in presented in proper presented in proper
presented in presented in somewhat proper format and relevant format and relevant to
1 0
the report the report format and to the laboratory the laboratory work /
relevant to the work with some 4
laboratory work minor mistakes 0
Data • Data is not • Data lacks • Good • Accurate • Accurate
(25% represented or precision representation of representation of representation of the
) is not • Greater than the data using the data using data using tables
accurate 20% tables and/or tables and/or graphs and/or graphs •
difference graphs • Data is fairly Graphs and tables are
with accepted labeled and titled 5 0
• Less than 15% precise
Psycho values • Data is precise with
difference with • Less than 10%
motor less than 5%
accepted values • difference with
Precision is accepted values difference with
acceptable accepted values
Participatio • Student was • Participation • Did the job but • Used time pretty • Showed interest, used /
n hostile about was minimal did not appear to well. Stayed time very well, guide 1 0 3
participating be very interested. focused on the 0
 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

(during Focus lost on experiment most of other students and very

experiment several occasion the time focused on experiment
)
(5%)
Question & • Questions are • Answers • Questions are • Questions are • Questions are
Discussion not answered to answered in answered in answered thoroughly
(15%) • No discussion questions complete sentences complete sentences and in complete
was are • A statement of the • Accurate statement sentences
included or incomplete results of the lab of the results of the • Accurate statement of
shows little •A indicates whether lab indicates the results of lab
effort and statement results support the whether results indicates whether 3 0
reflection on of the hypothesis support the results support
the lab results is hypothesis hypothesis
incomplete • Possible sources of • Possible sources of
Affective with little error identified error and what was
reflection learned from the lab
on the lab discussed
Conclusion • Conclusion • Conclusion • Conclusion & • Conclusion & • Conclusion &
& & & recommendation recommendation recommendation was
Recommend recommendati recommendati was presented was presented presented accurately
ation (15%) on was not on was somewhat accurate accurately and and relevant to result
3 0
presented minimally and relevant to relevant to result obtain from the
presented result obtain from obtain from the laboratory work /
the laboratory laboratory work 3
work with minor mistakes 0
DAT
NAME OF LECTURER: SIGNATURE:
E:
Note: SCR = SCORE, WT = WEIGHTAGE, TSCR =
TOTAL SCORE
 STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC
(SCE)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CENTRE FOR DIPLOMA STUDIES

We, hereby confess that we have prepared this report on our own effort. We also admit
not to receive any help from any third party during the preparation of this report and
pledge that everything mentioned in the report is true.

_________________
Student Signature (Group Representative)

Name : …………………………………………

Matric No. : …………………………………………..

Date : …………………………………………
 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

1.1 INTRODUCTION
A relatively small soil sample is used for the falling head permeability test, and water is
allowed to flow through it while being attached to a standpipe that serves as both the water
head and a gauge for the amount of water that is flowing through the sample. The standpipe's
diameter is determined by the soil's permeability under test. The test can be run in an
oedometer cell or a Falling Head permeability cell.

1.2 OBJECTIVES
The aim of this experiment is to determine the permeability of silty and clay soils, which
have intermediate and low permeabilities (less than 10-4 m/s).

1.3 THEORY

A relatively short sample is connected to a standpipe, which provides both the head of water
and the means of measuring the amount of water flowing through the sample in the falling
head test. Several standpipes of varying diameters are typically available, from which the
diameter best suited to the material being tested can be chosen.
Permeability tests on clays can use much higher hydraulic gradients than permeability tests
on sands, and are frequently required to induce any measurable flow. Clay cohesion provides
resistance to piping failure at gradients of up to several hundred, even at very low confining
or surcharge pressures. Dispersive clays, on the other hand, are extremely prone to erosion at
much lower gradients.
The falling head principle can be used on a clean sample in a sampling tube as well as a
sample in an oedometer consolidation cell. Equation (1) shows the equations used to calculate
the permeability of fine-grained soils.

k= Equation (1)

The elapsed time, t (minutes), can be used to express the time difference (t2-t1). The heights
h1 and h2, as well as the length L, are in millimetres, and the areas A and an are in square
millimetres. Equation (1) is then transformed into Equation (2).
 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

k= (mm/s) Equation (2)

Multiply natural logarithms by 2.303 to get ordinary (base 10) logarithms. When k is
expressed in millimetres per second, the above equation becomes Equation (3).

k = (m/s) Equation (3)

Where: a = area of cross-section of standpipe tube,

A = area of cross section of sample

h1 = heights of water above datum in standpipe at time t1

h2 = heights of water above datum in standpipe at time t2

L = heights of sample

t = elapsed time in minutes

 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

1.4 APPARATUS

Permeameter cell, comprising:

i. Cell body, with cutting edge (core cutter), 100 mm diameter and 130 mm long.

ii. Perforated base plate with straining rods and wing nuts.

iii. Top clamping plate.

iv. Connecting tube and fittings.

 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

1.5 PROCEDURES

1 Assemble apparatus

(a) The apparatus is set up as shown in Figure 2, and the reservoir supplying the
deaeration tank is filled with distilled or deionized water.

2 Calibrate manometer tubes

(a) The cross-sectional area of ​the three manometer tubes is determined as follows for
each tube:

(a)

I. The tube is filled with water up to a known mark near the top of
the scale, observed to the nearest mm.

II. Water from the tube is run into the weighed beaker until the
level in the tube has dropped to about 500mm or so.

III. The new water level on the scale is read to the nearest mm.

IV. The beaker containing the water from the tube is weighed to the
nearest 0.01g.

V. The diameter of the manometer can be calculated as follows:

the measurement is repeated two or three times for each tube
and the results are averaged.

V.

Diameter,a =

3 Prepare cell

Cells are disassembled, and cell bodies are checked for cleanliness and dryness. It was
weighed to the nearest 0.1g, and the average internal diameter (D) and length (L) were
measured to the nearest 0.5mm.
 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

4 Prepare sample

An undisturbed sample was taken using a core cutter. It should be ensured that the sample is a
tight fit in the body and there are no cavities around the perimeter through which water can
pass.

5 The cell is installed.

6 Cells are connected.

7 The sample should be saturated and denatured.

8 The manometer system is filled.

 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

9 Test run:

(a) The screw clip on the inlet is opened to allow water to flow down through the sample,
and the water level in the standpipe is observed.

(b) Once it reaches the h1 level, the timer clock is started.

(c) The time when the level reaches h3 and when it reaches h2 is observed and recorded,
and then the clock is stopped.

(d) The screw clip on the inlet is closed.

10 The test is repeated.

11 Permeability is calculated.

12 Results are reported.

 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

1.6 DATA
 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
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Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

1.7 CALCULATION
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Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

1.8 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Determine the coefficient of permeability for the given sample of soil.

The coefficient of permeability for each point is based on the calculation shown above.

DISCUSSION

To determine the permeability of intermediate and low permeability soils that are less than 10
-4 m/s, the falling head permeability test is used. The flow rate through a unit cross-sectional
area of porous media under unit hydraulic gradient is considered the coefficient of
permeability.

−9
The coefficient of permeability for our soil sample is 𝑘1 = 1. 132 × 10 𝑚/𝑠 ,
−9 −9 −9
𝑘2 = 1. 032 × 10 𝑚/𝑠, 𝑘3 = 1. 085 × 10 𝑚/𝑠, 𝑘4 = 1. 070 × 10 𝑚/𝑠. The
−9
average for the coefficient of permeability is 1. 0798 × 10 𝑚/𝑠. Based on Figure 3, the
sample soil is classified as silt or silt clay.

The greater pore size of soil is more permeability then the soil with smaller pore size. From
value of k, we can classify the type of soil that we use is clays and this types of soil is not
suitable for drainage system. The flow rate produced by a hydraulic gradient of unity can be
used to define the coefficient of permeability. The value of k is a measure of the soil's
resistance to flow and is influenced by a number of factors as the porosity of soil, the particle
size distribution and the shape and orientation of soil particles.

Table 1 shows the range of average values for k for various soil and also indicates
potential drainage
 UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
Centre for Diploma Studies
Laboratory Instruction Manual

FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST

1.9 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

As a result, they are able to explain how to compute the permeability coefficient of
silts and clays, recognise the connection between permeability and pore size in fine-grained
soils, and test the permeability coefficient of silts and clays.

The capacity of a porous media to let the flow of a fluid through it is known as
permeability. This property is often stated as a hydraulic conductivity coefficient (k). A
granular or fibrous substance that has empty spaces is referred to as a porous medium.

Two primary factors prompted initial research into this exam. First of all, the
consistency of the permeameter construction and method as well as the estimated
permeability values for samples tested with this configuration can all be easily verified.
Second, it is possible to judge if Darcy's Law applies to the laboratory test. It was assumed
for the testing that Darcy's law is true and that hydraulic gradient has no effect on hydraulic
conductivity.

2.0 REFERENCE

1. Shahrolhazrien (2019) Falling Head Permeability Test Lab Report. Retrieved from

https://idoc.pub/documents/falling-head-permeability-test-lab-report-6nge1yyd92lv

2. Hamierul Mohamad (2012) Falling Head Permeability Lab Test. Retrieved form

https://pdfcoffee.com/falling-head-permeability-test-lab-report-pdf-free.html

3. Muhammad Nazreen Nasyuha Bin Razmi (2022) Falling Head Permeability

https://www.studocu.com/my/document/universiti-tun-hussein-onn-malaysia/civil-engineerin
g/u02fh-s1g7-falling-head-permeability/30121454

4. Faeez Zain (2023) Falling Head Permeability Test. Retrieved from

https://pdfcoffee.com/falling-head-permeability-test-pdf-free.html