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Lab and field permeability tests

Short answer

Laboratory: constant head test (coarse soils), falling head test (fine soils), indirect methods like consolidation test or Hazen’s formula. Field: pumping out test, pumping in (auger hole) test, packer test (rock), and tracer tests.

Write down the names of the testing methods for determining the coefficient of permeability in the laboratory and field.

Laboratory methods

  1. Constant head permeability test: for coarse-grained soils (sand, gravel).
  2. Falling (variable) head permeability test: for fine-grained soils (silt, clay).
  3. Indirect: from consolidation test; horizontal capillarity test; empirical formulae such as Hazen's k=C D102k = C\,D_{10}^2.

Field methods

  1. Pumping out test (unconfined and confined aquifer, with observation wells)
  2. Pumping in test (auger hole / borehole test)
  3. Packer test (for rock/deep strata)
  4. Tracer tests.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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