A new type of in-situ hydraulic permeameter was developed to determine vertical hydraulic conductivity (VHC) of saturated sediments from hydraulic experiments using Darcy's law. The system allows water to move upward through the porous media filled in the permeameter chamber driven into sediments at water-sediment interface. Darcy flux and hydraulic gradient can be measured using the system, an...

The saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks ) is a key characteristic of porous media, describing the rate of water flow through saturated porous media. It is an indispensable parameter in a broad range of simulation models that quantify saturated and/or unsaturated water flow. The constant-head permeameter test is a common laboratory method to determine Ks on undisturbed soil samples collected fr...

Streambed hydraulic conductivity (K) values were determined at seven stream transects in the Platte River Basin in Nebraska using different instream measurement techniques. Values were compared to determine the most appropriate technique(s) for use in sandy streambeds. Values of K determined from field falling- and constant-head permeameter tests analyzed using the Darcy equation decreased as p...

A borehole permeameter is well suited for testing saturated hydraulic conductivity (K(sat)) at specific depths in the vadose zone. Most applications of the method involve fine-grained soils that allow hand auguring of test holes and require a small water reservoir to maintain a constant head. In non-cohesive gravels, hand-dug test holes are difficult to excavate, holes are prone to collapse, an...

A new permeameter has been built and is now available for testing samples of steel and other ferromagnetic materials for their magnetic characteristics such as permeability, remanent induction, coercive force and saturation induction. The present range of operation for the permeameter is from 0.5 Oe to 1250 Oe. Results are presented for two samples of low-carbon steel as well as some preliminar...

Preferential flow through macropores and other structural voids in field soils most often occurs at or near saturation. Our earlier research revealed significant differences in the value of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (A's) of a glacial till soil in central Iowa when obtained with five different measurement techniques. The five techniques included one laboratory constant-head penneamet...

We considered small-scale measurement of permeability in pebbly sands having coarser grains supported in a finer grained matrix (fine packing). Our central question was whether air-based measurements are representative if made with a permeameter tip seal pressed in the sand matrix. We created pebbly sands and variably sorted sands, with systematic variation in aspects of their fine packing. We ...

The main goal of this work is to determine and to evaluate the saturated hydraulic conductivity for a silt loam soil in field and laboratory conditions. The experimental area was located in the Vallcebre research catchments, in headwaters of the Llobregat River (NE Spain). Hydraulic conductivity was measured in the field using the Guelph permeameter and field saturated hydraulic conductivity (K...