American Petroleum Institute

Overview of Soil Permeability Test Methods
 N PUBL 351

Annotation

SCOPE OF REPORT

This publication outlines various methods to test the permeability of soil. It is intended to serve only as a general guideline in the selection of a suitable test method for determining soil permeability. The final selection of the method and its implementation should be the responsibility of an experienced hydrologist or geotechnical engineer. The methods listed here are not an exhaustive list of all available permeability methods. The report distinguishes between laboratory and field methods. They are identified according to their applicability to particular soil types. The methods presented in this report are applicable to fine-grained soils (silts and clays) and coarse-grained soils (sands and gravels), but may not be appropriate to organic soils, such as peat, or to materials such as construction and demolition debris.

The laboratory test methods covered in this report include the following:

• Constant head test

• Falling head test

• Flexible wall permeameter test (triaxial test)

• Grain size analysis (sieve analysis)

The field methods covered in this report include the following:

• Slug test (Hvorslev's Method)

• Infiltrometer tests

• Double tube test method

• Air-entry permeameter test