The Hooghoudt Ernst hydraulic conductivity method

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

When Where How

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Method originally developed by Prof. Hooghoudt to measure hydraulic conductivity under the groundwater level
Expressed as K in meters / day Can be used in formulas to determine drain spacings and drain depths

Mr. Ernst, Mr. Van Beers and Mr. Van Hoorn did a lot of complementary research

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Terminology
K value: Hydraulic conductivity factor K stands for the thickness of a disc of water passing through soil during a certain time unit. Isotrope soil: Has same K value in all directions Homogeneous soil without layers Anisotrope soil: K values differ per direction of flow. Hooghoudt method imitates somehow flow pattern around a drain and evens out effects of various K values.

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

What does the result mean ?
K=< 5 cm/day K= 5-40 cm/day K= 40-100 cm/day K=>100 cm/day bad permeability average permeability good permeability very high permeability

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Hooghoudt method:
Basic method to determine K of one more or less homogeneous layer under the groundwater level With additional measurement K of a second layer can be determined Method can work with or without an impermeable layer just below the zone of interest Meant to be used until a depth of 2 m Larger depths are possible with additional extension rods. Preferably use a Diver to log the water level if measuring at larger depths

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Needed: Soil profile !
Make soil profile descriptions to (minimum) 2 meter! Is there ONE or are there TWO layers that have distinguishing permeabilities? If so what are the depths? Is there an impermeable layer at less than 50 cm from the lowest permeable layer? If so; at what depth does it start

Start of impermeable layer

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Needed: Soil profile!
Is the profile comparable over the hole site? If variable Increase number of measuring locations

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Estimate the M50 value of every layer with a sand ruler and magnifier glass
K in m/day for sandy soils with less than 4% particles 0-2 microns:
M50 (mu) <105 105-150 150-210 210-300 300-420 >420 K (m/etm) < 0,50 0,50-0,80 0,80-1,50 1,50-3,50 3,50-8,00 >10,00

Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Soil profile! With clay soils K value depending on:
Layering Silt and clay fraction K-value of permeable clay soils 0,01-0,50 m/etm

With peat soils depending on:

Type and structure (compressed peat fibres are horizontally permeable but quite impermeable vertically)

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Application of the method

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Borehole (with auger 8 cm!!) is made down to minimum of 20 cm below the ACTUAL groundwater level Preferably make bore hole a few days before measurements. If necessary (fluid sand) stabilize borehole with filter screen

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Clay soils: Make bore hole a few days before measurements
Allow sufficient time for water level stabilize Smearing of wall will be reduced

Determine depth of borehole

Use mounted auger as depth sensor

Mount tape holder + float

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Determine value of z in cm
z = reading of tape in cm with float floating on actual groundwater level

Calculate S
S = distance in cm between bottom of borehole and depth of earlier discovered impermeable layer

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Stopwatch ready ! Remove 20-40 cm water from borehole; generally with a bailer
Do not deepen the borehole while removing water

Quickly lower float, start stopwatch and read float depth

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Note readings + time
First reading on tape will be Z + Yo at t=0 Time interval generally 5-30 seconds Try to note the time with each 1 or 2 cm of rising

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Rising speed diminishes (non linear) when original water level is reached
Therefore only use the first 25 % of the possible rising stretch. Example: Removed 40 cm. Stop measuring the rising when water has risen 25%x40 cm = 10 cm. The last 30 cm of possible rise are not used for the measurements.

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Calculation based on field data
Two methods 1. Nomograms (2) 2. Equations Two nomograms 1. For a borehole straight ON an impermeable layer 2. For a borehole with S = >1/2H For in between situations the results obtained with both nomograms are averaged.
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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

You need to know:
H = depth of borehole in cm below water level S = distance of a (possible) impermeable layer in cms below bottom of borehole Y = Rising of water level in borehole during the measuring period (= Y0-Yn) Y = (Yn + Yo) = average water level during the measuring period
(Y0 is first measurement; Yn is last of the series of measurements) (Y is used in the nomogram).

t = passed time over the measuring period

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Measurements S, Z and H once per borehole.
Except in cases where rapid changes can be expected (near high and low tide)

Determining the rising speed should be repeated 3-5 times

Leave first (or other) results out if they are strange

Average the Y, Y en Vs values of the successful measurements Repeat procedure on other locations. Use one of following tables to input values at one location
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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Time needed for each 2 cm of rise. Y cm Z cm H cm S cm Above field surface (cm)

Measuring method (a)

Y cm 6

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Number of cms rise per seconds. Y cm Y cm Z cm H cm S cm Above soil surface (cm)

Measuring method (b)

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Rising speed is influenced by:
Surface of the wet part of the borehole (wall + bottom) (H) Hydraulic conductivity of the wet section of the borehole The created average pressure difference (Y) during the measuring period
Because the deeper the water level is lowered the more rapid the rising will initially be!

H and Y are used in the nomograms to determine C

Input C in in Vs = K / C (or K= Vs x C)
The resulting K is in meters / day

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Start with determining H on the X-axis. Go upward and stop at the calculated value Y. From there go left to read C. If H = 100 cm and Y = 50 cm then C = 4,8
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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Then determine Vs= Y/t. Which is the rise (Y0Yn) divided by the time stretch t. Imagine (at H=100 cm and Y=50 cm) that Y0-Yn = 20 cm and that the measuring time was 480 seconds
Vs= Y/t is dan 0,042 cm/sec

Input C in K = C. Vs K = 4,8 x 0,042 = 0,20 K is in meters / day so K= 0,20 m/day (average permeability)
Nomogram two is only used for situations with a borehole directly on the impermeable layer.

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Another example and now step by step: D = 185 cm Z measured with tape + float: 65 cm H = 185 65 5 cm = 115 cm
The 5 cm is height of float!! H and Z are now known!

Reference level (field surface) Z Float height Undisturbed water level

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Tape reading at t0 = 175 cm Tape reading at tn = 150 cm Then Y0 = 175 Z = 110 cm And Yn = 150 Z = 85 cm
Reference level (field surface) Z Float height Undisturbed water level

tn t0

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Y = Y0 - Yn then becomes 110 85 = 25 cm Y = (Y0 Yn)/2 = (110+85)/2= 97,5 cm Say measuring time between t0 en tn was 480 seconds = t Rising-speed = s = Y / t Vs = 25 / 480 = 0,052 cm/sec
Reference level (field surface) Z Float height Undisturbed water level

tn t0

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Now with H and Y available C can be determined using one of the nomograms.
For this example C = 2.8

Then input C in equation K = C. Vs K = 2.8 x 0,052 = 0,145 meter / day Instead of using nomograms you can use equations to calculate C (see manual)
Less accurate than the nomograms Easier when using a calculator or computer Also when diameter of borehole differs from 8 cm

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Extra possibilities
Determination of K factors of two layers Measure K1 in only layer I. Then measure K1+2 in layers I+II. The effect on K1+2 of K1 is calculated resulting in K2 Further info in manual

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Extra possibilities
Inversed auger hole method
Water is added into the borehole. There should be no influence of nearby groundwater or impermeable layer Groundwater level or impermeable layer at least at 20 cm (better 50 cm) below borehole Speed of lowering is determined
H Ht

h0

h ht

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

Inversed auger hole method
Take care because
Initially no saturation around the borehole Non linear lowering water pressure complicates matters

A measurement with a so called constant head would be better because

You can check if saturation level is OK (stable water flow into soil) No change in length of soil column that is wetted during measurement (improved accuracy; better defined layer for which resulting K counts).

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Hooghoudt hydraulic conductivity

More info in the manual and the literature mentioned there

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