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Infiltration and Hydraulic Conductivity of a Compacted Earthen Liner
Author(s) -
Albrecht K. A.,
Cartwright K.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1989.tb00002.x
Subject(s) - infiltration (hvac) , hydraulic conductivity , permeameter , geotechnical engineering , compaction , saturation (graph theory) , materials science , geology , soil science , composite material , soil water , mathematics , combinatorics
Infiltration through a small (3 × 9 × 1 m) experimental earthen liner, similar to those used for waste disposal was evaluated. The liner was constructed using full‐size compaction equipment, and in‐situ ponded infiltration rates were measured using two large (1·5‐m diameter) sealed double‐ring infiltrometers. An average apparent steady‐flux density of 1·5 × 10 −7 cm/s was achieved after two to three weeks. Wetting front depths of 7·3 cm and 9·6 cm after 46 days were calculated assuming a Green‐Ampt piston flow infiltration system. One of the infiltrometers was ponded with water containing rhodamine dye and after the 46‐day infiltration test, a uniform rhodamine dye front was observed at about the 4‐cm depth. Sharpness of the dye front suggests that the piston flow assumption is a reasonable one. Apparent saturated hydraulic conductivity of the liner was estimated from the infiltration data to be no more than 3·6 × 10 −8 cm/s, meeting the present EPA permeability requirement for earthen liners of no more than 1 × 10 −7 cm/s. Transit time for the wetting front to reach the liner bottom at the 0·91‐m depth was predicted to be about three years. Seepage flux after liner saturation was estimated at 4·8 × 10 −8 cm/s for a liner ponded with 30 cm of water.