Measuring the Hydraulic Conductivity of Soil–Bentonite Backfill

Abstract

The hydraulic conductivity of soil–bentonite backfill in three pilot-scale cutoff walls was measured using laboratory tests on disturbed samples, laboratory tests on undisturbed samples, piezocone dissipation tests, and piezometer tests (also known as slug tests or single-well tests). In addition, a global measurement of the average hydraulic conductivity of the soil–bentonite backfill in one of the cutoff walls was made using the pilot-scale test facility. Two main factors distinguish these five different methods of measuring hydraulic conductivity: remolding and sample size. Remolding of samples tested in American Petroleum Institute filter press equipment significantly reduced their hydraulic conductivity compared to the hydraulic conductivity of undisturbed samples, which were of similar size. For the other tests, where the degree and extent of remolding were less significant, hydraulic conductivity was found to increase as sample size increased, with the global measurement producing the highest value. The existence of bentonite filter cakes on trench walls reduces the influence of sample size on the equivalent hydraulic conductivity of the barrier. Findings regarding locating defects with a piezocone and hydraulic fracture in piezometer tests are also presented.