Hydraulic Behavior of Filter Protected Silt under Cyclic Flow

Abstract

The spatial distribution of hydraulic gradients within a soil sample under cyclic flow with different frequencies was measured and compared with calculated results. The permeability within the soil before and after cyclic flow was compared. This study shows that a lower ratio of consolidation coefficient of the soil to the angular velocity of cyclic flow will result in higher hydraulic gradients at the boundaries, and lower gradients within the soil. This study suggests that besides geometrical parameters of soil and geosynthetics, the consolidation coefficient of the soil and the frequency of cyclic flow need to be considered as well in the design of filters under cyclic flow.