A new empirical model for estimating the hydraulic conductivity of low permeability media

Abstract

Hydraulic conductivity (K) is one of the significant soil characteristics in terms of flow movement and solute transport. It has been recognized that K is statistically related to the grain-size distribution. Numerous models have been developed to reveal the relationship between K and the grain-size distribution of soil, but most of these are inappropriate for fine-grained media. Therefore, a new empirical model for estimating K of low permeability media was proposed in this study. In total, the values of K of 30 soil samples collected in the Jiangning District of Nanjing were measured using the single-ring infiltrometer method. The new model was developed using the percentages of sand, silt and clay-sized particles, and the first and the second rank moment of the grain-size through the moment method as predictor variables. Multivariate nonlinear regression analysis yielded a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.75, indicating that this empirical model seems to provide a new approach for the indirect determination of hydraulic conductivity of low permeability media.