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Determination of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity from Soil Percolation Test Results¹

ABSTRACT

Percolation times and saturated hydraulic conductivity rates from 28 test holes were used with data from the literature to relate saturated hydraulic conductivity, K, to percolation time, P. Sites were chosen to represent seven central and western Pennsylvania soils developed in shale and sandstone colluvium, alluvium, glacial outwash, or residual limestone parent materials. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was determined by the shallow well pump-in method, an in-situ test that measures three-dimensional water flow into the soil. Percolation time was determined using a modification of approved procedures of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Dep. of Environmental Resources. Linear regression analysis performed on the base 10 logarithm of the 28 pairs of data from this study resulted in the equation: log K = –0.309 log P –4.296 (with P in units of s/m and K in units of m/s). This equation was compared to an equation derived from literature data and to a steady-state three-dimensional infiltration equation derived from soil-water flow theory. It was concluded that the literature data and the theoretical equation were different from that generated in this study due to the use of a saturated hydraulic conductivity technique that was sensitive to the layered nature of the soils used. It was further concluded that an equation derived from theory, log K = -log (P) – log (1 + 4/r_o), could be used to convert percolation times, P, to saturated hydraulic conductivity values, K.

¹ Paper no. 7123 of the Journal Series of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station. This research was supported in part by federal funds provided by the U.S. Dep. of the Interior, as authorized by the Water Research and Development Act of 1978, as amended, through matching fund no. 14-34-0001-0245. Authorized for publication 18 Feb. 1985.

² Professor of Soil Physics; former Graduate Research Assistant, now Staff Scientist, Geraghty and Miller, Inc., Washington, PA 15301; and Professor of Soil Genesis and Morphology, respectively, Dep. of Agronomy, The Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA 16802.

Received for publication March 11, 1985.