A STUDY ON TRANSMISSIVITY AND STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS

Abstract

Ground water is an important natural source of water supply. Effective development and management of this natural resource for the optimum utilization requires knowledge of hydraulics characteristics of aquifers. Transmissivity and storativity are the two indicators of the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer. Transmissivity of the aquifer depends upon the hydraulic conductivity of the strata constituting the aquifer. To date a number of investigators have tried to correlate it with grain size distribution characteristics. Most of the correlations are valid only for coarse-grained soils and are generally based on single grain size parameter. Certain investigators have correlated hydraulic conductivity of coarse-grained soils to grain size distribution parameters i.e. intercept, Io and slope, S. Similarily storage characteristics of aquifer depend upon the specific retention of strata constituting the aquifer. Over the years a number of researchers has correlated it to the textural characteristics of soils. In the present study, effects of grain size distribution parameters of certain approaches for evaluation of hydraulic conductivity arc studied and correlations are developed for different types of soils. Limitations of existing methods are also identified and the recommendations regarding the use of suitable relationship are provided for the estimation of Storativity and Transmissivity.