The management and engineering assessments of geotechnical assets within the national transportation inventory require an appropriate knowledge of permeability of saturated and unsaturated soils. Determination of the permeability of saturated soils can be carried out using direct measurements, whereas that of unsaturated soils is often made using indirect methods based on the soil water retention curve. In this study an attempt was made to develop a novel approach for measuring the saturated and unsaturated permeability of soils. The tests were conducted on 100 mm dia. reconstituted and compacted samples of glacial till. Suctions were generated by circulating low-humidity air through a slender sand column located at the centre of the samples. Measurements of suction were made by two tensiometers located radially at the base of the samples. The drying process was terminated when the observed suctions reached or approached the limiting capacity of the tensiometers (1500 kPa). Combinations of suction measurements and volumetric strains during the drying process were used to determine the permeability by adopting analytical solutions as applicable to a radial flow condition.

中文翻译：

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饱和和非饱和土壤渗透率的测量

国家运输清单中岩土资产的管理和工程评估要求对饱和和非饱和土壤的渗透性有适当的了解。饱和土壤渗透率的测定可以通过直接测量来进行，而非饱和土壤渗透率的测定通常采用基于土壤保水曲线的间接方法。在这项研究中，尝试开发一种新的方法来测量土壤的饱和和非饱和渗透率。测试在直径为100 mm的直径上进行。重建并压实的冰层样品。通过使低湿度的空气通过位于样品中心的细长砂柱产生吸力。吸力的测量是通过径向位于样品底部的两个张力计进行的。当观察到的吸力达到或接近张力计的极限容量（1500 kPa）时，干燥过程终止。干燥过程中吸力测量值和体积应变的组合通过采用适用于径向流动条件的分析溶液来确定渗透率。