Soil Permeability Coefficient
The permeability coefficient k (also
called kf) is used to measure the permeability of the soil.
Although some types of soil might appear visually the same, their k-values fluctuate considerably from site to site due to the framework of soil, the bedding density and the percentage of finest particles [Herth95]. Thus, these values can only be used for a rough estimation.
For civil engineering purposes, it is distinguished between the following permeability ranges listed in the table.
Table:
Defined permeability ranges for construction purposes according to DIN 18130-1 [DIN18130-1:1998]
| k [m/s] | Range |
|---|---|
| under 10-8 | Very low permeability |
| over 10-8 up to 10-6 | Low permeability |
| over 10-6 up to 10-4 | Permeable |
| over 10-4 up to 10-2 | Very permeable |
| over 10-2 | Extremely permeable |
