Assessment of the Applicability of a Constant-Head Borehole Permeameter Test to River Levees

The Guelph Permeameter (GP) test, one of the constant-head borehole permeameter tests, is a potential tool for studying the heterogeneous alluvial deposits in the foundation of river levees. However, the applicability in the targeted environment and adequacy of the information obtained by the tests are still unclear. Experiments are conducted in a model ground and in the field to verify the applicability of the GP test concerning underseepage through river levees. Discussions focus on the effects of the groundwater table, seepage behavior during the test, and the representative volume of soil tested. It is noted that for sandy and silty soils, reasonable estimations of the hydraulic conductivity can be made by applying the Reynolds’ solution, but the estimation of the hydraulic conductivity in clayey soil is affected by the macropores in the soil. The GP tests performed in this study have representative volumes on the order of a few to tens of centimeters so that heterogeneity can be investigated at the meter scale. In summary, the GP test is a useful tool for evaluating the underseepage through river levees.