Determination of Anisotropic Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of a Macroporous Slope Soil

摘要: For a steeply sloped part of the “Heumoser”, creeping landslide in Vorarlberg (Austria), it is postulated that subsurface macropore flow results high pore water pressures at base slope and thus triggers mass movement or may even cause failure. To quantify saturated hydraulic conductivity anisotropy soil containing macropores, novel method was required to obtain “very large” (L/W/H ≈ 30/30/60 cm) undisturbed sample. A square column carved out from slope, wrapped cling wrap, surrounded with timber walls on four lateral sides stabilized by injection polyurethane foam. The sample then cut off carefully transported laboratory where installed constant head permeameter values for vertical (Kᵥ). After completing measurements, divided into two cubes approximately 30 cm side length respective conductivities were determined. Then turned 90° horizontal (Kₕ). This new allowed directional characterization soils macropores. It could be shown decreased factor upper lower similar (Kₕ/Kᵥ) 0.5 determined both layers, other words, macropores can reverse expected “natural” (Kₕ/Kᵥ > 1).