11/16/2012

Outline
Introduction to capillary rise
Capillary Rise in Sands and Silts The problem that motivated this
research
Our research goal
By Rachel Salim and Duane Hampton
Packing and wetting the columns
Dept. of Geosciences,
Testing methods for sand and silt
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan Problems we saw and how we
USA corrected them
Measured data
SSSA annual meeting, Cincinnati, OH, Oct. 23, 2012 Scaled Data
Session 263--4 Conclusions

The Problem
Introduction to capillary rise Wide range of conflicting data in the literature
The capillary fringe is the area above the water table occupied Most equations not intended for use in soils
by water rising under tension against gravity. The tension-
Table 6.1 from Fetter 3rd Edition
saturated capillary fringe is that part of the capillary fringe Height of Capillary Rise in Sediments,
Grain Pore
which is nearly saturated with a wetting fluid. The wetting 1994 Diameter Radius Capillary
Sediment (cm) (cm) Rise (cm)
fluid rises to partially wet a much larger area.
Red = bogus values Fine silt 0.0008 0.002 750
Main factors that affect Coarse silt 0.0025 0.005 300
capillary rise Material Rise (cm) Very fine sand 0.0075 0.0015 100
Coarse Sand 12.5
- Grain size/pore size Fine sand 0.015 0.003 50
- Surface tension of Medium Sand 25
Medium sand 0.03 0.006 25
liquid Fine Sand 40
Coarse sand 0.05 0.01 15
- Wetting angle Silt 100
- Density of sand/silt Very coarse
Basic Ground-Water Hydrology, sand 0.2 0.04 4
Ralph Heath, 1982
Fine gravel 0.5 0.1 1.5

Equations for capillary rise

Research Goal
Most textbooks, including Fetter 3rd ed., use the
following equation for capillary rise: Our research goal is to
measure capillary rise
while wetting sand and
silt, and then identify
This equation works OK for coarse sands, but for
believable literature
finer soils it greatly exaggerates capillary rise.
values and equations
Polubarinova-Kochina (1952) suggested: for sands, silts and
hc = 0.45 ((1 n) / n)/ d10 , with hc and d10 in cm clays.
Where d10 is the effective particle diameter

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Packing the test columns Wetting the dry columns

We used 5 cm ID glass
columns 122 cm high with A valve near the bottom of
61 122 cm extensions each column was opened to
Air-dry silt and/or sand let liquid into the column
was poured into the
The columns
columns through a funnel
and attached tube were set in
plexiglas boxes
filled with 15 to
30 cm of the
wetting liquid
(water or
kerosene).

Testing methods Testing methods for silt

For medium sand
Ground silica mostly (88%)
Uniform sand grains 0.45-0.55 Measuring smaller than 45 microns and
mm in diameter were carefully Capillary
Rise passing 325 sieve was mixed with
packed into columns. an equal volume of medium sand
Capillary rise in sand was tested Poured into columns 183 to 244
with water and kerosene
separately. cm tall
Sand was also sprayed with Dry bulk density was calculated
water repellent to make it from measured weights
hydrophobic. A 50/50 silt sand mixture was
When water was added to used to aid in packing and prevent
hydrophobic sand, we Measuring settling cracks we saw in pure silt.
measured capillary depression. Capillary
Depression

Problems we saw How problems were corrected

Equal volumes of silt & medium sand
Packing the columns with were mixed and used to test capillary
silt has been difficult rise in silts
Settling of silt often leaves
gaps in silt columns filled Purified water was used to solve the
with water. Capillary rise algae problem
will not occur across large A black light, spotlight, dye, or feeling
open gaps the material was used to help determine
Mold or algae grew in silt the line between wet & dry silt or sand.
during weeks of testing Bottle cleaners were used to clean
Hard to see the lines columns after testing. For tests using
between saturated and kerosene or hydrophobic sand, ethanol
partially-saturated silt, and was used to clean the tubes.
between wet and dry silt
We used capillary rise values with
Difficult to clean tubes and
plexiglas boxes between kerosene to project what capillary rise
tests with water should have been.
Hard to see lines Cracking in wet silt

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Measured Data Scaling from kerosene to water

Sediment Liquid Average tension- Average total Average Surface tensions were measured with this
type used saturated capillary height of damp density tensiometer
rise (cm) sediment (cm) (g/cm3) Kerosene was 25.7 26.1 dynes/cm
Medium
sand water 7.9 19.5 1.61 Pure water was 72.4 68.8 dynes/cm
Silt water unknown At least 147.3 1.56 Water from our experiments: 54.8 50.6
Medium Measured kerosene density was 0.803 g/ml
sand kerosene 3.8 11.5 1.58
Ratio of water capillary rise to kerosene
Silt kerosene 71.1 133.5 1.63 capillary rise = 54.8 / 25.7 / 0.8 = 1.71
Hydrophobic -5.75
Sand water Unknown (depression) 1.57

Measured Data
Conclusions
Average total Predicted height
According to our data, the numbers
height of of damp from Fetters Applied Hydrogeology,
Sediment Liquid damp Scaled total sediment (cm) 3rd ed., appear to be too high for
type used sediment height of damp by Polubarinova fine-grained soils.
(cm) sediment (cm) Kochina (1952) In Fetter, the finer the soil, the more
unbelievable the number for capillary
Medium sand water 19.5 19.6 24 rise (e.g., compare with Heath).
Silt water At least 147.3 228 240 We hope to measure a capillary rise
of water in a silt column closer to the
scaled kerosene value of 228 cm.
Medium sand kerosene 11.5 11.43 14
We hope to identify an equation for
Silt kerosene 133.5 140 calculating capillary rise that comes
close to data values we believe. So
Hydrophobic -5.75 far Polubarinova-Kochina looks good.
Sand water (depression)

Fringe height depends on wetting

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