Slug test analysis to evaluate permeability of compressible materials

Abstract

The line-fitting methods such as the Hvorslev method and the Bouwer and Rice method provide a rapid and simple means to analyze slug test data for estimating in situ hydraulic conductivity (k) of geologic materials. However, when analyzing a slug test in a relatively compressible geologic formation, these conventional methods may have difficulties fitting a straight line to the semilogarithmic plot of the test data. Data from relatively compressible geologic formations frequently show a concave-upward curvature because of the effect of the compressibility or specific storage ( Ss). To take into account the compressibility of geologic formations, a modified line-fitting method is introduced, which expands on Chirlin's (1989) approach to the case of a partially penetrating well with the basic-time-lag fitting method. A case study for a compressible till is made to verify the proposed method by comparing the results from the proposed methods with those obtained using a type-curve method ( Kansas Geological Survey method [Hyder et al. 1994]).