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Water Transmission Properties of an Asphalt Barrier¹

ABSTRACT

The water transmission properties of an asphalt barrier were studied using samples taken from a barrier formed in Zimmerman fine sand. Steady flow experiments using a 9.0-cm diameter soil column showed that water movement through the barrier was affected by the capillary potentials on both sides of the barrier if these potentials exceeded a critical value or ‘break point’ which ranged from –32 to –20 cm depending on the flow rate. When the potential below the barrier dropped below the critical value, the potential above the barrier remained relatively unchanged. This steady value increased from –4.3 to –1.5 cm when the flow rate was increased from 0.009 to 0.058 cm/hour. The hysteretic flow properties of the barrier are explained using a model based on the following assumptions: (i) flow occurs mainly through cracks of varying width, and (ii) the ratio of the draining to wetting potentials of the cracks exceeds unity and is independent of crack size.

Contribution from the Dep. of Soil Science, Univ. of Minnesota, in cooperation with the Corn Belt Branch, Soil and Water Conservation Res. Div., ARS, USDA, St. Paul, Minnesota. 55101. Paper no. 7890, Scientific Journal Series. This investigation was supported in part by funds provided by the US Dep. of Interior, Office of Water Resour. Res. under act of 1964, P.L. 88–369. Presented before Div. S-1, Soil Science Society of America at New York, August 17, 1971.

² Research Assistant, Professor, Univ. of Minnesota; and Soil Scientist, ARS, USDA, and Professor, Univ. of Minnesota, respectively, St. Paul.

Received for publication March 21, 1972. Accepted for publication June 9, 1972.