PERMEABILITY OF UTILITY TRENCHES

The effects of urbanization on groundwater systems have continued to draw increased attention. There are many factors that change subsurface properties during urbanization. The construction of buildings, roads, and sewer lines greatly affect the subsurface properties. One specific effect of urbanization is the change in permeability within utility trenches. In order to sustain a habitable urbanized area, there must be vast systems of buried pipes, telecommunication lines, and power lines. As can be expected, the ground beneath developed cities will have extremely different conductive properties than prior to urbanization. This occurs when utility lines are installed underground; the material used to fill the trench is often times more permeable than it was in its undisturbed state. The permeability reflects the speed at which fluids can migrate through the soil. This trend can have a profound effect on how fluid movement is modeled in an urban environment. To better understand the aspects of trench permeabilities, many tests were run with a permeameter to measure the permeabilities both inside and outside a utility trench. The Guelph Permeameter is a simple field tool that measures the rate at which the soil absorbs water. With the proper calculations, the permeability of the soil being tested may be determined from these rates. The main goal is to clarify the importance of utility trench properties in urban areas. Quantifying the basic trends of utility trenches will help to emphasize their importance.