Measurement of field hydraulic conductivity for a Quito soil

Abstract

In Quito, Ecuador, landslides present a significant threat to communities settled on hillsides and ravine slopes, and geotechnical data is needed to assess slope stability. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is a key input parameter for mechanistic modelling of rainfall infiltration and the pore water pressure conditions that can trigger landslides. This paper presents field data of in-situ saturated hydraulic conductivity by working with communities to conduct field measurements on the cemented volcanoclastic soils found in Quito. The new field data is then compared with predictions from recently established geodatabases of hydraulic conductivity obtained from laboratory tests on fine-grained and granular soil.