Hydraulic conductivity and compressibility characteristics of fibrous peat

This research was studying the mechanical characteristics of fibrous based on hydraulic conductivity/permeability and compressibility tests. The samples for the test were obtained by the block sampling method. The location of sampling was on Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra. The permeability test using constant head method was used for hydraulic conductivity parameter of peat soil. And consolidation test using Oedometer test was also used to find out compressibility characteristics of peat soil. The hydraulic conductivity test results are horizontal hydraulic conductivity (k_h)=6,13x10-4 cm/s and vertical hydraulic conductivity (k_v) = 3.76.10-4 cm/s. The ratio of k_h/k_v (20°C) about 2.04. The coefficient of kh is greater than kv, this is due to the effect of fiber arrangement such as the roots of peat soil. Beside of that, the consolidated test results based on compression index parameters (c_c) are 1,428 and 1,215. The consolidation coefficient parameters (cv, m²/year) were 13,671 (50 kPa), 11,511 (100 kPa), 8,268 (200 kPa), and 3,312 (400 kPa) from the Banyu Urip Dusun III sample. The results of parameter c_v can be affected by applied the pressure where the greater the pressure the smaller the value of c_v.