ASTM D4043-96e1

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
e1
Designation: D 4043 – 96
Standard Guide for
Selection of Aquifer Test Method in Determining Hydraulic
Properties by Well Techniques
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 4043; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
e NOTE—Section 1.5 was added editorially in January 1999.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
1.1 This guide is an integral part of a series of standards that 2.1 ASTM Standards:
are being prepared on the in situ determination of hydraulic D 653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
properties of aquifer systems by single- or multiple-well tests. Fluids
This guide provides guidance for development of a conceptual D 4044 Test Method (Field Procedure) for Instantaneous
model of a field site and selection of an analytical test method Change in Head (Slug Tests) for Determining Hydraulic
for determination of hydraulic properties. This guide does not Properties of Aquifers
establish a fixed procedure for determination of hydrologic D 4050 Test Method (Field Procedure) for Withdrawal and
properties. Injection Well Tests for Determining Hydraulic Properties
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as of Aquifer Systems
standard. D 4104 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
1.3 Limitations—Well techniques have limitations in the ing Transmissivity of Nonleaky Confined Aquifers by
determination of hydraulic properties of ground-water flow Overdamped Well Response to Instantaneous Change in
systems. These limitations are related primarily to the simpli- Head (Slug Test)
fying assumptions that are implicit in each test method. The D 4105 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
response of an aquifer system to stress is not unique; therefore, ing Transmissivity and Storage Coefficient of Nonleaky
the system must be known sufficiently to select the proper Confined Aquifers by the Modified Theis Nonequilibrium
analytical method. Method
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the D 4106 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the ing Transmissivity and Storage Coefficient of Nonleaky
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- Confined Aquifers by the Theis Nonequilibrium Method
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- D 4630 Test Method for Determining Transmissivity and
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. Storativity of Low-Permeability Rocks by In Situ Mea-
1.5 This guide offers an organized collection of information surements Using the Constant Head Injection Test
or a series of options and does not recommend a specific D 4631 Test Method for Determining Transmissivity and
course of action. This document cannot replace education or Storativity of Low Permeability Rocks by In Situ Mea-
experience and should be used in conjunction with professional surements Using the Pressure Pulse Technique
judgment. Not all aspects of this guide may be applicable in all D 5269 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to repre- ing Transmissivity of Nonleaky Confined Aquifers by the
sent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of Theis Recovery Method
a given professional service must be judged, nor should this D 5270 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
document be applied without consideration of a project’s many ing Transmissivity and Storage Coefficient of Bounded,
unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this Nonleaky, Confined Aquifers
document means only that the document has been approved D 5472 Test Method for Determining Specific Capacity and
through the ASTM consensus process. Estimating Transmissivity at the Control Well
D 5473 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
ing the Ratio of Horizontal to Vertical Hydraulic Conduc-
tivity in a Nonleaky Confined Aquifer
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-18 on Soil and
Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.21 on Ground Water and
Vadose Zone Investigations.
Current edition approved Oct. 10, 1996. Published June 1997. Originally
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08.
published as D 4043 – 91. Last previous edition D 4043 – 91.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.09.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
D 4043
D 5716 Test Method to Measure the Rate of Well Discharge head. Such a change in storage is produced by the draining or
by Circular Orifice Weir filling of pore space and is, therefore, mainly dependent on
D 5785 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin- particle size, rate of change of the water table, and time of
ing Hydraulic Conductivity of an Unconfined Aquifer by drainage.
Overdamped Well Response to Instantaneous Change in
3.1.13 storage coeffıcient—the volume of water an aquifer
Head (Slug Test) releases from or takes into storage per unit surface area of the
D 5786 Test Method (Field Procedure) for Constant Draw-
aquifer per unit change in head. For a confined aquifer, the
down Tests in Flowing Wells for Determining Hydraulic storage coefficient is equal to the product of specific storage
Properties of Aquifer Systems
and aquifer thickness. For an unconfined aquifer, the storage
D 5850 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin- coefficient is approximately equal to the specific yield.
ing Transmissivity, Storage Coefficient, and Anisotropy
3.1.14 transmissivity—the volume of water at the existing
Ratio from a Network of Partially Penetrating Wells kinematic viscosity that will move in a unit time under a unit
D 5881 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
hydraulic gradient through a unit width of the aquifer.
ing Transmissivity of Confined Nonleaky Aquifers by
3.2 For definitions of other terms used in this guide, see
Critically Damped Well Response to Instantaneous
Terminology D 653.
Change in Head (Slug Test)
D 5912 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Determin-
4. Significance and Use
ing Hydraulic Conductivity of an Unconfined Aquifer by
4.1 An aquifer test method is a controlled field experiment
Overdamped Well Response to Instantaneous Change in
made to determine the approximate hydraulic properties of
Head (Slug Test)
water-bearing material. The hydraulic properties that can be
D 5920 Test Method (Analytical Procedure) for Test of
determined are specific to the test method. The hydraulic
Anisotropic Unconfined Aquifers by the Neuman Method
properties that can be determined are also dependent upon the
instrumentation of the field test, the knowledge of the aquifer
3. Terminology
system at the field site, and conformance of the hydrogeologic
3.1 Definitions:
conditions at the field site to the assumptions of the test
3.1.1 aquifer, confined—an aquifer bounded above and
method. Hydraulic conductivity and storage coefficient of the
below by confining beds and in which the static head is above
aquifer are the basic properties determined by most test
the top of the aquifer.
methods. Test methods can be designed also to determine
3.1.2 aquifer, unconfined—an aquifer that has a water table.
vertical and horizontal anisotropy, aquifer discontinuities, ver-
3.1.3 barometric effıciency—the ratio of the change in depth
tical hydraulic conductivity of confining beds, well efficiency,
to water in a well to the change in barometric pressure,
turbulent flow, and specific storage and vertical permeability of
expressed in length of water.
confining beds.
3.1.4 conceptual model—a simplified representation of the
hydrogeologic setting and the response of the flow system to
5. Procedure
stress.
3.1.5 confining bed—a hydrogeologic unit of less perme- 5.1 The procedure for selection of an aquifer test method or
methods is primarily based on selection of a test method that is
able material bounding one or more aquifers.
3.1.6 control well—well by which the aquifer is stressed, for compatible with the hydrogeology of the proposed test site.
Secondarily, the test method is selected on the basis of the
example, by pumping, injection, or change of head.
3.1.7 hydraulic conductivity (field aquifer tests)—the vol- testing conditions specified by the test method, such as the
method of stressing or causing water-level changes in the
ume of water at the existing kinematic viscosity that will move
in a unit time under unit hydraulic gradient through a unit area aquifer and the requirements of a test method for observations
of water level response in the aquifer. The decision tree in
measured at right angles to the direction of flow.
Table 1 is designed to assist, first, in selecting test methods
3.1.8 observation well—a well open to all or part of an
applicable to specific hydrogeologic site characteristics. Sec-
aquifer.
ondly, the decision tree will assist in selecting a test method on
3.1.9 piezometer—a device used to measure static head at a
point in the subsurface. the basis of the nature of the stress on the aquifer imposed by
the control well. The decision tree references the sections in
3.1.10 specific capacity—the rate of discharge from a well
divided by the drawdown of the water level within the well at this guide where the test methods are cited.
a specific time since pumping started. 5.2 Pretest-selection Procedures—Aquifer test methods are
3.1.11 specific storage—the volume of water released from highly specific to the assumptions of the analytical solution of
or taken into storage per unit volume of the porous medium per the test method. Reliability of determination of hydraulic
unit change in head. properties depends upon conformance of the hydrologic site
3.1.12 specific yield—the ratio of the volume of water that characteristics to the assumptions of the test method. A
the saturated rock or soil will yield by gravity to the volume of prerequisite for selecting an aquifer test method is knowledge
the rock or soil. In the field, specific yield is generally of the hydrogeology of the test site. A conceptual understand-
determined by tests of unconfined aquifers and represents the ing of the hydrogeology of the aquifer system at the prospec-
change that occurs in the volume of water in storage per unit tive test site should be gained in as much detail as possible
area of unconfined aquifer as the result of a unit change in from existing literature and data, and a site reconnaissance. In
D 4043
TABLE 1 Decision Tree for Selection of Aquifer Test Method
developing a site characterization, incorporate geologic map- surveys. Include information on the thickness, lithology, strati-
ping, driller’s logs, geophysical logs, records of existing wells, fication, depth, attitude, continuity, and extent of the aquifer
water-level and water-quality data, and results of geophysical and confining beds.
D 4043
5.3 Select Applicable Aquifer Test Methods—Select a test recover, then opening the well. The solutions of Jacob and
method based on conformation of the site hydrogeology to Lohman (10) and Hantush (6) apply to aerially extensive,
assumptions of the test model and the parameters to be
nonleaky aquifers. Rushton and Rathod (11) used a numerical
determined. A summary of principal aquifer test methods and model to analyze aquifer-test data. Reed (46) presents a
their applicability to hydrogeologic site conditions is given in
computer program that includes some of the above procedures
the following paragraphs. The decision tree for aquifer test
and also includes discharge as a fifth-degree polynomial of
selection, Table 1, provides a graphic display of the hydrogeo-
time.
logic site conditions for each test method and references to the
5.3.1.4 Slug Test Methods—Test methods for estimating
section where each test method is cited.
transmissivity by injecting a given quantity or slug of water
5.3.1 Extensive, Isotropic, Homogeneous, Confined, Non-
into a well were introduced by Hvorslev (12) and Ferris and
leaky Aquifer:
Knowles (13). Solutions to overdamped well response to slug
5.3.1.1 Constant Discharge—Test Method in which the
tests have also been presented by Cooper et al (14). The
discharge or injection rate in the control well is constant are
solution presented by Cooper et al (14) is given in Test Method
given by the nonequilibrium method of Theis (1) for the
D 4104. Solutions for slug tests in wells that exhibit oscillatory
drawdown and recovery phases. The Theis test method is the
water-level fluctuations caused by a sudden injection or re-
most widely referenced and applied aquifer test method and is
moval of a volume of water have been presented by Krauss
the basis for the solution to other more complicated boundary
(15), van der Kamp (16), and Shinohara and Ramey (17). The
condition problems. The Theis test method for the pumping or
van der Kamp (16) solution is given in Test Method D 5785.
injection phase is given in Test Method D 4106. Cooper and
Kipp (18) analyzed the complete range of response of wells
Jacob (2) and Jacob (3) recognized that for large values of time
ranging from those having negligible inertial effects through
and small values of distance from the control well, the Theis
full oscillatory behavior and developed type curves for the
solution yields a straight line on semilogarithmic plots of
analysis of slug test data. The procedure given by Kipp (18) for
various combinations of drawdown and distance from the
analysis of critically damped response is given in Test Method
control well. The solution of the Theis equation can therefore
D 5881. The field procedure for slug test methods is given in
be simplified by the use of semilogarithmic plots. The modified
Test Method D 4044. Analytical procedures for analysis of slug
Theis nonequilibrium test method is given in Test Method
test data are given in Test Methods D 5785, D 4104, D 5881,
D 4105. A test method for estimating transmissivity from
and D 5912.
specific capacity by the Theis method is given in Test Method
5.3.2 Extensive, Isotropic, Homogeneous, Confined, Leaky
D 5472.
Aquifers—Confining beds above or below the aquifer com-
5.3.1.2 Variable Discharge—Test methods for a variably
monly allow transmission of water to the aquifer by leakage.
discharging control well have been presented by Stallman (4)
Test methods that account for this source of water have been
and Moench (5) and Birsoy and Summe
...