API Publ 351:1999

The determination of soil permeability is one of the most important items in assessing aboveground storage tank facilities' secondary containment areas. This publication outlines various methods to test the permeability of soil and distinguishes between laboratory and field methods, though it does not supply an exhaustive list of all available permeability methods. These methods are identified according to their applicability to particular soil types. The methods presented in this report are applicable to fine-grained soils (silts and clays) and coarse-grained soils (sands and gravels), but may not be appropriate to organic soils, such as peat, or to materials such as construction and demolition debris. All methods should be fully investigated for appropriateness and to determine its suitability to a particular situation