Geotechnics - the key to ground water protection

During the past 5 to 10 years research into ground water protection has proved that fractures in clay till may increase the hydraulic conductivity and herby the vulnerability of the ground water considerably. However, research has not identified a non-expensive and efficient method to map the fracture conditions of the various clay tills.

Tests performed at the Danish Geotechnical Institute with large undisturbed columns of clay till show that there is a relation between the strength of the clay till and the hydraulic conductivity. Geotechnical methods may therefore be the key to determine the character of a certain type of clay till and hereby find the necessary tool in future geographical mapping of the vulnerability of the ground water resources.