Suppressiokokeet

Suppressiokokeet, often translated as suppression tests, are a method used in geotechnical engineering and hydrogeology to investigate the hydraulic properties of soil and rock formations. They are particularly useful for assessing the permeability and groundwater flow characteristics of a saturated porous medium. The fundamental principle behind a suppression test is to induce a localized pressure drop within a saturated aquifer or soil layer and then monitor how the water level or pressure recovers over time.

The test typically involves pumping water out of a well or borehole at a controlled rate, causing the surrounding groundwater levels to decline. This initial pumping phase creates a drawdown. Once a stable drawdown is achieved, the pumping is stopped abruptly. The subsequent rise in the water level or pressure in the well is then meticulously recorded. This recovery phase is crucial as it reflects the ability of the formation to transmit water.

By analyzing the rate and pattern of water level recovery, engineers and hydrologists can determine important parameters such as the transmissivity and storativity of the aquifer. Transmissivity is a measure of how easily water can flow through a given thickness of aquifer, while storativity represents the volume of water released from or taken into storage per unit surface area of an aquifer per unit change in head. Various analytical methods, such as the Theis recovery method or the Cooper-Jacob method, are applied to the collected data to derive these hydraulic properties.

Suppressiokokeet are valuable for a range of applications, including the design of groundwater extraction systems, evaluation of groundwater resources, assessment of contaminant transport, and understanding aquifer behavior for groundwater management. Their effectiveness lies in their ability to provide site-specific data that is essential for accurate hydrological modeling and engineering design.