ABSTRACT
Among the most useful methods of gathering geotechnical information from soils beneath the surface are drilling and applying permeability tests in it. The results obtained from such methods provide relevant data that can be used to predict and avoid natural and geotechnical disasters, such as slope and dam failures. A very common practice in drilling tropical soils is the usage of high viscosity fluids, in order to cool down the drilling row, provide stability to the borehole walls and ease the retrieval of samples. However, the use of such fluids causes impermeability in the borehole walls and impacts the hydraulic parameters obtained when the water is injected during the permeability test. A solution for this problem could rely on applying high-density fluids only in the internal edge of the sampling row, implying that no contact between the fluid and the borehole walls occurs. Therefore, this study aims to compare the results from permeability tests executed in the same geological layer, with and without the use of drilling fluids. The expected results indicate that there should not be relevant differences in the results of both methods, hence the fluid will not overflow to the borehole walls.
