Non-isothermal water retention curve and volume change equation for unsaturated soils

Author(s):  
A Zhou ◽  
J Li ◽  
D Sheng
Author(s):  
Jiangu Qian ◽  
Zhiqiang Lin ◽  
Zhenhao Shi

This paper presents a soil-water retention curve (SWRC) model for fine-grained soils. Compared with existing studies, the proposed model accounts for the distinct roles of the volume change of soils on capillarity and adsorption mechanisms. The capillary water is described by a relation that includes the characteristics of the pore-size distributions as parameters, while the absorbed water is modeled by a novel proposition that both considers the phenomenon of capillary condensation and allows for the decoupling between the degree of capillary and adsorptive saturation. Based on this feature, the void ratio effects are considered in a way in which they only affect capillary water, i.e., consistent with how volume change influences soil microstructures. The relative contributions of void ratio effects and hydraulic hysteresis on the path- and history-dependence of SWRC in Sr-s-e space for deformable unsaturated soils are examined. The significance of discriminating the effects of volume change on capillary and adsorptive water is illustrated by applying the SWRC model to computing the shear strength of unsaturated soils with different void ratios. The model performance is assessed by comparing against test data reported for four types of fine-grained soils and that tested for natural loess in this work.


2021 ◽  
Vol 861 (7) ◽  
pp. 072140
Author(s):  
Yi Liu ◽  
Guoqing Cai ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Rui Yang ◽  
Chenggang Zhao

2020 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 03005
Author(s):  
Arash Azizi ◽  
Ashutosh Kumar ◽  
Mwajuma Ibrahim Lingwanda ◽  
David Geoffrey Toll

The water retention curve is fundamental for a comprehensive description of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. The water retention testing system developed at Durham University allows direct and continuous measurement of suction using a high capacity tensiometer, water content determined from mass readings of a digital balance and measurements of volume change. The system was modified to accommodate an additional tensiometer to measure suction at the top besides the existing one at the bottom of the soil specimen. Soil specimens were subjected to drying and wetting following two procedures: discrete measurements carried out in stages to ensure equalisation and continuous measurement at different rates. All suctions measured during continuous and discrete measurements were very close at high saturation degrees. At lower saturation degrees, the suction values from the top and bottom of the specimen deviated from suctions observed in discrete measurements. This deviation in suction values was more evident in accelerated drying and wetting patterns. This can be explained by the fact that water permeability reduces with the decrease in saturation levels.


2020 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 02016
Author(s):  
J. Kodikara ◽  
C. Jayasundara

The water retention behaviour of soil can be defined as the relationship between the degree of saturation (or water content) and suction at a constant temperature, which characterises the hydraulic behaviour of unsaturated soils, normally represented as the soil water retention curve (SWRC). The SWRC is commonly measured at nominal net stress by initially saturating a soil specimen and then subjecting it to drying and wetting paths, resulting in major drying and wetting curves. However, there is evidence that during these major drying and wetting paths and initial saturation, soil can undergo volumetric deformation with changes in void ratio, sometimes plastically. Therefore, for coupling the SWRC with mechanical behaviour, the dependency of SWRC on other state variables such as void ratio has been proposed. In this paper, an approach to defining SWRC for a particular plastic volumetric strain is presented within the generalised MPK model. The SWRC evolves as soil is subjected to wet/dry cycles, eventually approaching drying and wetting curves relevant to an environmentally-stabilised state. The performance of this model is demonstrated by the simulation of the loading/unloading/drying/wetting paths followed in a laboratory experiment. In addition, the evolution of the commonly-considered major drying and wetting curves is simulated, highlighting key features of the environmentally-stabilised line..


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seboong Oh ◽  
Sungjin Kim ◽  
Kwang Ik Son

<p>In unsaturated soils, the soil water retention curve (SWRC) is most important in the fundamental hydraulic properties. In order to measure SWRCs through an alternative method in Korea, high air entry disks were replaced by micro membranes. Micro membranes are thin in which the air entry value is around 100kPa. Tests with the membrane are fast to reduce the duration of infiltration through the high air entry disk.</p><p>The water retention curves using the membrane were compared with the data using high air entry disks from the volumetric pressure plate extractor and Tempe pressure cell for samples of various sites. As a result, the SWRCs using the membrane were very similar for most cases and the micro membrane was verified as a useful tool to measure SWRCs.</p><p>The unsaturated hydraulic behavior could be measured easily using the membrane than ceramic disks and the huge amount of data could have been obtained in Korea. Using DB of SWRCs, the hydraulic properties were interpreted based on the parameters of the van Genuchten SWRC model. The void ratio and density are correlated to SWRCs under the same classification soil.</p><p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong> This research is supported by grant from Korean NRF (2019R1A2C1003604) and MOE (79608), which are greatly appreciated.</p>


2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 644-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Rodríguez ◽  
M Sánchez ◽  
A Ledesma ◽  
A Lloret

The paper presents an analysis of the desiccation process in mining materials, based on physical laws. Due to the process complexity, most of the previous approaches used have an empirical basis. In this case, however, a formulation using coupled hydromechanical equations has been considered. To show the capabilities of the theoretical framework, several laboratory tests were performed, and afterwards a numerical simulation of the measured variables was attempted. The material tested was a metallurgical waste in tailings form and it was exposed to atmospheric desiccation. Further cracking will eventually change its properties, and this may have an environmental impact. Some of the experiments were devoted to material characterization, including the water retention curve, the hydraulic conductivity, and the tensile strength. In addition, laboratory drying tests open to the atmosphere or in hermetically closed containers were also performed. The numerical analyses carried out attempted to simulate some of these tests. One of the main outcomes of the analyses was the prediction of the time and the location of crack initiation. Finally, it should be pointed out that good agreement between the experiments and numerical simulations indicates that the formulation is taking into account the fundamental mechanisms involved in the desiccation process.Key words: desiccation, drying cracks, unsaturated soils, waste material, coupled phenomena, modelling.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document