Predicting the entire soil-water characteristic curve using measurements within low suction range

The soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC) is widely used in the design and evaluation in the practice of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering such as the slope stability under the influence of environmental factors. The SWCC has distinct features in the capillary and adsorption zones due to different physical mechanisms. Measurements of the SWCC are typically limited within the capillary zone(i.e., low suction range). It is cumbersome and time-consuming to measure the SWCC in the adsorption zone(i.e., high suction range). This study presents a simple method to predict the entire SWCC within both the capillary and adsorption zones, using measured data only from low suction range(e.g., from 0 to 500 kPa). Experimental studies were performed on a completely weathered granite residual soil to determine its entire SWCC from saturated to dry conditions. The resultant SWCC, along with the SWCC measurements of 14 soils reported in the literature, were used to validate the proposed method. The results indicate that the proposed method has good consistency with a wide array of measured data used in this study. The proposed method is easy to use as it only requires a simple parameter calibration for a commonly used SWCC model. It can be used to improve the reliability in the prediction of the SWCC over the entire suction range when measurements are limited within the low suction range.

Prediction of loess soil-water characteristic curve by mercury intrusion porosimetry

Mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)is a simple and fast way to obtain the pore distribution of soil and can be used to estimate the soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC).In previous studies,soil was assumed to be a perfect wettability material,and the contact angle(CA)of the soil-water interface was taken as zero in the SWCC prediction method.However,the CA has proved to be much greater than zero even for hydrophilic soils according to some soil wettability experiments,and it has a significant effect on predicting the SWCC.In this research,a method for predicting the SWCC by MIP,which takes the CA as a fitting coefficient,is proposed.The pore size distribution curves are measured by MIP,and the SWCCs of two loess soils are measured by pressure plate and filter paper tests.When the CA is taken as70°and 50°for the wetting and drying process,respectively,the SWCCs predicted by the pore size distribution curves agree well with the measured SWCCs.The predicted suction range of the proposed method is 0-105 k Pa.The consistency of the results suggests that utilizing the MIP test to predict the SWCC with a proper CA is effective for loess.

Influences affecting the soil-water characteristic curve

The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) is the primary partially saturated soil information as its behavior and properties can be derived from it. Although there have been many studies of unsaturated soils and the SWCC, there is still no combined constitutive model that can simulate soil characteristics accurately. In cases when hydraulic hysteresis is dominant (e.g. under cyclic loading) it is particularly important to use the SWCC. In the past decades, several mathematical expressions have been proposed to model the curve. There are various influences on the SWCC as a source of information, so the curves obtained from conventional tests often cannot be directly applied; and the mathematical expressions from one scenario cannot be used to simulate another situation. The effects of void ratio, initial water content, stress state and high suction were studied in this work revealing that water content and stress state are more important than the other effects; but that the influences tend to decrease when suction increases. The van Genuchten model was modified to simulate better the changes in the degree of saturation at low values of suction. Predictions were compared with experimental results to determine the simulation capability of the model.

Effects of sample dimensions and shapes on measuring soil-water characteristic curves using pressure plate

It is well known that soilewater characteristic curve(SWCC) plays an important role in unsaturated soil mechanics, but the measurement of SWCC is inconvenient. In laboratory it requires days of testing time.For fine-grained clays, it may last for a couple of months using pressure plate tests. In this study, the effects of sample dimensions and shapes on the balance time of measuring SWCCs using pressure plate tests and the shape of SWCCs are investigated. It can be found that the sample dimensions and shapes have apparent influence on the balance time. The testing durations for circular samples with smaller diameters and annular samples with larger contact area are significantly shortened. However, there is little effect of sample dimensions and shapes on the shape of SWCCs. Its mechanism is explored and discussed in details through analysing the principle of pressure plate tests and microstructure of the sample. Based on the above findings, it is found that the circular samples with smaller dimensions can accelerate the testing duration of SWCC using the pressure plate.

Water infiltration and soil-water characteristics of compacted loess under applied vertical stress

Additional stress formed by postconstruction buildings in loess-filling areas affects water infiltration in soil and causes soil deformation.To investigate this effect,under constant water head,vertical infiltration tests on compacted loess with two initial dry densities for different applied vertical stresses were developed using vertical stresscontrollable one-dimensional soil columns.The timehistory curves of vertical deformation,wetting front depth,cumulative infiltration depth,volumetric water content(VWC)and suction were measured,and the soil-water characteristic curves(SWCCs)were determined.The results showed that:(1)the infiltration ability of the soil column weakens with increasing applied vertical stress and initial dry density;(2)vertical deformation increases rapidly at first and then tends to be stable slowly at the consolidation and wetting-induced deformation stage,and is positively correlated with applied vertical stress and is negatively correlated with initial dry density.The stability time of wetting-induced deformation and the corresponding wetting front depth increase with the increase of applied vertical stress,while they decrease obviously when initial dry density increases;(3)the influence of applied vertical stress on soilwater characteristics in soil columns with various initial dry densities is related to the deformation depth of soil column.The VG(Van Genuchten)model is suitable for fitting the SWCCs at different monitoring positions.A normalized SWCC model introducing the applied vertical stress was proposed for each initial dry density using the mathematical relationship between the fitting parameters and the applied vertical stress.

Rapid testing and prediction of soil–water characteristic curve of subgrade soils considering stress state and degree of compaction

The subgrade soil is generally in saturated or unsaturated condition. To analyze complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) behaviors of subgrade, it is essential to determine the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) that represents the relationship between matric suction and moisture content. In this study, a full-automatic rapid stress-dependent SWCC pressure-plate extractor was developed. Then, the influences of overburden stress and degree of compaction on the SWCC of subgrade soil such as high liquid limit silt (MH) and low liquid limit clay (CL) were analyzed. Accordingly, a new model taking into account the influences of overburden stress and degree of compaction based on the well-known Van Genuchten (VG) SWCC fitting model was presented and validated. The results show that with the increase of the degree of compaction and overburden stress, the saturated moisture content of subgrade soil decreases, while the air-entry value increases and the transition section curve becomes flat. The influences of the degree of compaction and overburden stress on the SWCC of MH is greater than that of CL. Meanwhile, there was a satisfactory agreement between the prediction and measurement, indicating a good performance of the new model for predicting the SWCC.

Soil freezing process and different expressions for the soil-freezing characteristic curve

The soil-freezing characteristic curve(SFCC),which represents the relationship between unfrozen water content and subfreezing temperature(or suction at ice-water interface)in a freezing soil,can be used for understanding the transportation of heat,water,and solute in frozen soils.In this paper,the soil freezing process and the similarity between the SFCC of saturated frozen soil and soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC)of unfrozen unsaturated soil are reviewed.Based on similar characteristics between SWCC and SFCC,a conceptual SFCC is drawn for illustrating the main features of soil freezing and thawing processes.Various SFCC expressions from the literature are summarized.Four widely used expressions(i.e.,power relationship,exponential relationship,van Genuchten 1980 equation and Fredlund and Xing 1994 equation)are evaluated using published experimental data on four different soils(i.e.,sandy loam,silt,clay,and saline silt).Results show that the exponential relationship and van Genuchten(1980)equation are more suitable for sandy soils.The simple power relationship can be used to reasonably best-fit the SFCC for soils with different particle sizes;however,it exhibits limitations when fitting the saline silt data.The Fredlund and Xing(1994)equation is suitable for fitting the SFCCs for all soils studied in this paper.

Factors Influencing the Soil-Water Characteristics of Unsaturated Tropical Silty Sand

Fine grain soils have a complex engineering behaviour which depends but not limited to moisture content, changes in external pressure and characteristics of the pore medium. Sand often contains a considerable percent of silt which is expected to alter its natural behaviour. This composite matrix is referred to as silty-sand. To understand the behaviour of this matrix under varying moisture conditions, some of the factors influencing the soil-water characteristics of unsaturated silty sands were investigated. Representative samples were collected from a river bank after its index properties were predetermined in the laboratory. The samples were compacted at different moisture conditions and compactive efforts. With the pressure plate extractor device, the Soil-Water Characteristic (SWC) was obtained and SWC Curves plotted. Compaction at greater compactive effort (modified proctor) and optimum moisture content produced the largest air entry value and reduced air voids. The air entry values of the soils obtained ranged from 21 kPa to 57 kPa. Also changes in the shape of the SWCC were consistent with changes in pore size which occur by varying compaction conditions. Result shows that soil structure, compaction water content, compactive effort and percentage of fine particles are factors affecting the Soil-Water Characteristics.

Effect of initial gravimetric water content and cyclic wetting-drying on soil-water characteristic curves of disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone

The soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC)is often used to estimate unsaturated soil properties(e.g.strength,permeability,volume change,solute and thermal diffusivity).The SWCC of soil samples is significantly affected by cyclic wetting-drying.To examine how water content and cyclic wetting-drying affect the SWCC of disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone(DCM),SWCC tests were implemented using a pressure-plate apparatus.In addition,SWCC models for DCM considering the initial gravimetric water content and cyclic wetting-drying were developed.The test results showed that the volumetric water content(θ)of the DCM first decreased rapidly and then became stable as matric suction(s)increased.The initial water content affected the SWCC by altering the pore structure of the DCM.For a given number of wetting-drying cycles,the higher the initial water content,the higher the stabilizedθ.At a given s value,θdecreased as the number of wetting-drying cycles increased,which suggests that cyclic wetting-drying reduces the water-holding capacity of DCM.The Gardner model for DCM was constructed considering initial water content and cyclic wetting-drying,and was effective at describing and predicting the SWCC model for DCM.

Soil-Water Charateristics of Tropical Clay Soil under High and Low Suction Conditions

Tropical clay soil was compacted at different moisture conditions (dry, wet and optimum) and compactive efforts (Reduced proctor, Standard proctor, West African standard and Modified proctor). Experimental Soil-Water Characteristics (SWC) of the soil was derived using the pressure plate extractor equipment and SWC Curves (SWCC) plotted as gravimetric water content versus logarithm of matric suction. The Air Entry Values (A.E.V) obtained from experimental work ranged from 21 kPa to 59 kPa and compared favourably well with those estimated from predictive models with values of 23 kPa to 52 kPa. Specimens compacted with greater compactive effort (Modified proctor) and at optimum moisture content produced the largest air entry value of 59 kPa and reduced air voids. Changes observed in the shape of the SWCC were consistent with changes in pore size which occurred by varying compaction conditions. The shape of the soil-water characteristics curve was found to depend on the soil structure, compactive water content and compactive effort and not solely on the percentage of fine particles.

基于核磁共振及分形理论预测非饱和土石混合体SWCC

【目的】土石混合体的物理力学特性与土—水特征曲线(SWCC)关系紧密,直接或间接测量SWCC费时耗力,且所得结果具有离散性,因此建立预测非饱和土石混合体SWCC的理论模型具有现实意义。【方法】采用NMR技术反演得到横向弛豫时间T_(2)图谱,将之转化为累计孔隙体积曲线,从而结合Young-Laplace′s理论及分形理论,以T_(2)为纽带建立起体积含水率与基质吸力的理论模型,并对模型进行验证。【结果】结果显示:土石混合体具有多重分形特征,对其进行分区研究,可由体积含水率与基质吸力在双对数坐标中的斜率换算得出不同孔隙半径范围内的分形维数;体积含水率与基质吸力的对数值存在强烈的线性关系,其相关系数均≥0.995;初始含水率与模型中的拟合参数具有线性关系,且相关系数均≥0.990,模型中的参数均可通过初始含水率进行求解。【结论】结果表明:模型预测结果与实测SWCC吻合程度较高,可以很好地应用于非饱和土石混合体的SWCC预测中。

土水特征曲线(SWCC)的滞回特性模拟研究

为了模拟非饱和土的水力、力学特性在多次降雨、蒸发过程中的变化特性,本文以传统域模型的基本原理为基础,推到得到了一个能够模拟SWCC滞后性的计算模型,该模型计算方法简单,易于通过程序实现,且通过与试验数据和其他模型的计算结果对比,验证了该模型的合理性,同时,这个模型可为研究在复杂吸力变化状态下非饱和土的渗流特性、强度特性以及本构模型的研究打下一定的基础。

非饱和土土水特征曲线(SWCC)测试与预测

非饱和土土水特征曲线(SWCC)表示了土中含水量与吸力之间的关系。文章介绍了6种常用方法,各有其适用范围。体积压力板仪可量测最大基质吸力值为1500kPa的干燥曲线和浸湿曲线;超过1500kPa时,可用盐溶液法进行量测;Tem-ple仪可量测基质吸力达100kPa的干燥曲线;滤纸法可用于测量土体的基质吸力与总吸力;Dew-point电位计可用于量测土样总吸力变化,尤其适合渗透吸力的量测;TDR探头适合于量测小于300kPa的基质吸力。用GDS非饱和土三轴仪可以进行SWCC测试,测试范围主要取决于陶土板的进气值。用准确的数学模型对测得的含水量、吸力数据进行拟合,对于预测非饱和土力学性质、渗透系数、抗剪强度及分析边坡稳定性有重要意义。由于准确测试SWCC难度较大,并且测试影响因素较多,所以根据土体孔隙大小分布和颗粒大小分布情况预测SWCC,也是一种较好的方法。

考虑尿素浓度对SWCC影响的VG模型

利用Tempe压力膜仪,进行了不同浓度尿素溶液的土-水特征曲线(SWCC)试验,得出了不同SWCC的Van Genuchten(VG)拟合模型。结合各VG模型,采用线性回归分析,确定了模型中各参数与尿素浓度的关系,进而建立了能够考虑尿素浓度影响的VG模型。所得模型中各参数拟合相关度均较高。由所建模型可知,尿素浓度对参数α影响较小,而对参数n影响较大;浓度越大,参数α越小,而参数n越大。所得结果弥补了其他方法不能考虑尿素浓度对SWCC的影响,对补充和发展SWCC试验和理论具有一定的意义。所建SWCC模型未考虑尿素浓度对溶质吸力的影响,也未开展尿素溶液对土体SWCC影响机理研究;这两方面有待以后的工作进一步研究。

Unraveling the hydraulic properties of loess for landslide prediction:A study on variations in loess landslides in Lanzhou,Dingxi,and Tianshui,China

Loess has distinctive characteristics,leading to frequent landslide disasters and posing serious threats to the lives and properties of local re sidents.The involvement of water repre sents a critical factor in inducing loess landslides.This study focuses on three neighboring cities sequentially situated on the Loess Plateau along the direction of aeolian deposition of loess,namely Lanzhou,Dingxi,and Tianshui,which are densely populated and prone to landslide disasters.The variations in hydraulic properties,including water retention capacity and permeability,are investigated through Soil Water Characteristic Curve(SWCC)test and hydraulic conductivity test.The experimental findings revealed that Tianshui loess exhibited the highest water retention capacity,followed by Dingxi loess,while Lanzhou loess demonstrated the lowest water retention capacity.Contrastingly,the results for the saturated permeability coefficient were found to be the opposite:Tianshui loess showed the lowest permeability,whereas Lanzhou loess displayed the highest permeability.These results are supported and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)observation.In addition,the water retention capacity is mathematically expressed using the van Genuchten model and extended to predict unsaturated hydraulic properties of loess.The experimental results exhibit a strong accordance with one another and align with the regional distribution patterns of disasters.

非饱和重塑黄土SWCC试验与拟合研究

利用GCTS土-水特征曲线仪研究了颗粒级配对非饱和重塑黄土土-水特性的影响;通过Brooks&Corey、Van Genuchten、Gardner、Fredlund&Xing(3参数模型)、Fredlund&Xing(4参数模型)五种常用模型对试验数据进行了拟合分析,得到适合非饱和重塑黄土的SWCC(soil-water characteristic curve)数学模型;通过提出“滞回比”这一参数,初步研究了颗粒级配对土-水特征曲线滞回特性的影响;利用Gardner经验模型、Van Genuchten统计传导模型对非饱和重塑黄土试样的渗透系数进行了拟合分析。结果表明:Gardner和Van Genuchten模型对非饱和重塑黄土土-水特征曲线拟合效果最好,a值随颗粒粒径的增大而减小,n值随颗粒粒径的增大而增大,滞回比随着颗粒粒径的增大逐渐减小;非饱和重塑黄土试样渗透系数随基质吸力的变化而变化,同一种模型对渗透系数的预测在增减湿过程中渗透系数数值存在差别。

基于孔隙水分布的非饱和土SWCC及相对渗透系数预测模型

相对渗透系数与土水特征曲线(SWCC)是研究非饱和流的重要参数,利用毛细管系统研究渗流已经成为研究相对渗透系数的重要方法之一。在用毛细管系统代替土孔隙的假设上,基于杨-拉普拉斯方程和分形理论,对传统的毛细管系统含水量模型作出改进,考虑非饱和孔隙的含水量,提出一个预测非饱和土相对渗透系数的模型。利用4组试验数据对提出的相对渗透系数预测模型进行验证,用均方根偏差(RMSD)评测试验数据与预测数据之间的误差,结果表明4组数据的RMSD均<0.025,说明该模型具有预测非饱和土相对渗透系数的实际意义。

粉土最优土水特征曲线模型

基于压力板仪的轴平移技术,对粉土试样开展室内试验。测试多组特定吸力下试样的含水率,选用Van Genuchten模型、Gardner模型、Fredlund-Xing模型3种幂函数形式的土水特征曲线(SWCC)模型对试验数据进行拟合,得到各模型的拟合参数。3种函数模型的拟合方差依次为Van Genuchten模型>Fredlund-Xing模型>Gardner模型,即3种SWCC模型中Van Genuchten模型对试验用粉土的SWCC拟合精度最高,结果最优。

荆门膨胀土土–水特征曲线特征参数分析与非饱和抗剪强度预测

为探讨荆门原状、压实、石灰改良膨胀土的非饱和抗剪强度与土–水特征曲线(SWCC)的相关关系,利用Fredlund-Xing模型对3种膨胀土的SWCC试验数据进行非线性拟合,获得相应模型参数;利用Fredlund公式(1996年)对3种膨胀土控制吸力下的固结排水剪三轴压缩试验抗剪强度成果进行相关分析。分析结果表明:(1)使用Fredlund-Xing模型拟合3种膨胀土SWCC试验数据的效果均较好。(2)荆门原状、压实、石灰改良膨胀土的进气值分别为210,68和18kPa;石灰改良膨胀土的持水能力(水稳定性)最强,压实膨胀土次之,原状膨胀土最弱;3种膨胀土的残余吸力可均取为3000kPa。(3)3种膨胀土的有效内摩擦角(′)和与基质吸力相应的内摩擦角(b)均非常数;′与基质吸力相关,b与基质吸力和应力状态均相关,这意味着Mohr-Coulomb破坏包面是双向弯曲的。(4)使用Fredlund公式,能够在较大的吸力范围内较好地预测荆门膨胀土的非饱和抗剪强度,原状、压实、石灰改良膨胀土的土性参数κ分别为2.4,2.7及3.4。(5)预测值与实测值间存在差别的主要原因是Fredlund公式本身未考虑到b与应力状态相关,若要考虑该因素,可将应力状态对SWCC的影响引入到Fredlund公式中。

多次干湿循环后土-水特征曲线的模拟

目前对于土体的干湿循环过程中变形、强度变化规律研究较多,而对经过多次干湿循环后土-水特征曲线的试验研究较少。由于吸力平衡需要时间太长,对干湿循环过程中土-水特征曲线的研究也多限于单次的干湿循环试验。但考虑到实际岩土工程中气候条件的多变性和自然环境的复杂性,一般土体均要经历多次干湿循环,因此,对多次干湿循环后的土-水特性曲线研究显得非常重要。结合已有的试验数据总结脱湿曲线与吸湿曲线随着干湿循环次数的变化规律,通过引入一个与干湿循环次数有关的函数,提出能预测多次干湿循环后土-水特征曲线的方法。本方法仅需土-水特征曲线的首次干湿循环脱湿与吸湿曲线和塑性指数,就可以预测多次干湿循环后的土-水特征曲线。