The shear strength parameters for geotechnical designs are obtained mainly from consolidated drained （CD） or consolidated undrained （CU） triaxial tests. However, during construction, the excess pore-air pressure g...The shear strength parameters for geotechnical designs are obtained mainly from consolidated drained （CD） or consolidated undrained （CU） triaxial tests. However, during construction, the excess pore-air pressure generally dissipates instantaneously while the excess pore-water pressure dissipates with time. This condition needs to be simulated in a constant water content （CW） triaxial test. The study on Yunnan red clay is carried out to investigate the soil-water characteristics and the shear strength characteristics under the constant water content condition. Osmotic technique is used to obtain the soil-water characteristic curve. A series of CW triaxial tests are conducted on statically compacted specimens. The experimental results show that the soil-water characteristic curve has a low air entry value of 7 kPa due to large pores in non-uniform pore size distribution, and a high residual value exceeding 10 MPa. In addition, the initial degree of saturation and net confining stress play an important role in affecting the shear characteristics under the constant water content condition. Finally, a new semi-empirical shear strength model in terms of degree of saturation is proposed and then applied to Yuunan red clay. Simulation result shows that the model is capable of capturing some key features of soils. The model can be used in whole engineering practice range, covering both unsaturmed and saturated soils.展开更多
In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites...In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites with different grazing intensities, continuous grazing site （CG） with 1.2 sheep ha-1 year-1 and heavy grazing site （HG） with 2.0 sheep ha-1 year-1, were investigated at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station （43° 37′ 50″ N, 116° 42′ 18″ E） situated in the northern China to i） characterize the temporal distribution of soil water content along soil profile; and ii） quantify the water fluxes as affected by grazing intensity. Soil water content was monitored by time domain refiectometry （TDR） probes. Soil water retention curves were determined by pressure membrane extractor, furthermore processed by RETC （RETention Curve） software. Soil matric potential, plant available water and water flux were calculated using these data. Both sites showed an identical seasonal soil water dynamics within four defined hydraulic periods： i） wetting transition coincided with a dramatic water increase due to snow and frozen soil thawing from March to April; 2） wet summer, rainfall in accordance with plant growth from May to September; 3） drying transition, a decrease of soil water from October to November due to rainfall limit; and 4） dry winter, freezing from December to next February. Heavy grazing largely reduced soil water content by 43%-48% and plant available water by 46%-61% as compared to the CG site. During growing season net water flux was nearly similar between HG （242 mm） and CG （223 mm） sites between 5 and 20 cm depths. However, between 20 and 40 cm depths, the upward flux was more pronounced at HG site than at CG site, indicating that water was depleted by root uptake at HG site but stored at CG site. In semi-arid grassland ecosystem, grazing intensity can affect soil water regime and flux, particularly in the growing season.展开更多
When variations occur in the water content or dry bulk density of soil,the contact angle hysteresis will affect the soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC).The occurrence of the contact angle hysteresis can be divided i...When variations occur in the water content or dry bulk density of soil,the contact angle hysteresis will affect the soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC).The occurrence of the contact angle hysteresis can be divided into slipping and pinning.It is difficult to determine the effect of pinning existence on SWCC by tests.In this study,the effect of contact angle hysteresis on SWCC was analyzed either in the case of no variations in soil dry bulk density with changes in soil water content or no variations in soil water content with changes in soil dry bulk density.In both cases,soil particles were simplified to the spherical particle model.Based on the geometrically mechanic relationship between the particles and connecting liquid bridges,a physical model for predicting the SWCC was derived from the spherical particle model.Adjusting parameters made the model applicable to various soils,that is,the cohesive soil was considered as micron-sized spherical particles.Through the simulations on SWCC test data of sand,silt,clay,and swelling soil,it was confirmed that the physical model possessed good reliability and practicability.Finally,the analysis of rationality of contact angle was performed based on the basic assumptions of the model.展开更多
基金Project(51068002) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(10-046-14-1) supported by Guangxi Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,China
文摘The shear strength parameters for geotechnical designs are obtained mainly from consolidated drained （CD） or consolidated undrained （CU） triaxial tests. However, during construction, the excess pore-air pressure generally dissipates instantaneously while the excess pore-water pressure dissipates with time. This condition needs to be simulated in a constant water content （CW） triaxial test. The study on Yunnan red clay is carried out to investigate the soil-water characteristics and the shear strength characteristics under the constant water content condition. Osmotic technique is used to obtain the soil-water characteristic curve. A series of CW triaxial tests are conducted on statically compacted specimens. The experimental results show that the soil-water characteristic curve has a low air entry value of 7 kPa due to large pores in non-uniform pore size distribution, and a high residual value exceeding 10 MPa. In addition, the initial degree of saturation and net confining stress play an important role in affecting the shear characteristics under the constant water content condition. Finally, a new semi-empirical shear strength model in terms of degree of saturation is proposed and then applied to Yuunan red clay. Simulation result shows that the model is capable of capturing some key features of soils. The model can be used in whole engineering practice range, covering both unsaturmed and saturated soils.
基金Supported by the German Research Foundation(DFG)(No.Forschergruppe 536)the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites with different grazing intensities, continuous grazing site （CG） with 1.2 sheep ha-1 year-1 and heavy grazing site （HG） with 2.0 sheep ha-1 year-1, were investigated at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station （43° 37′ 50″ N, 116° 42′ 18″ E） situated in the northern China to i） characterize the temporal distribution of soil water content along soil profile; and ii） quantify the water fluxes as affected by grazing intensity. Soil water content was monitored by time domain refiectometry （TDR） probes. Soil water retention curves were determined by pressure membrane extractor, furthermore processed by RETC （RETention Curve） software. Soil matric potential, plant available water and water flux were calculated using these data. Both sites showed an identical seasonal soil water dynamics within four defined hydraulic periods： i） wetting transition coincided with a dramatic water increase due to snow and frozen soil thawing from March to April; 2） wet summer, rainfall in accordance with plant growth from May to September; 3） drying transition, a decrease of soil water from October to November due to rainfall limit; and 4） dry winter, freezing from December to next February. Heavy grazing largely reduced soil water content by 43%-48% and plant available water by 46%-61% as compared to the CG site. During growing season net water flux was nearly similar between HG （242 mm） and CG （223 mm） sites between 5 and 20 cm depths. However, between 20 and 40 cm depths, the upward flux was more pronounced at HG site than at CG site, indicating that water was depleted by root uptake at HG site but stored at CG site. In semi-arid grassland ecosystem, grazing intensity can affect soil water regime and flux, particularly in the growing season.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50979028)the Program of the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources (No. 200801065)
文摘When variations occur in the water content or dry bulk density of soil,the contact angle hysteresis will affect the soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC).The occurrence of the contact angle hysteresis can be divided into slipping and pinning.It is difficult to determine the effect of pinning existence on SWCC by tests.In this study,the effect of contact angle hysteresis on SWCC was analyzed either in the case of no variations in soil dry bulk density with changes in soil water content or no variations in soil water content with changes in soil dry bulk density.In both cases,soil particles were simplified to the spherical particle model.Based on the geometrically mechanic relationship between the particles and connecting liquid bridges,a physical model for predicting the SWCC was derived from the spherical particle model.Adjusting parameters made the model applicable to various soils,that is,the cohesive soil was considered as micron-sized spherical particles.Through the simulations on SWCC test data of sand,silt,clay,and swelling soil,it was confirmed that the physical model possessed good reliability and practicability.Finally,the analysis of rationality of contact angle was performed based on the basic assumptions of the model.
