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.

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.

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.

Soil-water characteristics and shear strength in constant water content triaxial tests on Yunnan red clay

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.

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.

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.

Soil−water characteristics of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

The permeability of the weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores directly affects the efficiency of in-situ leaching.The soil−water characteristic curve(SWCC)is an important constitutive relation for calculating the permeability of ore body,which is related to many factors.Soil−water characteristic tests of rare earth ore samples considering different factors were carried out by using the pressure plate instrument.Effects of dry density,particle size and solution leaching on water holding behavior and the mechanism were investigated.The experimental observations indicate that with the decrease of dry density,the pore ratio increases gradually,and the saturated water content increases.Under the same matric suction,the water content decreases gradually with the increase of particle size,thus decreasing water holding capacity of ore accordingly.In the same water content,matric suction is inversely proportional to particle size.Under the same matric suction,the water content of ore samples after leaching is less than that of the ore samples before leaching,indicating that solution leaching can decrease water holding capacity of ore.

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.

Effect of the uncertainty in soil-water characteristic curve on the estimated shear strength of unsaturated soil

Most failures or instabilities of geotechnical structures commonly result from shear failure in soil. In addition, many infrastructures are constructed within the unsaturated zone. Therefore, the determination of shear strength of unsaturated soil is crucial in geotechnical design. The soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC) is commonly used to estimate the shear strength of unsaturated soil because the direct measurement is time-consuming and costly. However, the uncertainty associated with the determined SWCC is rarely considered in the estimation of the shear strength. In this paper, the uncertainties of SWCC resulted from different factors are reviewed and discussed. The variability of the estimated shear strength for the unsaturated soil due to the uncertainty of SWCC associated with the best fit process is quantified by using the upper and lower bounds of the determined SWCC. On the other hand, the uncertainties of the estimated shear strength due to different initial void ratios or different confining pressures are quantified by adopting different SWCCs. As a result, it is recommended that the measured SWCC from the conventional Tempe cell or pressure plate needs to be corrected by considering different stress levels in the estimation of the shear strength of unsaturated soil.

水浇地与旱地春小麦新型光谱曲线特征变量与叶绿素关系的对比研究

为了利用新型光谱曲线特征变量对水浇地与旱地春小麦叶绿素含量进行估算,测定水浇地与旱地春小麦冠层光谱、叶绿素含量、叶宽和苗高,并利用各地春小麦冠层光谱曲线"峰谷"存在差异的特点,通过分析光谱曲线特征变量与水浇地和旱地春小麦叶绿素含量的相关性,分别建立了水浇地和旱地春小麦叶绿素含量最佳估算模型并检验模型精度。结果表明:在723 nm、730 nm和736 nm前后,水浇地、阴坡地、阳坡和双面坡地春小麦原始光谱与叶绿素含量的相关性表现出完全相反的变化规律。在以上波段之前,相关系数为负,之后为正。各地春小麦叶绿素含量与绿边和黄边曲线变化速率及反射绿峰两边的夹角存在很好的相关性,与水浇地、阴坡地、阳坡和双面坡相关性最好的光谱曲线特征变量分别为K pv、K b和GPA1,相关系数均大于0.80。抛物线和线性模型是估测各地类春小麦叶绿素含量的最佳模型,模型R2均超过0.89,预测能力均大于92%。研究结果为以后利用高光谱信息监测小麦长势及产量提供了新思路和方法。

降温采暖负荷对华中电网日负荷特性的影响

本文采用有无对比分析法,对华中电网降温采暖负荷对华中电网日负荷特性的影响进行了定量分析。结论是:2000～2003年,降温负荷起着提高华中电网日负荷特性参数的作用;2004～2006年,降温负荷降低了华中电网日最小负荷率;冬季采暖负荷比重较低,起着降低冬季日负荷特性参数的作用。

基于LSTM的高校建筑电力负荷预测方法

提出一种基于长短时记忆网络(LSTM)的预测模型,以提高高校电力负荷预测的准确率。以某高校的电力负荷数据为研究对象,分析不同超参数的影响,确定最优的预测模型,并与常用的基于支持向量机(SVM)的负荷预测模型进行负荷预测对比。结果表明,本文提出的负荷预测模型平均绝对百分误差(MAPE)为:办公楼6.67%、科研楼4.32%、教学楼5.98%和宿舍4.57%,每类建筑均比基于SVM预测模型的MAPE低1.5%左右。

磁阻反应式有限转角电机特性分析

介绍了磁阻反应式有限转角电机的主要结构及工作原理。由于其独特的不对称结构,必须进行三维电磁场仿真分析。通过仿真,分别得到磁链、电感、转矩与电流和转子位置角的三维曲面图,建立相关数据库,并分析了电机的静态特性。根据非线性磁参数法,建立了电机的数学模型。将电机的磁化曲线数据ψ(i,θ)转变为i(θ,ψ)的形式,代入数学模型中。再采用四阶Runge-Kutta法和有限元法求解电压平衡方程和机械运动方程,得到线圈电流、转矩、转子位置角等参数的动态特性曲线。并进行了静态转矩和动态特性实验。将实验结果与仿真结果进行比较,结果证明了求解方法的正确性。

两种方法对土壤水分特征曲线的拟合及比较

土壤水分特征曲线是土壤水吸力与含水率之间的关系曲线。此次试验利用压力膜仪测定银川北部盐渍土的土壤水吸力和含水率。对土壤水分特征曲线的Van-Genuchten模型采用Matlab软件和Microsoft Excel软件进行拟合。经过比较和分析后发现,用Microsoft Excel软件与Matlab软件拟合土壤水分特征曲线精度近似相同,但是Microsoft Excel软件对于不懂任何编程语言的人来说操作更为简便。

Variations of suction and suction stress of unsaturated loess due to changes in lignin content and sample preparation method

Unsaturated loess in natural sites loses stability as the overburden load continuously increases.Traditional soil modifiers such as cement and fly ash affect the surrounding environment.A new type of material,i.e.,lignin,is environmentally friendly and able to increase the strength of loess.However,the engineering characteristics of the improved loess under unsaturated conditions are not yet clear.In this study,the soil-water characteristic curves(SWCCs)of lignin-improved loess samples were determined from 0 kPa to 700 kPa using a pressure plate instrument,and then,they were fitted using the van Genuchten(VG)model and the Fredlund and Xing(FX)model.In addition,the effects of the lignin content and sample preparation methods on the SWCCs were investigated to determine the optimal lignin content and a suitable sample preparation method for loess foundations.As the lignin content increases,the matric suction and residual water content of the improved loess increase.The suction stress increases with the increasing lignin contents of 1%–2%.At lignin contents of 3%–4%,the suction stress begins to decrease and the samples prepared using the slurry method has a lower suction stress than that prepared using the wet mixing method.The air entry value(AEV)increases with increasing lignin content.In addition,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)was used to investigate the microstructural variations.It was found that after the addition of lignin,the entrapment of the loess particles by the lignin fibers created some larger particles and smaller pore diameters,which in turn led to poor connectivity of the loess pores.These changes cause the matric suction of the modified loess to increase.

水轮机模型综合特性曲线数值处理方法研究

水轮机模型综合特性曲线的数值处理对水轮机选型、水电站优化运行及计算机仿真有着重要的作用。不同的数值处理方法得到的结果可能不同,各结果间的差别及反映的各参数间的相关关系的差异性可能造成水轮机实际运行和预估值间的不同,严重影响水轮机的安全和经济运行。为了比较不同数值处理方法的差异性及适用范围,以A858a-36.6型水轮机为例,对其模型综合特性曲线分别进行高阶曲面拟合法、三维空间曲面插值法及BP神经网络拟合法的数值处理,并以数据处理值和真实样本值间相对误差累加值的大小作为评判基准。结果表明:这3种方法均适用于水轮机模型综合特性曲线的数值处理,但高阶曲面拟合法精度差,适用于短时间内粗略求解各参数间相关关系;三维空间曲面插值法精度最高,适用于纯图像类型或可视化问题的数据处理;BP神经网络拟合法精度在二者之间,可作为三维空间曲面插值法的补充处理,样本容量越多其精度越高。

土壤水分特征曲线Van-Genuchten模型参数的土壤传输函数比选

基于黄土高原区多种土壤的水分特征曲线试验数据样本,建立了以土壤黏粒、土壤粉粒、干密度、有机质和盐分含量为输入变量,Van-Genuchten模型参数α与n为输出变量的非线性预报模型和灰色BP神经网络预报模型,在对两种模型误差参数α与n分别进行误差分析比较的基础上,对两种模型的预测结果进行了整体误差分析。结果表明:无论是参数α还是参数n,非线性模型的平均相对误差低于10%,综合精度平均相对误差为15.73%;灰色BP神经网络模型的预测精度的平均相对误差低于4%,综合精度平均相对误差为10.01%,灰色BP神经网络模型的预测精度都要比非线性模型的预测精度高,但灰色BP神经网络模型易出现过度拟合的情况。综合而言,两种模型均能实现Van-Genuchten模型参数α与n的预测,可根据具体情况选用其中一种以达到更好的预测效果。