Influence of Dry Density on Soil-Water Retention Curve of Unsaturated Soils and Its Mechanism Based on Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry

The soil-water retention curve(SWRC)can be used to evaluate the ability of unsaturated soils to attract water at various water contents and suctions. In this study, drying SWRCs for a kind of sandy soil were obtained in the laboratory by using self-modified SWRC apparatus. In addition, the porosity and the pore size distribution of the samples were investigated by a mercury porosimetry test in order to analyze the effect of dry density. Results showed that the soil-water retention of the soil specimens was strongly dependent on the dry density. Under zero suction, soil specimens with a higher dry density exhibited lower initial volumetric water content. The higher the dry density of soil, the more slowly the volumetric water content decreased with the increase of suction. There was a general and consistent trend for a soil specimen to possess a larger air-entry value and residual suction, while smaller slope of SWRC when it had a higher density. This was probably attributed to the presence of smaller interconnected pores in the soil specimen with a higher dry density. The proportion of large diameter pores decreased in comparison to pores with small diameters in the soil tested. The measured total pore volume of the soil specimen, which had a larger dry density, was lower than that of the relatively loose specimens.

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.

Shear strength of an unsaturated weakly expansive soil

To study the weakly expansive clay obtained from a slope along Wuhan—Shiyan expressway in Hubei Province,soil-water property tests and some unsaturated triaxial tests with suction control were conducted,and the soil-water retention curve（SWRC） and unsaturated shear strength of this soil were obtained.Results show that the air-entry suction and the residual degree of saturation of the tested soil are 106 kPa and 8%,respectively.The boundary effect zone and the transition zone can be identified on the desorption curve,but the residual zone is not so obvious.The unsaturated shear strength increases as suction increases within the range of controlled suction in the test,and friction angle,b,in the triaxial shear test is 17.6°.Based on the results,constitutive models for predicting the unsaturated shear strength using the SWRC were evaluated,and comparisons between prediction and measurement were made.It is concluded that for engineering purpose,the constitutive model should be carefully selected based on soil properties when predicting the unsaturated shear strength using the SWRC.

A Flexible Model for Moisture-Suction Relationship for Unsaturated Soils and Its Application

The mathematical equation for the moisture-suction relationship also known as soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) is one of the constitutive relations necessary for the computational modeling of deformation and flow problems of unsaturated soil using the finite element method. In this paper, a new empirical equa-tion for the SWCC is developed that incorporates the actual airentry suction and the maximum possible suction of the soil as input parameters. The capability of the new model is investigated by fitting the experimental data for twelve different soils that includes sands, silts, and clays. The model fits the experimental data well including in high suction range which is one of the difficulties observed in other commonly used models such as the Brooks and Corey, van Genuchten, and Fredlund and Xing models. The numerical stability and the performance of the new model at low and high degrees of saturations in finite element simulation are investigated by simulating the dynamic response of a compacted embankment and the results are compared with similar predictions made using widely used SWCC models.

Matrix Suction of Unsaturated Colluvium Slope Influenced by Rainfall and Plant Condition:A Case of Taiwan Huafan University

This study investigates the variation of matrix suction, water content and ground water level before and after the rainfall for the unsaturated colluvium slope in the campus of Fuafan University. The measuring devices including electrical matrix suction, water content and ground water level were set up in different surface of planting condition for each depth in real-time. It is observed that the matrix suction in the time from July to September is higher; however, when heavy rains caused by typhoon happened, matrix suction will drop rapidly. This variation is obvious in short grass zone and less clear in the broadleaftree zone. The maximum value in short grass zone, long grass zone and broadieaf tree zone at 2 m depth are 90.3, 68.2, 18.5 kPa, respectively. These results are expected to serve as a reference for the study of slope stability mechanisms.

A Statistical Model for the Relative Hydraulic Conductivity of Water Phase in Unsaturated Soils

Permeability coefficients of fluids occupying the pore space of a porous medium have significant influence on the flow of these fluids through the porous medium. In the case of unsaturated soils, in addition to other parameters such as void ratio, void distribution, particle size distribution and initial density the degree of saturation also affects the permeability coefficient of water. The degree of saturation, in unsaturated soil, is directly related to the matric suction of the soil through soil water characteristic curve. Matric suction is one of the two stress state variables widely used to characterize the deformation behavior of unsaturated soils. Therefore, it can be stated that both flow and deformation behaviors of unsaturated soil are affected by the permeability coefficient of water. Numerical modeling of coupled deformation-flow behavior of unsaturated soil requires a mathematical equation that relates the permeability coefficient to the degree of saturation. Since the parameters that affect the permeability coefficient of water in unsaturated soil have similar direct or indirect effects on the soil water characteristic curve, permeability can be effectively predicted using the soil water characteristic curve as done in statistical models. In this paper, a statistical model is proposed for the permeability of water in unsaturated soil using soil water characteristic curve of the soil. The calibrated parameters of the soil water characteristic curve are directly used in the prediction of permeability with- out additional calibration using measured permeability data. The predictive capability of the new equation is verified by matching the measured data of eight different soils found in the literature.

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.

基于平原区野外观测的土壤水分特征曲线推求与应用

为研究湿润平原区非饱和带土壤水分特征曲线以及土壤水分运动规律,探究其对区域水循环过程的影响,本研究在我国太湖流域平原区金坛野外试验基地进行了降雨量、蒸发量、土壤含水量、水势、地下水埋深等连续监测。基于水文数据深入分析了土壤水动态变化,结果表明地表以下0~0.4 m深度的土层是土壤水分变化最频繁剧烈的地带。采用VG模型反演出基于野外实测数据的土壤水分特征曲线(SWCC)参数并与实验室得到结果相对比,并利用反演得到的土壤水分特征曲线对典型降水事件进行数值模拟。研究表明基于野外数据的土壤水运动模拟效果更优,较好地验证了野外观测曲线模型的精度与可靠性,为太湖流域平原区土壤水运动和产流计算提供了可靠的理论依据。

银川北部平原土壤水分运动状态类型及水盐运移机理研究

根据银北平原江南村盐碱地改良试验工作中取得的包气带-地下水系统的土壤水势、土壤含水量、土壤溶液浓度、土壤含盐量、潜水埋深等动态资料,分析研究了试验区土壤水分运移基本类型及水盐运移机理。结果表明,在试验区内,种植区的土壤水盐运移主要受灌溉和蒸发的制约,土壤水盐运移特征呈灌溉-蒸发型,荒地区的土壤水盐运移主要受降水和蒸发的制约,土壤水盐运移特征呈降水-蒸发型。在此基础上,重点分析了种植区在一个年度内的2个大的脱盐阶段和2个大的积盐阶段的土壤水盐运移机理,即春灌前、灌期、秋季和冬灌等阶段水盐运移机理及荒地土壤水盐运移机理。

蓄水和蒸发条件下土壤过渡层中水盐运移规律研究

在国内外有关土壤水盐运移规律研究成果的基础上,应用陕西省卤泊滩综合治理和谐生态模式,分析了在蓄水和蒸发条件下,土壤饱和层与非饱和层之间的过渡层中盐分变化规律以及对土壤饱和层和非饱和层盐分的影响。针对3组不同初始条件,分别开展了室内试验和数值模拟。结果表明,在地下水位基本稳定情况下,土壤非饱和层与饱和层之间存在一个10～20cm的过渡层。在蒸发条件下,由于土壤毛管的水分蒸发作用的最低范围在过渡层内,所以过渡层有隔离下层盐分作用。如果土壤非饱和层含盐量高,蒸发可能呈返盐;如果土壤非饱和层含盐量不高,但过渡层含盐量高,蒸发也可能呈返盐;过渡层如果含盐量低,蒸发返盐的可能性很小;但过渡层以下的饱和层盐分,不管含盐量高低,均处于相对稳定状态。过渡层对下层高含盐的隔离作用显著。

一维垂向非饱和土壤水分运动的数值模拟——以长白山北坡山地棕色针叶林土为例

以土壤水分运动基本方程为依据,根据长白山北坡山地棕色针叶林土的实际土壤层结构,建立了该地区一维垂向非饱和土壤水分运动数学模型,并推导了该模型的数值离散方程,编制了用于该模型数值模拟的计算程序.最后通过数值模拟对模型进行验证.结果表明,模拟值与实测值能够较好吻合.

入渗、再分布和蒸发条件下一维土壤水运动的数值模拟

采用数值法求解非饱和土壤水分运动的Richards方程可采用不同的初始和边界条件,实现复杂条件下水分运动过程的预测。在确定入渗、再分布及蒸发的初始和边界条件基础上,采用隐式差分格式列出差分方程,对垂直一维积水入渗、半无限土体再分布及半无限土体裸土蒸发的水分运动过程进行数值模拟,模拟结果与实测资料的比较表明,就入渗湿润锋、累积入渗量的时间变化趋势及入渗、再分布和蒸发的土壤含水率剖面而言,其实测值与计算值比较符合,说明采用的算法、水分特征曲线模型和其它参数都是合理的,该方法可用来描述水分运动特征。

非饱和土壤水分一维运动的数值模拟

以土壤水动力学原理为基础,利用有限差分法,建立了垂直方向上非饱和土壤水分一维运动的数值模型,用以模拟均质土壤在不同初始与边界条件下的水分运动。程序使用面向对象编程的VisualBasic高级程序设计语言编写,并通过验证。该模型可以模拟降水和灌溉入渗以及蒸发条件下的土壤水分在垂直剖面上的分布情况。

基于HYDRUS-1D模拟的变水头入渗条件下VG模型参数敏感性分析

采用单因素扰动分析法,分别对土壤水力参数残余含水量θr、饱和含水量θs、饱和导水率Ks、经验参数α和n进行扰动,选用HYDRUS-1D模型模拟南京市区2年一遇降雨条件下土壤水分入渗过程,分析变水头入渗条件下各土壤水力参数的敏感性,定量描述土壤水力参数变化对HYDRUS-1D输出变量土水势和累积入渗量的影响,简化后续模型率定工作,提高模型模拟精度。结果表明:在变水头入渗条件下,5个参数对土水势与累积入渗量敏感性排序均为n>Ks>θs>α>θr,其中α和n对于地表0～10 cm附近的土水势影响较大,Ks与θr,以及θs与α对土水势影响规律类似;±25%扰动情况下,θs、Ks与n三者对累积入渗量的影响均大于10%。因此,在进行变水头入渗条件下模拟计算中应保证Ks、θs、α和n参数的准确性。

竖直微润灌土壤水分运动数值模拟与验证

为进一步认识微润灌土壤水分运动规律,进而指导微润灌工程设计,依据非饱和土壤水分运动理论,建立了竖直微润灌土壤水分运动模型,并用SWMS-2D软件进行求解。通过室内试验,对单位长度微润管入渗量、土壤湿润锋运移值和土壤剖面含水率等指标的模拟值进行分析验证。结果表明,模拟值与实测值一致性较好,所建模型能比较真实地反映竖直微润灌土壤水分运动的状况,利用SWMS-2D软件对竖直微润灌土壤水分运动进行模拟具有可行性。

非饱和土壤水运动模型参数优选方法研究

针对数值反演过程中参数优选方法适用性不明确的问题,研究最小化目标函数、带有自适应差分演化Metropolis的马尔可夫链蒙特卡罗方法(MCMC-DREAM)对数值反演效果的影响,为探索高效的参数优选方法提供参考。数值算例反演结果表明:最小化目标函数方法计算复杂度较低,但对参数初值敏感,适合于对目标区域土壤有较为深入了解的场合使用;MCMC-DREAM对参数初值不敏感,但计算复杂度较高,适合于先验信息有限的场合使用。两种参数优选方法都存在"异参同效"现象,先验信息与敏感性分析有助于克服该问题,提高数值反演解决实际问题的能力。

垂直一维非饱和土壤水分运动代数模型在土石混合介质中的适用性研究

利用一维垂直入渗试验研究垂直一维非饱和土壤水分运动代数模型在土石混合介质中适用性。采用碎石粒径2~5mm和4组不同碎石含量下的土石混合介质,根据实测的土壤水分入渗特征量,推求出模型参数,再依据模型参数模拟水分入渗过程。对模拟入渗过程与实际入渗过程进行对比分析,两者之间的相对误差在6%以内,精度较高。说明垂直一维非饱和土壤水分运动代数模型在土石混合介质中具有一定的适用性。

非饱和土壤水分运动参数空间变异特性的统计分析

非饱和土壤水分运动参数的空间变异规律是大区域参数估计的基础。分析秦王川灌区土壤物理性质及水分运动参数空间变异的统计规律。特征曲线与导水率标定系数具有对数正态分布 ,且与干容重和物理性粘粒含量P0 .0 1 呈直线相关。 F检验结果 ,相关达到显著水平。

引黄灌区包气带土壤水分运移及对地下水的补给

为了揭示干旱区灌区包气带水分运移规律及其对地下水的补给机制,以银川平原永宁灌区试验区为例,原位监测降雨、土壤水和地下水,采用零通量面法计算包气带的水量平衡,定量评估了土壤水与地下水的补给量。结果表明:(1)活跃层、次活跃层受降雨/灌溉水入渗、蒸发的影响最为明显。地下水受渠系渗漏影响7月初埋深最小,4月末和11月初埋深最大。(2)活跃层和次活跃层含水量增幅、初始入渗速率、持续时间和总渗漏量在灌溉模式均大于降雨模式,土壤蒸发量在两种模式下则表现相反。在灌溉量减少的情况下,由于地下水位抬升,深层渗漏量基本不变,但持续渗漏的时间增长。(3)研究时段土壤储水量增加了0.3 mm,入渗量为633.3 mm,蒸发量为285.6 mm,深层渗漏补给地下水量为434.4 mm,地下水补给土壤水为87.0 mm。包气带土壤水受持续降雨模式、灌溉模式和地下水位波动的影响,灌溉补给地下水占入渗量的68%,需要优化灌溉模式,提高灌溉水的利用效率。