Estimation of the initial shear modulus of unsaturated soil from soil-water characteristic curve
Zhai Q. Chen Y. Rahardjo H. Satyanaga A. Dai G. Gong W. Zhao X. Qian L.
5 May 2026Elsevier B.V.
Engineering Geology
2026#366
The initial shear modulus (G0) is a key engineering geological parameter that influences geohazards such as soil collapse and slope failure. G0 is affected by soil structure, mineral composition, and degree of saturation. In tropical and subtropical regions, residual soils near the ground surface commonly exist under unsaturated conditions, where G0 may vary significantly with changes in soil suction. Therefore, understanding the relationship between G0 and soil suction is crucial for geological and geotechnical engineering, particularly for small-strain deformation and ground response analysis. Although numerous mathematical models have been proposed to describe G0, most are empirical in nature. In this study, a new spring-based method is proposed to estimate the G0 of unsaturated soils based on the stiffness contributions of dry and wet soil fractions. The dry and wet fractions are assumed to be randomly distributed within the soil matrix, and a statistical approach is employed to evaluate the probability of connectivity between different fractions. The proposed method is validated using 45 sets of experimental data collected from 13 published studies. The results show good agreement between the predicted and measured G0 values across various soil types and conditions. Owing to its spring-based formulation, the proposed approach can be regarded as a physically informed empirical model for estimating the initial shear modulus of unsaturated soils.
Initial shear modulus , Natural disasters , Soil-water characteristic curve , spring model , Statistical method
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School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211189, China
Advanced Ocean institute of Southeast University, Southeast University, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226010, China
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Block N1, Nanyang Ave., Singapore, 639798, Singapore
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay Batyr Ave., 53, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Study Program of Environmental Engineering, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60115, Indonesia
China Construction (South Pacific) Development Co Pte Ltd, 182 Cecil Street, #31-01, Frasers Towers, 069547, Singapore
School of Civil Engineering
Advanced Ocean institute of Southeast University
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Study Program of Environmental Engineering
China Construction (South Pacific) Development Co Pte Ltd
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026