A pore-water distribution model for the estimation of the hydraulic conductivity of stiff unsaturated soil during the wetting process
Zhu Y. Dai G. Zhai Q. Rahardjo H. Satyanaga A. Gong W. Qian L. Shen C.Y.
2025Canadian Science Publishing
Canadian Geotechnical Journal
2025#62
It is noted that not only the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) exhibits hysteresis in the drying and wetting processes, but the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soil also shows a similar characteristic. The experimental measurements of the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soil either in the drying or wetting process are commonly time-consuming and costly. Therefore, the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soil is commonly determined by using the indirect method. In the previous studies, the drying hydraulic conductivity function (HCFd ) is commonly estimated from the drying SWCC based on the concept of the pore-size distribution. In this study, a new pore-water distribution-based model was proposed to estimate the wetting hydraulic conductivity function (HCFw ) of unsaturated soil. In the proposed model, several factors such as the “rain-drop” effect, “ink-bottle” effect, and entrapped air that may lead to the hysteresis of SWCC were incorporated in the computation of the pore-water distribution in soil during the wetting process. Subsequently, the statistical method was adopted to compute the effective area that allows water flow in an unsaturated soil based on the information of pore-water distribution in the soil. Consequently, a new pore-water distribution-based model was proposed to estimate the HCFw of unsaturated soil. The proposed model shows good agreement with the experimental data from various published literatures.
domain model , pore-water distribution , soil–water characteristic curve , statistical method , wetting hydraulic conductivity function
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School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 211189, China
Advanced Ocean institute of Southeast University, Southeast University, Jiangsu, Nantong, 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
Research Center of Environmental Technology and Innovation, 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
Hocklim Engineering Pte Ltd, Singapore
School of Civil Engineering
Advanced Ocean institute of Southeast University
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Center of Environmental Technology and Innovation
China Construction (South Pacific) Development Co Pte Ltd
Hocklim Engineering Pte Ltd
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