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Pore Water Distribution in Unsaturated Soil

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Abstract

Pore water is closely related to engineering properties of soil, such as shear strength, deformation and permeability. However, the distribution of pore water in unsaturated soil is still unclear, which limits the theoretical development and engineering application of the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC). The SWCC and T2 curve under different matric suction (0, 20, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1400 kPa) were measured during the drying process of soil; the conversion relationship between T2 and pore radius r was determined; the distribution characteristic of pore water in unsaturated soil was further analyzed. The results indicated that the T2 curve well described the pore information because of its good consistency with MIP test result. It was feasible to simulate the drying process of soil by using capillary drainage model, and the water filling degree of capillary corresponded to the saturation of soil. The saturated pores, unsaturated pores and dry pores were observed at the same time in unsaturated soil when the suction exceeded the air entry value. Pore water distribution curve based on T2 accurately described the distribution characteristic of pore water, which applied the NMR technology innovatively to the pore research of unsaturated soil. The results achieved in this study provided a valuable reference for revealing the internal mechanism of SWCC and establishing mechanical model of unsaturated soil based on pore water distribution.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for this study was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51169005). The support is greatly appreciated. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering for the help on tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guizhou Survey and Design Research Institute for Water Resources and Hydropower, No. 27 Baoshan Road, Guiyang, 550001, China

    Jun-gui Dong, Jiang Xu & Guo-xing Xiang

  2. School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, No. 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou, 510641, China

    Jun-gui Dong

  3. School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering, Wuhan University, No. 8 Hunan Road, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Guo-xing Xiang

Authors
  1. Jun-gui Dong
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  2. Jiang Xu
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  3. Guo-xing Xiang
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Correspondence to Jun-gui Dong or Guo-xing Xiang.

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The funding was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51169005).

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The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest to the submission entitled "Pore water distribution in unsaturated soil."

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Dong, Jg., Xu, J. & Xiang, Gx. Pore Water Distribution in Unsaturated Soil. Indian Geotech J 53, 291–299 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40098-022-00672-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40098-022-00672-6

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