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A developed capillary tube model for suffossion susceptibility of non-cohesive soils

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Abstract

Pore geometrical models are widely used to study transport in porous media, permeability, internal stability, and filter compatibility. Transport of fine grains through the voids between the skeleton of the coarser fraction is mainly controlled by the pore throats or constriction sizes. This study compares various constriction size distribution criteria and capillary tube models, which elucidate the limitations of the Kovacs capillary tube model, and this model is explained and developed. The new proposed threshold boundaries (\({\mathrm{d}}_{0}= \mathrm{2} {\mathrm{.3d}}_{85}^{\mathrm{f}}\) and \({\mathrm{d}}_{0}= \mathrm{2} {\mathrm{.8d}}_{85}^{\mathrm{f}}\)) categorized soil samples as internally stable, transient zone, or unstable. The model also incorporates the precise shape coefficient of particles. This improved model was validated based on a database from the literature, as well as performing 10 new experimental tests on two ideal gradation curves that identified the threshold boundary of Kenney and Lau criteria. This proposed model, which is dependent on grading, porosity, and grain shape, provides accurate predictions using a precise shape factor. This finding may enhance our knowledge about transport in porous media and contribute toward internal stability assessing for practical applications.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

PSD/GSD:

Particle/grain size distribution

D x, d x :

Grain size that X percent is finer than it

D :

Particle size (mm)

\({D}_{avg}\) :

Average grain size of the PSD curve

f :

Finer fraction

f i :

Percentage of grains that are finer from i or at i fragment

n :

Porosity

SSA or \(S_{0}\) :

Specific surface area in \({1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 m}} \right. \kern-0pt} m}\) or \({{m^{2} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{m^{2} } g}} \right. \kern-0pt} g}\)

\({\upalpha }\), SF :

Shape factor, shape coefficient

\(D_{eff} ,\,{\mathrm{D}}_{{\mathrm{h}}}\) :

Effective grain size

\(d_{2}\) :

Maximum pores diameter

\({\varphi }_{ic}\) :

Inscribed-circumscribed sphere ratio

CSD:

Constriction size distribution

F, F d :

Percentage finer than D, mass passing

H :

Mass fraction between diameter D and 4D, mass increment

\({D}_{i}\) :

The size of the grain that i percent is finer

\({\mathrm{D}}_{85}{\prime}\),\({\mathrm{D}}_{85}^{{\mathrm{f}}}\) :

Grain size commensurate 85% in the finer fraction

\({\mathrm{n}}_{c}\) :

Porosity of the coarser fraction

\({\mathrm{d}}_{cont.}\) :

Controlling constriction size

R d :

Relative density

\({D}_{eff}^{C}\), \({D}_{h}^{C}\) :

Effective particle diameter of the coarser fraction

\(d_{1}\) :

Minimum pore diameter

\(d_{0}\) :

Mean pores diameter

\({\mathrm{\varphi }}_{{\mathrm{s}}}\) :

True sphericity

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Acknowledgements

The authors truthfully appreciate the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1658953571, Iran

    Ali Maroof, Ahmad Mahboubi & Mojtaba Hassani

  2. Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36, Av Guy de Collongue, 69134, Ecully, France

    Eric Vincens

Authors
  1. Ali Maroof
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  2. Ahmad Mahboubi
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  3. Eric Vincens
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  4. Mojtaba Hassani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ahmad Mahboubi.

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Maroof, A., Mahboubi, A., Vincens, E. et al. A developed capillary tube model for suffossion susceptibility of non-cohesive soils. Bull Eng Geol Environ 83, 17 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03515-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03515-7

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