Abstract
This research presents a modified numerical simulation approach for predicting approximate values of unsaturated soil parameters with low water content. In order to understand how unsaturated soils behave and to create the soil–water characteristic curve, the suggested model attempts to predict the following parameters. First, the relationship between the water content and the matric suction in terms of particle separation distance. Secondly, the relationship between the effective stress parameter \(\chi\) and the filling angle \(\theta\) when the separation distance between soil particles is taken into account. Thirdly, the relationship between suction stress and filling angle \(\theta\), in terms of particle separation distance. Fourthly, the effect of particle separation distance on the curve of tensile strength in terms of the degree of saturation. The updated model assumes that all the particles are equally dispersed spheres of the same size. In this study, the updated model is exclusively applied to simple cubic packing order with zero contact angle. The model may also be used to predict matric suction, effective stress parameter, suction stress, and tensile strength while combining experimentally determined soil properties. This removes the requirement for sophisticated measuring devices or specific test procedures to illustrate how the separation distance affects the behavior of unsaturated soils. Compared to the experimental data, our model has shown positive results. In this paper, all curves have been programmed using MATLAB.
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Bencheikh, K., Messast, S. The Influence of Particle Separation Distance on the Behavior of Unsaturated Soils. Geotech Geol Eng 41, 1353–1370 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-022-02340-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-022-02340-1