Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wetting and Drying, Effect on Soil Physical Properties

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Agrophysics

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definitions

Wetting is defined as the process leading to increase in water content of an unsaturated soil upon ingress of water.

Drying is defined as the process leading to reduction in water content and degree of saturation of a soil due to evaporation or evapotranspiration.

Introduction

Residual soils often exist where the climate is characterized by alternate wet and dry seasons. During dry period, the soil zone located above the water table and near the ground surface (up to depths of 6 m or more) begins to dry out with concomitant reduction in degree of saturation (S r) in the soil mass. The loss in water by evaporation causes water to flow from the deeper regions of the soil mass toward the surface by capillary action. During drying process, capillary menisci form between adjacent soil particles at the air-water interface, with the pore water pressure (u w) in the convex inner side being lower than the atmospheric pressure (u a) on the concave outer side of the menisci (Yong and...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 449.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • Allam, M. M., 1977. Shear Strength and Volume Change Behaviour of Desiccated Soils. Ph.D. dissertation. Bangalore, India: Indian Institute of Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allam, M. M., and Sridharan, A., 1981. Effect of repeated wetting and drying on shear strength. Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 107, 121–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allam, M. M., and Sridharan, A., 1984. Shear strength behaviour of desiccated soils. Indian Geotechnical Journal, 14, 40–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Homoud, A. S., Basma, A. A., Husein Malkawi, A. J., and al Bashabsheh, M. A., 1995. Cyclic swelling behavior of clays. Journal Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 121, 562–565.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, F. G., 1993. Engineering Treatment of Soils. London: E & FN Spon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, A. W., and Blight, G. E., 1963. Some aspects of effective stress in saturated and unsaturated soils. Geotechnique, 13, 177–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blight, G. E., 1966. Strength characteristics of desiccated clays. Journal of Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, Proceedings of the ASCE, 92, 19–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brand, E. W., 1982. Analysis and design in residual soils. Proceedings of the ASCE Geotechnical Conference, Engineering and Construction in Tropical and Residual Soils, Honolulu: ASCE, pp. 89–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burland, J. B., 1961. Discussion on collapsible soils. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Paris, Vol. 3, pp. 219–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, F. H., 1988. Foundation on Expansive Soils. New York: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, F. H., and Ma, G. S., 1987. Swelling and shrinkage behavior of expansive clays, Proceedings 6th International Conference on Expansive Soils, New Delhi, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Vol. 1, pp. 127–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu, T. Y., and Mou, C. H., 1973. Volume change characteristics of expansive soils determined by controlled suction tests. Proceedings 3rd International Conference on Expansive Soils, Haifa, Isreal, Jerusalem: Academic press, Vol. 1, pp. 177–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, R. W., 1994. Swell-shrink behavior of compacted clay. Journal Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 120, 618–623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dif, A. E., and Bluemel, W. F., 1991. Expansive soils under cyclic drying and wetting. ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, 14, 96–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrin, M., and Mitchell, H., 1961. Lime-soil mixtures. Highway Research Board Bulletin, 304, 99–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ho, D. F. Y., and Fredlund, D. J., 1982. Increase in shear strength due to suction in two Hong Kong soils, tropical and residual soils. Proceedings of the ASCE Geotechnical Conference, Reston, VA: ASCE, pp. 263–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredlund, D. G., and Rahardjo, H., 1993. Soil Mechanics for Unsaturated Soils. New York: John, Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, K., 1974. The composition of some Australian laterites and lateritic gravel. Proceedings 2nd International Congress of the International Association of Engineering Geology, pp. IV-32.1–IV-32.15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, J. E., and Burland, J. B., 1962. Limitations to the use of effective stress in partly saturated soils. Geotechnique, 12, 125–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, N., and Likos, W. J., 2004. Unsaturated Soil Mechanics. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osipov, V. I., Bik, N. N., and Rumjantseva, N. A., 1987. Cyclic swelling of clays. Applied Clay Science, 2, 363–374.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Popescu, M., 1980. Behavior of expansive soils with crumb structure. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Expansive Soils, Denver, New York: ASCE, Vol. 1, pp. 158–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popescu, M. E., 1986. A comparison between the behaviour of swelling and collapsing soils. Engineering Geology, 23, 145–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, S. M., and Revanasiddappa, K., 2006. Influence of cyclic wetting drying on collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 24, 725–734.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, S. M., Reddy, B. V. V., and Muttharam, M., 2001. The impact of cyclic wetting and drying on the swelling behaviour of stabilized expansive soils. Engineering Geology, 60, 223–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sridharan, A., and Allam, M. M., 1982. Volume change behaviour of desiccated soils. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, 108, 1057–1071.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subba Rao, K. S., Rao, S. M., and Gangadhara, S., 1998. Band width of vertical movement of expansive soils. Proceedings Indian Geotechnical Conference, 1, 71–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subba Rao, K. S., and Satyadas, C. G., 1987. Swelling potential with cycles of swelling and partial shrinkage. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Expansive Soils, New Delhi, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Vol. 1, pp. 137–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subba Rao, K. S., Rao, S. M., and Gangadhara, S., 2000. Swelling behaviour of a desiccated clay. ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, 23, 193–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yong, R. N., and Warkentin, B. P., 1975. Soil Properties and Behaviour. New York: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India

    Sudhakar M. Rao

Authors
  1. Sudhakar M. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sudhakar M. Rao .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lublin, Poland

    Jan Gliński , Józef Horabik  & Jerzy Lipiec ,  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this entry

Cite this entry

Rao, S.M. (2011). Wetting and Drying, Effect on Soil Physical Properties. In: Gliński, J., Horabik, J., Lipiec, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Agrophysics. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3585-1_189

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation