Estimation of Unsaturated Soil Property Functions for Geotechnical Engineering Applications

M Fredlund

In the proceedings of: GeoVancouver 2016: 69th Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Session: FUNDAMENTALS - VIII Physical & Numerical Modelling

ABSTRACT: This paper illustrates the calculations necessary for the estimation of hydraulic unsaturated soil property functions for geotechnical engineering applications. A single set of soil properties are used to illustrate the importance of separating volume change behaviour and desaturation behavior of a soil when estimating unsaturated soil property functions. The improved estimation procedures are based on the measurement of gravimetric water content versus soil suction curve along with the shrinkage curve of a soil. The recently released software package called SVSOILSTM is used to illustrate the variety of possible volume-mass graphs that can be computed and used to illustrate the interpretation of the laboratory results. The analysis leads to the estimation of the hydraulic conductivity function for the unsaturated soil.

RÉSUMÉ: Cet article illustre les calculs nécessaires pour l'évaluation des fonctions insaturées hydrauliques de propriété de sol, USPFs, pour des applications géotechniques d'ingénierie. Une série unique depropriétés de sol sont employées pour illustrer l'importance du comportement de changement devolume de séparation et du comportement dedésaturation d'un sol en estimant USPFs. Les procédures améliorées d'évaluation sont baséessur la mesure de la teneur en eau gravimétriquecontre la courbe d'aspiration de sol (w-SWCC)avec la courbe de rétrécissement, (SC), d'un sol. Le progiciel récemment libéré SVSOILSTM appelé est employé pour illustrer la variété de graphiquespossibles de la volume-masse qui peuvent être calculés, tracés et employés pour illustrer l'interprétation des résultats de laboratoire. L'analyse mène à l'évaluation de la function hydraulique de conductivité pour le sol insaturé.

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Cite this article:
M Fredlund (2016) Estimation of Unsaturated Soil Property Functions for Geotechnical Engineering Applications in GEO2016. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{3745_0531084316,author = M Fredlund,title = Estimation of Unsaturated Soil Property Functions for Geotechnical Engineering Applications,year = 2016}