scholarly journals Numerical Modeling of Unsaturated Soils Problems

2016 ◽  
pp. 97-109
Author(s):  
Murray D. Fredlund
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Numerical Modeling ◽  
Numerical Solution ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Soil Property ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Thermal Flux ◽  
Solution Technique ◽  
Estimation Procedures

Numerical modeling (finite element analyses) of saturated-unsaturated soils problems generally involves the solution of linear or nonlinear partial differential equations, PDEs. The soil properties for unsaturated soils usually take on a functional form that subsequently requires an iterative procedure to obtain a solution. Special numerical solution techniques are helpful (and in some cases necessary) in order to have confidence that the results of the numerical solution are accurate. The dynamic upgrade of the finite element mesh (and time steps) during the iterative solution process have proven to be of significant value in ensuring the proper convergence of the numerical solution. The unsaturated soil property functions are usually obtained through use of estimation procedures based on the measurement of the soil-water characteristic curve, SWCC. One or more estimation procedures have been proposed in the research literature for soil property functions for each physical process of interest in unsaturated soil mechanics. The numerical modeller must be aware of the relationship between the estimated soil property functions and the solution technique. Boundary conditions required when solving unsaturated soils problems often involve the assessment of moisture and thermal flux conditions computed from meteorological records. There are conditions and requirements that must be quantifiable when solving unsaturated soils problems. The estimation of the unsaturated soil property functions makes the solution of unsaturated soils problems more complex than those of saturated soils.

Method for Quick Prediction of Hydraulic Conductivity and Soil-Water Retention of Unsaturated Soils

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (52) ◽  
pp. 108-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaoyang Dong ◽  
Yuan Guo ◽  
Xiong (Bill) Yu
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Soil Water Retention

Hydraulic conductivity and soil-water retention are two critical soil properties describing the fluid flow in unsaturated soils. Existing experimental procedures tend to be time consuming and labor intensive. This paper describes a heuristic approach that combines a limited number of experimental measurements with a computational model with random finite element to significantly accelerate the process. A microstructure-based model is established to describe unsaturated soils with distribution of phases based on their respective volumetric contents. The model is converted into a finite element model, in which the intrinsic hydraulic properties of each phase (soil particle, water, and air) are applied based on the microscopic structures. The bulk hydraulic properties are then determined based on discharge rate using Darcy’s law. The intrinsic permeability of each phase of soil is first calibrated from soil measured under dry and saturated conditions, which is then used to predict the hydraulic conductivities at different extents of saturation. The results match the experimental data closely. Mualem’s equation is applied to fit the pore size parameter based on the hydraulic conductivity. From these, the soil-water characteristic curve is predicted from van Genuchten’s equation. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results from documented studies, and excellent agreements were observed. Overall, this study provides a new modeling-based approach to predict the hydraulic conductivity function and soil-water characteristic curve of unsaturated soils based on measurement at complete dry or completely saturated conditions. An efficient way to measure these critical unsaturated soil properties will be of benefit in introducing unsaturated soil mechanics into engineering practice.

Protocol for the assessment of unsaturated soil properties in geotechnical engineering practice

2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delwyn G. Fredlund ◽  
Sandra L. Houston
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Soil Property ◽  
Unsaturated Flow ◽  
Soil Mechanics ◽  
Geotechnical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Engineering Project ◽  
Estimation Procedures

The implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics into routine geotechnical engineering practice requires an evaluation of methodologies that may be used for the assessment of “unsaturated soil property functions.” Guidelines and recommendations need to be provided to practicing engineers. The guidelines need to take the form of “engineering protocols” that define acceptable standards for engineering practice. “Engineering protocols” for unsaturated soils engineering practice can be divided into “preliminary design” protocols and “final design” protocols. Both design levels involve the use of a variety of estimation procedures that have been proposed for various classes of geotechnical problems (e.g., unsaturated flow, shear strength, volume change, and distortion). The hierarchy in methodologies is based mainly on the costs and risks associated with a particular engineering project. In this paper, “hierarchical levels” are suggested that take into consideration the cost of various direct and indirect methodologies for the determination of unsaturated soil properties. Recommendations and suggestions are provided for methods for the determination and use of the soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) and consequently, for the computation of unsaturated soil property functions (USPFs). Primary attention is given to estimation procedures best known to the authors and most appropriate for geotechnical engineering practice.

The 1999 R.M. Hardy Lecture: The implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics into geotechnical engineering

2000 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 963-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delwyn G Fredlund
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Soil Property ◽  
Soil Mechanics ◽  
Geotechnical Engineering ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Soil Water Characteristic Curve ◽  
Unsaturated Soil Mechanics

The implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics into geotechnical engineering practice requires that there be a paradigm shift from classical soil mechanics methodology. The primary drawback to implementation has been the excessive costs required to experimentally measure unsaturated soil properties. The use of the soil-water characteristic curve has been shown to be the key to the implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics. Numerous techniques have been proposed and studied for the assessment of the soil-water characteristic curves. These techniques range from direct laboratory measurement to indirect estimation from grain-size curves and knowledge-based database systems. The soil-water characteristic curve can then be used for the estimation of unsaturated soil property functions. Theoretically based techniques have been proposed for the estimation of soil property functions such as (i) coefficient of permeability, (ii) water storage modulus, and (iii) shear strength. Gradually these estimations are producing acceptable procedures for geotechnical engineering practices for unsaturated soils. The moisture flux ground surface boundary condition is likewise becoming a part of the solution of most problems involving unsaturated soils. The implementation process for unsaturated soils will still require years of collaboration between researchers and practicing geotechnical engineers.Key words: unsaturated soil mechanics, soil suction, unsaturated soil property functions, negative pore-water pressure, matric suction, soil-water characteristic curve.

Soil Strength Reduction Method Induced by Variation of Water Content

2012 ◽  
Vol 170-173 ◽  
pp. 847-852
Author(s):  
Peng Ming Jiang ◽  
Zhong Lei Yan ◽  
Peng Li
Keyword(s):  
Slope Stability ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Strength Reduction ◽  
Actual State ◽  
Soil Slope ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Stability

As the complexity of unsaturated soil theory, and it must have a long test period when we study the unsaturated soils, so the conventional design analysis software does not provide such analysis, so we can imagine that such a slope stability analysis does not accurately reflect the actual state of the slope. Based on the known soil moisture content，this paper use the soil water characteristic curve and strength theory of unsaturated soil to calculate the strength reduction parameters of soil which can calculate the stability of the soil slope when using the common calculation method. It is noticeable that this method can be extended and applied if we establish regional databases for this simple method, and these databases can improve the accuracy of the calculation of slope stability.

A UNIFIED FRACTAL MODEL FOR PERMEABILITY COEFFICIENT OF UNSATURATED SOIL

Fractals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (01) ◽  
pp. 1940012 ◽  
Author(s):  
GAOLIANG TAO ◽  
XIAOKANG WU ◽  
HENGLIN XIAO ◽  
QINGSHENG CHEN ◽  
JIANCHAO CAI
Keyword(s):  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Permeability Coefficient ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Fractal Theory ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Fractal Model ◽  
Computational Effort ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Mechanical Coupling

Due to the significant challenges in the measurements, evaluation of permeability coefficient for unsaturated soil is of immense importance for investigating the seepage and hydro-mechanical coupling problems of unsaturated soil. However, the predictions of existing typical models reveal significance divergence for permeability coefficient of unsaturated soils even under identical conditions. In particular, the existing models are greatly restricted in their practical application due to their complexity in the form of integral expressions that require significant computational effort. Here, a simplified unified model is presented to estimate the relative permeability coefficient. First, a fractal-form of soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) is derived from fractal theory. Then, on the basis of the proposed SWCC models, the classical models (i.e. Childs and Collis-George (CCG) model, Burdine model, Mualem model and Tao and Kong model, respectively) for evaluating the permeability coefficient of unsaturated soil are converted to be presented in fractal forms. It is interestingly found that the fractal forms of these models are enormously similar. Based on these observations, a simplified unified fractal model for the relative permeability coefficient of unsaturated soil is proposed, where only two parameters (i.e. fractal dimension and air-entry value) are included, thereby significantly reducing the computational efforts. The detailed procedure for determining model parameters is elaborated. The accuracy of this model is verified by comparing its predictions with the experimental data for over 12 types of unsaturated soils. The results highlight that, compared with existing models, the proposed model would be much more efficiently used for estimating the relative permeability coefficient of unsaturated soils, thereby facilitating its application for investigating the associated seepage and hydro-mechanical coupling problems in practice.

Model for the prediction of shear strength with respect to soil suction

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
S K Vanapalli ◽  
D G Fredlund ◽  
D E Pufahl ◽  
A W Clifton
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Matric Suction ◽  
Glacial Till ◽  
Soil Suction ◽  
Soil Water Characteristic Curve

Experimental studies on unsaturated soils are generally costly, time-consuming, and difficult to conduct. Shear strength data from the research literature suggests that there is a nonlinear increase in strength as the soil desaturates as a result of an increase in matric suction. Since the shear strength of an unsaturated soil is strongly related to the amount of water in the voids of the soil, and therefore to matric suction, it is postulated that the shear strength of an unsaturated soil should also bear a relationship to the soil-water characteristic curve. This paper describes the relationship between the soil-water characteristic curve and the shear strength of an unsaturated soil with respect to matric suction. Am empirical, analytical model is developed to predict the shear strength in terms of soil suction. The formulation makes use of the soil-water characteristic curve and the saturated shear strength parameters. The results of the model developed for predicting the shear strength are compared with experimental results for a glacial till. The shear strength of statically compacted glacial till specimens was measured using a modified direct shear apparatus. Specimens were prepared at three different water contents and densities (i.e., corresponding to dry of optimum, and wet of optimum conditions). Various net normal stresses and matric suctions were applied to the specimens. There is a good correlation between the predicted and measured values of shear strength for the unsaturated soil. Key words: soil-water characteristic curve, shear strength, unsaturated soil, soil suction, matric suction.

Volume–mass unsaturated soil constitutive model for drying–wetting under isotropic loading–unloading conditions

2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung Q. Pham ◽  
Delwyn G. Fredlund
Keyword(s):  
Constitutive Model ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Degree Of Saturation ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Constitutive Relationships ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Wide Range

A rigorous volume–mass constitutive model is proposed for the representation of drying–wetting under isotropic loading–unloading conditions for unsaturated soils. The proposed model utilizes concepts arising from soil physics and geotechnical engineering research and requires readily obtainable soils data for soil properties. The model can be used to predict void ratio and water content constitutive relationships (and therefore degree of saturation) for a wide range of unsaturated soils. Various stress paths (i.e., loading–unloading and drying–wetting) can be simulated, and hysteresis associated with the soil-water characteristic curve is taken into account. Two closed-form equations for the volume–mass constitutive relationships are presented for soils starting from slurry conditions. A number of test results (i.e., from experimental programs reported in the research literature) were used during the verification of the proposed volume–mass constitutive model. The volume–mass constitutive model captures key unsaturated soil conditions such as air-entry value, water-entry value, and residual conditions. The proposed model appears to satisfactorily predict unsaturated soil behavior for soils ranging from low compressible sands to high compressible clays.

Predicting the permeability function for unsaturated soils using the soil-water characteristic curve

1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.G. Fredlund ◽  
Anqing Xing ◽  
Shangyan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Degree Of Saturation ◽  
Residual Water ◽  
Soil Water Characteristic Curve ◽  
Coefficient Of Permeability ◽  
Permeability Function

The coefficient of permeability for an unsaturated soil is primarily determined by the pore-size distribution of the soil and can be predicted from the soil-water characteristic curve. A general equation, which describes the soil-water characteristic curve over the entire suction range (i.e., from 0 to 106 kPa), was proposed by the first two authors in another paper. This equation is used to predict the coefficient of permeability for unsaturated soils. By using this equation, an evaluation of the residual water content is no longer required in the prediction of the coefficient of permeability. The proposed permeability function is an integration form of the suction versus water content relationship. The proposed equation has been best fit with example data from the literature where both the soil-water characteristic curve and the coefficient of permeability were measured. The fit between the data and the theory was excellent. It was found that the integration can be done from zero water content to the saturated water content. Therefore, it is possible to use the normalized water content (volumetric or gravimetric) or the degree of saturation data versus suction in the prediction of the permeability function. Key words : coefficient of permeability, soil-water characteristic curve, unsaturated soil, water content, soil suction.

Numerical oscillation in seepage analysis of unsaturated soils

2001 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 639-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muthusamy Karthikeyan ◽  
Thiam-Soon Tan ◽  
Kok-Kwang Phoon
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Method ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Heat Diffusion ◽  
Step Size ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Seepage Analysis ◽  
Time Step Size ◽  
Element Method

The finite element method provides a popular means of analyzing groundwater flow in an unsaturated soil. In such problems, oscillatory results are often observed in the finite element solution. Such a phenomenon is observed, for example, when a typical finite element program such as Seep/w is used to model water infiltration into unsaturated soils. Numerical oscillations are often found near the wetting front where the hydraulic gradient is the steepest. These oscillations do not always reduce with decreasing or increasing time-step size alone; rather, an appropriate ratio between time-step size and element size is required. As the pore-water pressures predicted from a transient seepage analysis are used as input groundwater conditions for other types of analysis such as slope stability, contaminant transport, and capillary barrier, these oscillations may have important practical ramifications. Since seepage analysis is common in engineering practice, it is important that appropriate criteria are identified to minimize, if not to remove, the oscillations. In this paper, numerical examples are provided to demonstrate that a simple set of criteria, developed in heat diffusion problems with constant properties to control oscillation, is also applicable to one- and two-dimensional unsaturated seepage analyses, for a range of material nonlinearities that are frequently encountered in unsaturated soils.Key words: unsaturated soil, soil-water characteristic curve, seepage analysis, finite element method, numerical oscillation.

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