A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves

Abstract In geotechnical engineering, understanding the relationship between soil permeability and deformation is essential, particularly for applications like earth dams, where compaction‐induced permeability reduction is crucial for performance optimization. In unsaturated soils, soil moisture con...

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Main Authors: Rasoul Mirghafari, Seyed Sajjad Sajjadian, Ehsan Nikooee, Ghassem Habibagahi, Amir Raoof
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-12-01
Series:Engineering Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.13012
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author Rasoul Mirghafari
Seyed Sajjad Sajjadian
Ehsan Nikooee
Ghassem Habibagahi
Amir Raoof
author_facet Rasoul Mirghafari
Seyed Sajjad Sajjadian
Ehsan Nikooee
Ghassem Habibagahi
Amir Raoof
author_sort Rasoul Mirghafari
collection DOAJ
description Abstract In geotechnical engineering, understanding the relationship between soil permeability and deformation is essential, particularly for applications like earth dams, where compaction‐induced permeability reduction is crucial for performance optimization. In unsaturated soils, soil moisture content significantly impacts hydraulic conductivity. Traditionally, changes in unsaturated hydraulic conductivity have been linked to soil void ratios. However, a pore network modeling perspective reveals the significance of structural parameters, such as pore and throat size distribution and pore coordination number. This study introduces a pore network model to estimate unsaturated hydraulic conductivity based on void ratio‐dependent soil‐water retention curves. It examines how soil deformation at varying stress levels affects structural parameters and the water phase continuity. The model shows strong potential in predicting unsaturated hydraulic conductivity across different stress levels, aligning well with experimental data and established equations. Notably, the aspect ratio and coordination number parameters are most affected by stress levels. The study also presents relationships to describe changes in pore network structural parameters with soil void ratio, which can be used to predict soil‐water retention curves and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at various stress levels.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2577-8196
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Engineering Reports
spelling doaj-art-ae8779ed6b3648bbab39859a086862e52024-12-16T03:09:12ZengWileyEngineering Reports2577-81962024-12-01612n/an/a10.1002/eng2.13012A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curvesRasoul Mirghafari0Seyed Sajjad Sajjadian1Ehsan Nikooee2Ghassem Habibagahi3Amir Raoof4School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Oxford Brookes University Oxford UKDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering Shiraz University Shiraz IranDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering Shiraz University Shiraz IranDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering Shiraz University Shiraz IranDepartment of Earth Sciences Utrecht University Utrecht NetherlandsAbstract In geotechnical engineering, understanding the relationship between soil permeability and deformation is essential, particularly for applications like earth dams, where compaction‐induced permeability reduction is crucial for performance optimization. In unsaturated soils, soil moisture content significantly impacts hydraulic conductivity. Traditionally, changes in unsaturated hydraulic conductivity have been linked to soil void ratios. However, a pore network modeling perspective reveals the significance of structural parameters, such as pore and throat size distribution and pore coordination number. This study introduces a pore network model to estimate unsaturated hydraulic conductivity based on void ratio‐dependent soil‐water retention curves. It examines how soil deformation at varying stress levels affects structural parameters and the water phase continuity. The model shows strong potential in predicting unsaturated hydraulic conductivity across different stress levels, aligning well with experimental data and established equations. Notably, the aspect ratio and coordination number parameters are most affected by stress levels. The study also presents relationships to describe changes in pore network structural parameters with soil void ratio, which can be used to predict soil‐water retention curves and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at various stress levels.https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.13012connected water clusterpore network modelunsaturated flowunsaturated soil permeabilityvoid ratio‐dependent soil water retention curves
spellingShingle Rasoul Mirghafari
Seyed Sajjad Sajjadian
Ehsan Nikooee
Ghassem Habibagahi
Amir Raoof
A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves
Engineering Reports
connected water cluster
pore network model
unsaturated flow
unsaturated soil permeability
void ratio‐dependent soil water retention curves
title A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves
title_full A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves
title_fullStr A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves
title_full_unstemmed A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves
title_short A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves
title_sort pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves
topic connected water cluster
pore network model
unsaturated flow
unsaturated soil permeability
void ratio‐dependent soil water retention curves
url https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.13012
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