A methodology for the formulation of water retention models in deformable soils

Abstract

This paper presents a novel approach to soil–water retention modelling that is based on the analysis of the material pore network. The approach postulates the existence of a differential coupling function, which relates the variation of water ratio to the variation of void ratio at constant suction. Distinct differential coupling functions have been considered, and the most general option has been integrated in a closed-form relationship between water ratio and void ratio with a suction-dependent integration constant, whose expression describes the isochoric retention behaviour. Four alternative expressions of the suction-dependent integration constant have been proposed resulting in four different, but equivalent, models linking degree of saturation, void ratio and suction. Each model predicts the variation of degree of saturation by means of four parameters, namely two parameters accounting for the effect of void ratio and two parameters accounting for the effect of suction. The models have been calibrated against laboratory data from soils with distinct particle size distributions and have shown accurate predictions of degree of saturation at different levels of suction and void ratio. Validation against additional data has also indicated that the models can extrapolate the soil behaviour to stress paths and suction levels beyond those considered during calibration.