Moisture variation in porous media depends mainly on the pore characteristics. This article used the micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) (a non-destructive imaging technique to generate a three-dimensional virtual model) and the Brooks–Corey model to deduce the moisture migration in sand. Relationship between capillary rise height and time (h–t) was achieved by numerical simulation in the capillary suction process, where the parameters fractal dimension, porosity, and air–water interfacial area were obtained by the micro-CT scanning. Meanwhile, experiments of capillary rise in sand column were performed using four different sizes washed sand, and the capillary heights at different times were recorded. Results show that the capillary suction is decided by the aperture size and phase morphology simultaneously, and particle size has obvious effect on capillarity, and the wetting front lowers with the increase in grain size and the decrease in rising rate. Parameters air entry pressure and pore-size distribution index obtained by micro-CT scanning technology and empirical formula are accurate. Method of combing micro-CT images and Brooks–Corey model can predict well the capillary suction of porous media. It is also proved that the capillary suction is decided by the aperture size and phase morphology simultaneously.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.