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.
Pore structure is closely related with strength, constitutive relation, consolidation characteristics, and permeability properties of soil. Consequently, improving the understanding of the relationship between microscopic structure and macroscopic physical and mechanical properties has extremely important scientific significance. A large number of studies have shown that pores of soil have fractal features, and hence, the carpet model can be used to approximately simulate the fractal structure of clay. In the present study, ANSYS software was selected to establish a microscopic model of clay to study the distribution of microscopic stress and microscopic deformation characteristics of pores under different consolidation pressures. Besides, the variation law of microscopic pore size was quantitatively determined by using IPP (Image-Pro Plus) software. Combined with the fractal theory, the changes of microscopic pore of numerical simulation and that of physical experiment during compression of clay are studied. All the results indicated that the microscopic stress distribution of clay is not uniform on the compaction process. The larger the pore size is, the bigger the compression stress on both sides and the greater the bending deformation of upper part of the pore is, which leads to the deformation of larger pores which is bigger than that of smaller pores. Based on the results, issues about the microscopic mechanism of the difference in vertical and horizontal permeability under compression of clay, the relationship between the changes of pore shape and microscopic stress, the preliminary principle of “preferential crush of larger particles” for granular soil, skeleton stress across the region where stiffness is relative larger, and the self-protection of particles and pores are also discussed. The results of this study are of great importance in understanding of soil compression and related physical and mechanical properties from the microscopic view.
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