Pitfalls in Interpretation of Gravimetric Water Content–Based Soil-Water Characteristic Curve for Deformable Porous Media
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 16, Issue 6
Abstract
Pitfalls in the common approaches to obtaining material parameters from soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs) are discussed, and the typical mistakes made in the literature are highlighted. Particular attention is given to the evaluation of the air-entry value (AEV) from the gravimetric water content–based SWCCs. A consistent graphical approach for the determination of AEV based on an understanding of the effects of stress history and volume change on gravimetric water retention behavior is presented. The robustness and application of the approach are demonstrated using an extensive set of experimental data from the literature.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 16 • Issue 6 • December 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 30, 2014
Accepted: Jun 24, 2015
Published online: Dec 17, 2015
Discussion open until: May 17, 2016
Published in print: Dec 1, 2016
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