Determining the Soil Water Characteristic Curve and Interfacial Contact Angle from Microstructural Analysis of X-Ray CT Images
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 8
Abstract
The complex behavior of unsaturated soils can be partly attributed to the co-existence of networks of liquid bridges and saturated pockets in the soil void space. Past studies have examined how the water bridges and pockets behave when suction changes in soils. The study described here uses microfocused industrial X-ray computed tomography (X-ray μCT), to closely examine unsaturated geomaterials. In this study, an unsaturated glass bead sample was scanned in a suction-controlled setup. Images of the interphase microstructure were processed using image processing techniques. Water-air and solid-water interfaces were distinctively identified using phase-based segmentation. The soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) of the tested granular specimen was quantified by processing microstructural images that were obtained with X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. Values of interfacial contact angle were measured on orthogonally projected planes, and the associated results are presented and discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Anderson, W. G. (1986). “Wettability literature survey. Part 2: Wettability measurement.” J. Petrol. Technol., 38(11), 1246–1262.
Andrew, M., Bijeljic, B., and Blunt, M. J. (2014). “Pore-scale contact angle measurements at reservoir conditions using X-ray microtomography.” Adv. Water Resour., 68, 24–31.
ASTM. (2006). “Standard test method for sieve analysis of fine and coarse aggregates.” ASTM C136-06, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2008). “Standard test methods for determination of the soil water characteristic curve for desorption using a hanging column, pressure extractor, chilled mirror hygrometer, and/or centrifuge.” ASTM D6836-02, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2014). “Standard test methods for specific gravity of soil solids by water pycnometer.” ASTM D854-14, West Conshohocken, PA.
Bertels, S. P., DiCarlo, D. A., and Blunt, M. J. (2001). “Measurement of aperture distribution, capillary pressure, relative permeability, and in situ saturation in a rock fracture using computed tomography scanning.” Water Resour. Res., 37(3), 649–662.
Bocking, K. A., and Fredlund, D. G. (1980). “Limitations of the axis translation technique.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Expansive Soils, ASCE, Reston, VA, 117–135.
Brooks, R. H., and Corey, A. T. (1964). “Hydraulic properties of porous media.” Hydrology, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO.
Brunke, O., Neuber, D., and Lehmann, D. K. (2007). “NanoCT: Visualizing of internal 3D-structures with submicrometer resolution.” Proc., Materials Research Society Symp.: Materials, Processes, Integration and Reliability in Advanced Interconnects for Micro- and Nanoelectronics, Materials Research Society, Warrendale, PA, 325–331.
Cassel, D. K., and Klute, A. (1986). “Water potential: Tensiometry.” Methods of soil analysis. Part 1: Physical and mineralogical methods properties, 2nd Ed., A. Klute, ed., American Society of Agronomy-Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, 563–596.
Chalbaud, C., Robin, M., Lombard, J. M., Martin, F., Egermann, P., and Bertin, H. (2009). “Interfacial tension measurements and wettability evaluation for geological storage.” Adv. Water Resour., 32(1), 98–109.
Chen, C., Packman, A. I., and Gaillard, J. F. (2009). “Using X-ray micro-tomography and pore-scale modeling to quantify sediment mixing and fluid flow in a developing streambed.” Geophys. Res. Lett., 36(8), L08403.
Chiquet, P., Broseta, D., and Thibeau, S. (2007). “Wettability alteration of caprock minerals by carbon dioxide.” Geofluids, 7(2), 112–122.
Dann, R., Turner, M., Close, M., and Knackstedt, M. (2011). “Multi-scale characterisation of coastal sand aquifer media for contaminant transport using X-ray computed tomography.” Environ. Earth Sci., 63(5), 1125–1137.
Denison, C., Carlson, W. D., and Ketcham, R. A. (1997). “Three-dimensional quantitative textural analysis of metamorphic rocks using high-resolution computed X-ray tomography. Part I: Methods and techniques.” J. Metamorph. Geol., 15(1), 29–44.
Dickson, J. L., Gupta, G., Horozov, T. S., Binks, B. P., and Johnston, K. P. (2006). “Wetting phenomena at the CO2/water/glass interface.” Langmuir, 22(5), 2161–2170.
Espinoza, D. N., and Santamarina, J. C. (2010). “Water--mineral systems: Interfacial tension, contact angle, and diffusion—Implications to geological storage.” Water Resour. Res., 46(7), W07537.
Fredlund, D. G., Rahardjo, H., and Fredlund, M. D. (2012). Unsaturated soil mechanics in engineering practice, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.
Fredlund, D. G., and Wong, D. K. H. (1989). “Calibration of thermal conductivity sensors for measuring soil suction.” Geotech. Test. J., 12(3), 188–194.
Fredlund, D. G., and Xing, A. (1994). “Equations for the soil-water characteristic curve.” Can. Geotech. J., 31(4), 521–532.
Gardner, W. R. (1958). “Some steady state solutions of the unsaturated moisture flow equation with application to evaporation from a water-table.” Soil Sci. J., 85(4), 228–232.
Gaus, I. (2010). “Role and impact of -rock interactions during storage.” Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Control, 4(1), 73–89.
Gebrenegus, T. (2009). “Application of X-ray computed tomography to study initiation and evolution of surface cracks in sand-bentonite mixtures.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID.
Higo, Y., et al. (2013). “Visualization of strain localization and microstructures in soils during deformation using microfocus X-ray CT.” Advances in computed tomography for geomaterials, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 43–51.
Higo, Y., Oka, F., Kimoto, S., Sanagawa, T., and Matsushima, Y. (2011). “Study of strain localization and microstructural changes in partially saturated sand during triaxial tests using microfocus X-ray CT.” Soils Found., 51(1), 95–111.
Hilf, J. W. (1956). “An investigation of pore water pressure in compacted cohesive soils.”, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Design and Construction Division, Denver.
Houston, S. L., Houston, W. N., and Wagner, A. (1994). “Laboratory filter paper suction measurements.” Geotech. Test. J., 17(2), 185–194.
HYTEC. (2004). FlashCT software user manual, HYTEC, Inc., Los Alamos, NM.
Ikeda, S., et al. (2004). “Nondestructive three-dimensional element-concentration mapping of a Cs-doped partially molten granite by X-ray computed tomography using synchrotron radiation.” Am. Mineral., 89(8–9), 1304–1313.
Jerram, D. A., Mock, A., Davis, G. R., Field, M., and Brown, R. J. (2009). “3D crystal size distributions: A case study on quantifying olivine populations in kimberlites.” Lithos, 112(8–9), 223–235.
Jury, W. A., and Horton, R. (2004). Soil physics, 6th Ed., Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.
Keller, A. (1998). “High resolution, non-destructive measurement and characterization of fracture apertures.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci., 35(8), 1037–1050.
Keller, A. A., Roberts, P. V., and Blunt, M. J. (1999). “Effect of fracture aperture variations on the dispersion of contaminants.” Water Resour. Res., 35(1), 55–63.
Ketcham, R. A., Slottke, D. T., and Sharp Jr., J. M. (2010). “Three-dimensional measurement of fractures in heterogeneous materials using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography.” Geosphere, 6(5), 499–514.
Li, C., Kao, C. Y., Gore, J. C., and Ding, Z. (2008). “Minimization of region-scalable fitting energy for image segmentation.” Image Processing, IEEE Trans., 17(10), 1940–1949.
Lu, N., and Likos, W. J. (2004). Unsaturated soil mechanics, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.
Manahiloh, K. N. (2013). “Microstructural analysis of unsaturated granular soils using X-ray computed tomography.” Ph.D. dissertation, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA.
Manahiloh, K. N., and Meehan, C. L. (2015). “Evolution of interphase contact angle in partially saturated granular soils using digital analysis of X-ray computed tomography images.” Proc., IFCEE 2015, ASCE, Reston, VA, 2092–2101.
Manahiloh, K. N., and Muhunthan, B. (2012). “Characterizing liquid phase fabric of unsaturated specimens from X-ray computed tomography images.” Unsaturated soils: Research and applications, C. Mancuso, C. Jommi, and F. D’Onza, eds., Springer, Berlin, 71–80.
Manahiloh, K. N., Muhunthan, B., Kayhanian, M., and Gebremariam, S. Y. (2012). “X-ray computed tomography and nondestructive evaluation of clogging in porous concrete field samples.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 1103–1109.
Masad, E., Muhunthan, B., Shashidhar, N., and Harman, T. (1999). “Internal structure characterization of asphalt concrete using image analysis.” J. Comput. Civ. Eng., 88–95.
Masad, E., Saadeh, S., Al-Rousan, T., Garboczi, E., and Little, D. (2005). “Computations of particle surface characteristics using optical and X-ray CT images.” Comput. Mater. Sci., 34(4), 406–424.
MATLAB [Computer software]. MathWorks, Natick, MA.
McKee, C. R., and Bumb, A. C. (1984). “The importance of unsaturated flow parameters in designing a monitoring system for hazardous wastes and environmental emergencies.” Proc., Hazardous Materials Control Research Institute National Conf., Houston, 50–58.
Media Cybernetics. (2003). Image-Pro Plus with 3D constructor, Media Cybernetics, Inc., Rockville, MD.
Media Cybernetics. (2004). “Image-Pro Plus version 5.0 for windows: Auto-pro reference.”, Silver Spring, MD.
Oda, M., Takemura, T., and Takahashi, M. (2004). “Microstructure in shear band observed by microfocus X-ray computed tomography.” Géotechnique, 54(8), 539–542.
Otsu, N. (1979). “Threshold selection method from gray-level histograms.” IEEE Trans. Syst., Man Cybernetics, 9(1), 62–66.
Petchsingto, T., and Karpyn, Z. T. (2009). “Deterministic modeling of fluid flow through a CT-scanned fracture using computational fluid dynamics.” Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Util. Environ. Eff., 31(11), 897–905.
Pham, H. Q. (2005). “A volume-mass constitutive model for unsaturated soils.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
Pham, H. Q., and Fredlund, D. G. (2005). “A volume-mass constitutive model for unsaturated soils.” Proc., Fifty-Eighth Canadian Geotechnical Conf., Canadian Geotechnical Society, Richmond, BC, Canada, 173–181.
Phene, C. J., Hoffman, G. J., and Rawlins, S. L. (1971a) “Measuring soil matric potential in-situ by sensing heat dissipation within a porous body. I: Theory and sensor construction.” Proc., Soil Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Fitchburg, WI, 27–33.
Phene, C. J., Hoffman, G. J., and Rawlins, S. L. (1971b). “Measuring soil matric potential in-situ by sensing heat dissipation within a porous body. II: Experimental results.” Proc., Soil Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Fitchburg, WI, 225–229.
Plug, W. J., and Bruining, J. (2007). “Capillary pressure for sand-–water system under various pressure conditions: Application to sequestration.” Adv. Water Resour., 30(11), 2339–2353.
Razavi, M. R. (2006). “Experimental and numerical investigation of shear localization in granular material.” Ph.D. dissertation, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA.
Sok, R. M., Varslot, T., Ghous, A., Latham, S., Sheppard, A. P., and Knackstedt, M. A. (2010). “Pore scale characterization of carbonates at multiple scales: Integration of micro-CT, BSEM, and FIBSEM.” Petrophysics, 51(6), 379–387.
Stannard, D. I. (1992). “Tensiometers—Theory, construction, and use.” Geotech. Test. J., 15(1), 48–58.
Sund, R., and Eilertsen, K. (2003). “An algorithm for fast adaptive image binarization with applications in radiotherapy imaging.” IEEE Trans. Medical Imaging, 22(1), 22–28.
van Genuchten, M. T. (1980). “A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 44(5), 892–898.
Weinekoetter, C. (2008). “X-ray nanofocus CT: Visualising of internal 3D-structures with submicrometer resolution.” CT2008: Tomography Confluence: An Int. Conf. on the Applications of Computerized Tomography, AIP Publishing, Melville, NY, 3–14.
Wildenschild, D., and Sheppard, A. P. (2012). “X-ray imaging and analysis techniques for quantifying pore-scale structure and processes in subsurface porous medium systems.” Adv. Water Resour., 51, 217–246.
Willson, C. S., Lu, N., and Likos, W. J. (2012). “Quantification of grain, pore, and fluid microstructure of unsaturated sand from X-ray computed tomography images.” Geotech. Test. J., 35(6), 911–923.
Wirjadi, O. (2007). Survey of 3D image segmentation methods, Fraunhofer ITWM, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Yu, M. (2010). “Effect of persulfate formulations on soil permeability.” M.Sc. thesis, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 8 • August 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 16, 2016
Accepted: Nov 16, 2016
Published online: Mar 30, 2017
Published in print: Aug 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Aug 30, 2017
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.