Determination of Soil Sorptive Potential by Soil Water Isotherm
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 6
Abstract
Soil sorptive potential (SSP) has recently been conceptualized as the sum of four known electromagnetic potentials in soil: cation and surface hydration, van der Waals attraction, electrical attraction, and osmosis due to electrical double layer. The SSP is most pronounced near the soil particle or intracrystalline surface and rapidly decays with increasing distance therefrom, governing the highly spatially varying characteristics of many fundamental soil properties such as pore water pressure, soil water density (SWD), and soil water phase transition. A novel framework was developed to determine the functions of SSP and SWD, directly using the experimental soil water isotherm (SWI) data with the aid of closed-form SWI and SWD models. A wide spectrum of soil types was examined to validate the proposed framework. Results indicate that the SSP in these soils can vary up to six orders of magnitude within the first three layers of adsorbed water molecules, leading to abnormally high values in both water pressure () and SWD () at the soil–water interface. The predicted SWD curves are comparable to the existing experimental SWD measurements, and the controlling parameters for the SSP calibrated by the predicted SSP curves also show good agreement with the values reported in the literature, all confirming the validity of the proposed framework. It is concluded that soil sorptive potential and soil water density functions can be reliably determined from soil water isotherm data.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This research is supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF CMMI-1902045).
References
Bahramian, Y., A. Bahramian, and A. Javadi. 2017. “Confined fluids in clay interlayers: A simple method for density and abnormal pore pressure interpretation.” Colloids Surf., A 521 (May): 260–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2016.08.021.
Bittelli, M., and M. Flury. 2009. “Errors in water retention curves determined with pressure plates.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 73 (5): 1453–1460. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2008.0082.
Campbell, G. S., and S. Shiozawa. 1992. “Prediction of hydraulic properties of soils using particle-size distribution and bulk density data.” In Proc., Int. Workshop on Indirect Methods for Estimating the Hydraulic Properties of Unsaturated Soils, edited by M. T. Van Genuchten, F. J. Leij, and L. J. Lund, 317–328. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Chen, F. H. 1988. Foundations on expansive soils. New York: Elsevier.
Cho, C. H., J. Urquidi, S. Singh, S. C. Park, and G. W. Robinson. 2002. “Pressure effect on the density of water.” J. Phys. Chem. A 106 (33): 7557–7561. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp0136260.
Croney, D., and J. D. Coleman. 1961. “Pore pressure and suction in soil.” In Conference on pore pressure and suction in soils, 31–37. London: Butterworths.
De Wit, C. T., and P. L. Arens. 1950. “Moisture content and density of some clay minerals and some remarks on the hydration pattern of clay.” In Proc., 4th Int. Congress of Soil Science Transactions, 59–62. Groningen, Netherlands: Hoitsema Brothers.
Dong, Y., and N. Lu. 2016. “Correlation between small-strain shear modulus and suction stress in capillary regime under zero total stress conditions.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 142 (11): 4016056. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001531.
Dong, Y., and N. Lu. 2020. “Measurement of suction stress and soil deformation at high suction range.” Geotech. Test. J. 44 (2): 308–322. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ20190357.
Dong, Y., C. Wei, and N. Lu. 2020. “Identifying soil adsorptive water by soil water density.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 146 (7): 2820001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002289.
Edlefsen, N. E., and A. B. C. Anderson. 1943. “Thermodynamics of soil moisture.” Hilgardia 15 (2): 31–298. https://doi.org/10.3733/hilg.v15n02p031.
Guo, Y., and X. B. Yu. 2017. “Characterizing the surface charge of clay minerals with atomic force microscope (AFM).” AIMS Mater. Sc. 4 (3): 582–593. https://doi.org/10.3934/matersci.2017.3.582.
Hayward, A. T. J. 1967. “Compressibility equations for liquids: A comparative study.” Br. J. Appl. Phys. 18 (7): 965–977. https://doi.org/10.1088/0508-3443/18/7/312.
Holtz, W. G., and H. J. Gibbs. 1956. “Engineering properties of expansive clays.” Trans. Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. 121 (1): 641–663. https://doi.org/10.1061/TACEAT.0007325.
Iwata, S. 1972. “Thermodynamics of soil water: 1. The energy concept of soil water.” Soil Sci. 113 (3): 162–166. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-197203000-00003.
Keren, R., and I. Shainberg. 1975. “Water vapor isotherms and heat of immersion of Na/Ca-montmorillonite systems—I: Homoionic clay.” Clays Clay Miner. 23 (3): 193–200. https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1975.0230305.
Khorshidi, M., and N. Lu. 2017. “Determination of cation exchange capacity from soil water retention curve.” J. Eng. Mech. 143 (6): 4017023. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001220.
Likos, W. J., and N. Lu. 2003. “Automated humidity system for measuring total suction characteristics of clay.” Geotech. Test. J. 26 (2): 179–190. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11321Jhttps://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11321J.
Likos, W. J., N. Lu, and W. Wenzel. 2011. “Performance of a dynamic dew point method for moisture isotherms of clays.” Geotech. Test. J. 34 (4): 373–382. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ102901.
Lu, N. 2016. “Generalized soil water retention equation for adsorption and capillarity.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 142 (10): 4016051. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001524.
Lu, N. 2018. “Generalized elastic modulus equation for unsaturated soil.” In Proc., 2nd Pan-American Conf. on Unsaturated Soils, 32–48. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Lu, N. 2020. “Unsaturated soil mechanics: Fundamental challenges, breakthroughs, and opportunities.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 146 (5): 2520001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002233.
Lu, N., M. T. Anderson, W. J. Likos, and G. W. Mustoe. 2008. “A discrete element model for kaolinite aggregate formation during sedimentation.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech. 32 (8): 965–980. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.656.
Lu, N., and Y. Dong. 2015. “Closed-form equation for thermal conductivity of unsaturated soils at room temperature.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 141 (6): 4015016. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001295.
Lu, N., and M. Khorshidi. 2015. “Mechanisms for soil-water retention and hysteresis at high suction range.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 141 (8): 4015032. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001325.
Lu, N., and W. J. Likos. 2004. Unsaturated soil mechanics. New York: Wiley.
Lu, N., and C. Zhang. 2019. “Soil sorptive potential: Concept, theory, and verification.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 145 (4): 4019006. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002025.
Luo, S., W. J. Likos, and N. Lu. 2021. “Cavitation of water in soil.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 147 (8): 4021079. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002598.
Luo, S., and N. Lu. 2021. “Validating the generality of a closed-form equation for soil water isotherm.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 147 (12): 4021138. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002681.
Martin, R. T. 1962. “Adsorbed water on clay: A review.” In Proc., 9th National Conf. on Clays and Clay Minerals, 28–70. Oxford: Pergamon.
McKeen, R. G. 1992. “A model for predicting expansive soil behavior.” In Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Expansive Soils, 1–6. Dallas, TX: Texas Tech Univ.
Nitao, J. J., and J. Bear. 1996. “Potentials and their role in transport in porous media.” Water Resour. Res. 32 (2): 225–250. https://doi.org/10.1029/95WR02715.
Novich, B. E., and T. A. Ring. 1984. “Colloid stability of clays using photon correlation spectroscopy.” Clays Clay Miner. 32 (5): 400–406. https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1984.0320508.
Philip, J. R. 1977. “Unitary approach to capillary condensation and adsorption.” J Chem Phys 66 (11): 5069–5075. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.433814.
Revil, A., and N. Lu. 2013. “Unified water isotherms for clayey porous materials.” Water Resour. Res. 49 (9): 5685–5699. https://doi.org/10.1002/wrcr.20426.
Richards, B. G. 1965. “Measurement of the free energy of soil moisture by the psychrometric technique using thermistors.” In Moisture equilibria and moisture changes in soils beneath covered areas, 39–46. Sydney, Australia: Butterworths.
Seed, H. B., R. J. Woodward Jr., and R. Lundgren. 1962. “Prediction of swelling potential for compacted clays.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 88 (3): 53–87. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0000431.
Smith, M. W., and A. R. Tice. 1988. Measurement of the unfrozen water content of soils: Comparison of NMR and TDR methods. Hanover, NH: Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
Solone, R., M. Bittelli, F. Tomei, and F. Morari. 2012. “Errors in water retention curves determined with pressure plates: Effects on the soil water balance.” J. Hydrol. 470–471 (Nov): 65–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.08.017.
Sposito, G., and R. Prost. 1982. “Structure of water adsorbed on smectites.” Chem. Rev. 82 (6): 553–573. https://doi.org/10.1021/cr00052a001.
Tuller, M., and D. Or. 2005. “Water films and scaling of soil characteristic curves at low water contents.” Water Resour. Res. 41 (9): W09403. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005WR004142.
Watanabe, K., and T. Wake. 2009. “Measurement of unfrozen water content and relative permittivity of frozen unsaturated soil using NMR and TDR.” Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. 59 (1): 34–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2009.05.011.
Zhang, C., Y. Dong, and Z. Liu. 2017. “Lowest matric potential in quartz: Metadynamics evidence.” Geophys. Res. Lett. 44 (4): 1706–1713. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071928.
Zhang, C., and N. Lu. 2018. “What is the range of soil water density? Critical reviews with a unified model.” Rev. Geophys. 56 (3): 532–562. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018RG000597.
Zhang, C., and N. Lu. 2019. “Unitary definition of matric suction.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 145 (2): 2818004. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002004.
Zhang, C., and N. Lu. 2020. “Soil sorptive potential: Its determination and predicting soil water density.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 146 (1): 4019118. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002188.
Zhang, C., and N. Lu. 2021. “Soil sorptive potential–based paradigm for soil freezing curves.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 147 (9): 4021086. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002597.
Zhou, B., and N. Lu. 2021. “Assessments of water sorption methods to determine soil’s specific surface area.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 147 (8): 4021066. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002579.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 6 • June 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 11, 2021
Accepted: Jan 21, 2022
Published online: Mar 23, 2022
Published in print: Jun 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Aug 23, 2022
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.
Cited by
- Ning Lu, Shengmin Luo, Baochun Zhou, Water Adsorption–Induced Pore-Water Pressure in Soil, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002814, 148, 6, (2022).