Moisture Flow in Unsaturated Subgrade Soils
Publication: Advances in Unsaturated Soil, Geo-Hazard, and Geo-Environmental Engineering
Abstract
The rate of moisture flow in an unsaturated soil regime is governed by a single diffusion material parameter, α. The unsaturated diffusivity coefficient controls transient moisture flow conditions within a soil in response to suctions or fluxes imposed at the boundaries of the soil mass. Seasonal moisture fluctuations in the soil profile depend on the diffusion properties of the soil mass and the amplitude of moisture variations at the ground surface. Mitchell (1979) proposed a periodic function that can be used to investigate how diffusivity parameters and seasonal fluctuations affect the moisture active zone. This research study shows that distribution of suction with depth within an unsaturated subgrade soil surface is greater for wetting diffusion coefficients than drying diffusion coefficients. In the paper, an investigation of how diffusivity parameters and seasonal moisture fluctuations affect the predicted moisture active zone is presented.
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Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Apr 26, 2012
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Diffusion
- Diffusion (porous media)
- Engineering mechanics
- Flow (fluid dynamics)
- Fluid dynamics
- Fluid mechanics
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Hydrologic engineering
- Infrastructure
- Pavements
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil suction
- Soil water
- Soils (by type)
- Subgrade soils
- Subgrades
- Thermodynamics
- Transport phenomena
- Transportation engineering
- Unsaturated flow
- Unsaturated soils
- Water and water resources
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