Temperature-Dependent SWCC Model for Unsaturated Soil
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24, Issue 5
Abstract
The soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) model considering the temperature effect is significant in precisely predicting the relationship between the matric suction and degree of saturation in unsaturated soils in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. In this work, we derived a new temperature-dependent wetting coefficient, incorporating a nonlinear temperature-dependent enthalpy of immersion per unit area. We introduce a simplified expression that successfully approximates the wetting coefficient for temperatures between 273.15 and 373.15 K. In addition, we propose a temperature-dependent matric suction equation and a temperature-dependent SWCC model. The new model comprehensively considers the temperature sensitivities of the water–air interface tension and wetting coefficient, which shows that an increase in temperature for a given matric suction leads to a decrease in the degree of saturation. The results illustrate that the new model is suitable for predicting the nonisothermal SWCC of unsaturated soils.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article. The additional equations and derivation procedures for the nonlinear temperature-dependent enthalpy of immersion, the temperature-dependent wetting coefficient, and the temperature-dependent matric suction are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52078085 and 52108301) and the Graduate Research and Innovation Foundation of Chongqing, China (Grant No. CYB23057). We would like to thank Dr. H. R. Wu from Chongqing University for instruction on the derivation procedures for the nonlinear enthalpy of immersion, the wetting coefficient, and the matric suction considering the temperature effect. We would also like to thank Mr. Q. Fang and Mr. W. Yang from Chongqing University for their assistance in preparing the original draft of this paper and for their suggestions.
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24 • Issue 5 • May 2024
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 10, 2023
Accepted: Oct 30, 2023
Published online: Feb 29, 2024
Published in print: May 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jul 29, 2024
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