Moisture Movement Through Cracked Clay Soil Profiles |
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| Authors: | Delwyn G Fredlund Sandra L Houston Quan Nguyen Murray D Fredlund |
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| Institution: | (1) Golder Associates, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 0T4, Canada;(2) Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA;(3) Golder Associates Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia;(4) SoilVision Systems Ltd, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 1A9, Canada; |
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| Abstract: | A continuum mechanics approach is used for the formulation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity functions and the water storage
functions for fractured or cracked clay soils in this parametric study. Suggested procedures are based on available research
literature related to the behavior of cracked unsaturated porous media. The soil–water characteristic curve, hydraulic conductivity
and water storage functions take on the character of bi-modal unsaturated soil property functions. The bimodal character arises
out of the independent behavior of the cracks and the intact clay soil. Matric suction changes beneath a slab-on-grade foundation
placed on a cracked clay soil profile are modeled for varied surface flux conditions using the proposed unsaturated hydraulic
conductivity and water storage functions. The impact of various levels of surface cracking on soil suction distributions is
discussed. Suction distribution patterns are dependent on the initial soil surface suction. In particular, the results are
dependent upon whether the initial matric suction is less than or greater than the air entry of the cracked clay. There is
an extremely wide range of possible conditions that could be modeled but the parametric study results presented in this paper
are limited to a series of selected crack widths and densities for an exfiltration case and an infiltration case. |
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