• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.1C
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• pp.7-16
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• 2012

In this paper, using the principle of Static Measurement Methods suggested by Huang (1998), a new experimental device has been made and used in order to calculate the unsaturated permeability of Nak-dong river sand with silt which is an important basic property in the unsaturated soil. This device was designed to measure changes of the unsaturated permeability according to the increase of matric suction. The value of the unsaturated permeability obtained in testing and that obtained using the empirical permeability functional formula were compared and analyzed. As a result, the value of the unsaturated permeability tends to be decreased according to the increase of relative density, silt content and matric suction. This tendency shows it is very closely related to the change of moisture content and void ratio. The empirical permeability functional formula presented by Frelund & Xing (1995) was regarded as the most appropriate model to represent the unsaturated permeability of Nak-dong River silty sand.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.47-51
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• 2004

An unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function and a soil-water characteristic curve are the essential constitutive factors in studying unsaturated soils. In order to obtain the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function, prediction functions, which are based on the soil-water characteristic curve, have been used because it is difficult to measure the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function directly. In this study, a parameter estimation method using the flow pump technique is introduced to determine the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function. This method provides more accurate and independent solution than previous methods for the determination of the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function which is not subordinate to the soil-water characteristic curve or prediction models.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.2369-2379
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• 2013

The Soil-Water Characteristics Curve (SWCC) is affected by the initial density of soil under unsaturated condition. Also, the characteristic of hydraulic conductivity is changed by the initial density of soil. To study the effect of initial density of unsaturated soil, SWCC and the Hydraulic Conductivity Function (HCF) of Jumoonjin sand with various relative densities, 40%, 60% and 75% were measured in both drying and wetting processes. As the results of SWCC estimated by van Genuchten (1980) model, the parameter related to Air Entry Value(AEV), ${\alpha}$ in the wetting process is larger than that in drying process, but the parameters related to the SWCC slope, n and the residual water content, m are larger than those in wetting process. The AEV is increased or Water Entry Value (WEV) is decreased with increasing the relative density of sand. The AEV is larger than the WEV at the same relative density of sand. As the results of HCF estimated by van Genuchten (1980) model which is one of the parameter estimation methods, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity maintained at a saturated one in the low level of matric suctions and then suddenly decreased just before the AEV or the WEV. The saturated hydraulic conductivity in drying process is larger than that in wetting process. The saturated hydraulic conductivity is decreased with increasing the relative density of sand in both drying and wetting processes. Also, the hysteresis in unsaturated HCFs between drying and wetting process was occurred like the hysteresis in SWCCs. According to the test results, the AEV on SWCC is decreased and the saturated hydraulic conductivity is increased with increasing the initial density. It means that SWCC and HCF are affected by the initial density in the unsaturated soil.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.261-273
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• 1993

In order to study hydraulic properties and mechanical properties on unsaturated region, soil-water retention curve was obtained for suction plate method and pressure plate method, respectively. To investigate permeability of unsaturated soil and soil-water retention curve at the same time, unsaturated permeability tests using an improved Richard's method were performed on Joomoonjin Sand. These experimental results were compared with those by empirical equations. The relationship between air entry value and saturated permeability of filter was obtained for selecting a proper filter in unsaturated soil tests.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.49-60
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• 2010

Unsaturated permeability function is an important factor in the design and analysis of various unsaturated soil structures. Generally the permeability characteristics decrease as the mat ric suction increases and the trend is similar to water retention characteristics of a soil. The permeability of unsaturated soils can be obtained directly by laboratory tests or indirectly by estimation methods from other soil properties. For unsaturated soils sampled from 7 areas in KOREA, SWCCs and unsaturated permeability functions were obtained by experimental tests. The unsaturated permeability results were also compared with the unsaturated permeability functions derived from the SWCCs theoretically. However, the current estimation models of unsaturated permeability function did not express the unsaturated permeability characteristics. Therefore, the FXK-M permeability function was modified to predict more accurate permeability functions for Korean weathered soils using a correction factor that can be calculated from the air-entry value of SWCC. The new estimation model resulted in good agreements for all tested soils.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.133-142
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• 2000

Series of tests were carried out to study permeability characteristics of unsaturated soils. The weathered soils taken from Inju, Sungwhan, and Kuri, were selected to have different amount of fine grained soils in order to find a possible correlation between the unsaturated permeability behavior and fine grained soils contents. Measurements of permeability for unsaturated soils were performed with a newly developed apparatus, which modeled after Klute's apparatus(1965a). The apparatus was designed to measure volumetric water content and permeability by applying incremental suction pressure. Permeability and volumetric water content of unsaturated soils generally decreased as density of the soil increased. The relationship between volumetric water content and permeability was not related to the fine grained soils contents because the plots scattered widely. By comparing volumetric water content with permeability, empirical parameters A and B could be determined, which made to be possible to predict unsaturated permeability from soil-moisture characteristics.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.1D
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• pp.73-82
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• 2011

Generally, an unsaturated condition was not considered to predict the long-term strength and drainage behaviors on compacted road foundations. However, it is logical way to consider the unsaturated condition and hysteresis behavior on road foundations like subbase and subgrade. For more quantitative analysis, rational experimental approach requires proper laboratory tool and material model, and hydraulic properties of pavement geomaterials under unsaturated conditions. In this study, therefore, laboratory data from the soil-water characteristic curve tests were used to predict suction and unsaturated permeability on pavement foundations and the results were analyzed based on the nonlinear fitting model considered. In addition to that, the unsaturated moisture capacity of each material is discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.62-62
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• 2023

강우가 지표면 아래로 침투할 때 초기에는 투수층이 불포화 상태이어서 부압이 작용하면서 침투할 것이다. Richards 식(Richards, 1931)을 써서 불포화 투수층의 침투를 모의할 수 있다. 강우가 지속되는 동안 하상 아래 어느 구간은 포화 상태가 되어 Richards 식을 더 이상 사용할 수 없다. 하지만 현재까지의 연구는 Richards 식을 사용하여 침투를 모의하는 오류를 범하고 있다. 강우에 의한 침투를 예측할 때 지표면에서의 침투율 q_b 가 필요한 데 현존하는 연구에서는 Horton 식(Horton, 1941)을 사용하여 초기 침투율 f_o 와 장시간 후 침투율 f_c 와 시간에 따라 지수함수로 감소하는 계수 k 의 3가지 계수값을 실험이나 현장 관측값에서 찾아서 쓰고 있다. 그런데, 이 계수값은 강우강도 r_i 가 클수록 침투율 q 가 커지는 물리 현상을 반영하지 못하는 한계가 있다. 본 연구에서 먼저 포화 투수층에서의 침투를 모의하는 식을 개발하였다. 지표면 아래에서 불포화 투수층에는 Richards식을 사용하고 포화 투수층에는 개발한 식을 사용하여 침투를 모의하였다. 또한 지표면에서의 침투율 q_b 를 구하는 공식을 개발하였다. 하상에서의 침투율의 최대값은 $q_{bmax}=-{\lambda}{\sqrt{2g(s-b)}}$ 일 것이다. 여기서 λ 는 투수층의 공극율, s 는 유출수면의 위치, b 는 지표면의 위치이다. 지표면에서의 침투율의 최소값 q_bmin 은 지표면 바로 아래 지점에서의 침투율일 것이다. 지표면에서의 침투율 q_b 로 q_bmax 와 q_bmin 사이의 적절한 값을 선택한다. 강우강도를 r_i 라고 하면 지표면 위 유출수의 연속방정식은 다음과 같다: $s-b={\int}(r_i-{\mid}q_b{\mid})dt$. 즉, 유출수면의 위치 s 는 강우강도 r_i 가 클수록 또는 지표면에서의 유출율의 크기 |q_b| 가 작을수록 크다. 또한 지표면에서의 침투율 q_b 와 지표면 아래에서의 침투율 q 는 s - b 가 클수록 크다. 따라서, 강우강도 r_i 가 클수록 침투율 q_b, q 가 큰 현상이 잘 반영되었다. 강우-침투-유출 모형실험을 수행하여 강우강도에 따라 침투율과 유출량이 다른 현상을 관측하여 수치실험 결과와 비교·검증하였다.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2010

To estimate the accumulated infiltration, Horton's and Green-Ampt's equations are usually applied. Because the real infiltration is penetrated into the soil continuously, to cover the problems of the conventional equations derived from the discontinuous infiltration system, new infiltration equation is derived from the concepts of continuous infiltration system. Furthermore, infiltration tests were done to compare the results from the conventional Horton's and Green-Ampt's equations and newly derived equation. Unsaturated permeability is the function of water content ratio or saturation degree, which affects directly to the infiltration capacity and accumulated infiltration. Therefore, the variation term of unsaturated permeability is inserted into the new equation to estimate the proper infiltration capacity and accumulated infiltration. It will make the more accurate analysis for the safety of structure and the behavior of groundwater.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2008

The coefficient of permeability for a soil can be determined by the direct or the indirect method. The direct method of permeability can be performed either in the laboratory or in the field. The indirect method can be predicted from the soil-water characteristic curve. In this study, the coefficient of permeability for an unsaturated soil was determined by the modified apparatus of steady-state method (Klute, 1972) and was predicted from the equations of Brooks & Corey (1964) and van Genuchten (1980). The experimental results were compared with predicted coefficient of permeability and the applicability of the two equations (from Brooks & Corey, van Genuchten) was reviewed.