• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.27-34
• /
• 2022

Since water flow in the ground depends on the pore structure composed of soil grains, equations to predict the hydraulic properties based on the grain size have low accuracy. This paper presents a methodology to compute constriction-pore size distribution by Silveria's method and estimate saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties of soils. Well-graded soil shows a uni-modal pore size distribution, and poor-graded soil does a bimodal distribution. Among theoretical models for saturated hydraulic conductivity using pore size distribution, Marshall model is well-matched with experimental results. Model formulas for soil-water characteristic curves and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity using the pore size distribution are proposed for hydraulic analysis of unsaturated soil. Continuous research is needed to select a model suitable to estimate hydraulic properties by applying the developed model formulas to various soils.