• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.334-341
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• 2004

The coefficient of permeability is one of the most important properties in unsaturated soils. The permeability varies with change in the water content as the soil water characteristic curve(SWCC) does. Thus the permeability curve of unsaturated soils has the similar shape with the soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC). Therefore, the methodologies have been studied to simply predict the unsaturated permeability from the SWCC. In this study, the experimental tests of SWCC and permeability were carried out for domestic weathered granite soils. The SWCC test results were fitted to Fredlund and Xing's SWCC equation and then it was found that there are some relationships between the parameters of SWCC equation and the basic soil properties. Accordingly we used an ANN(artificial neural network) model to obtain the SWCC parameters from the basic soil properties. Finally, the coefficients of permeability were predicted from these results by a prediction model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.147-152
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• 2001

This study investigated one-dimensional vertical infiltration to an unsaturated residual soil by numerical solutions, FDM. In order to estimate the parameters needed for numerical analysis, tire soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC) of Shinnae-dong soil, one of the most typical residual soils in Korea, were experimentally obtained. Then, the statistical analysis for obtaining the SWCC was performed. The numerical solution to the linearized governing equation for unsaturated groundwater flow provides the infiltration characteristics for the unsaturated residual soil represented by transient pressure profiles and water contents profiles.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.523-535
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• 2008

A simulated rainfall system was built, and the unsaturated characteristics were examined by execution of simulated rainfall system test and soil water characteristic curve cell test(SWCC Cell Test) under the various rainfall and slope conditions. With the results, the applicability of infiltration behavior under rainfall and soil water characteristic curve models to the unsaturated weathered granite soil was examined. At the results of comparison the volumetric water content and matric suction measured in the wetting process(under rainfall) with those in the drying process(leaving as it was) of the simulated rainfall system, the volumetric water content showed a difference of $2{\sim}5%$ and matric suction of about $3{\sim}10\;kPa$, indicating the occurrence of hysteresis. In addition, the difference was relatively larger in matric suction than in the volumetric water content, and this tells that the hysteresis behavior is larger in matric suction. When the soil water characteristic curve derived from measurements in simulated rainfall system test were compared with those from the soil water characteristic curve cell test, both methods produced soil water characteristic curves close each other in the wetting process and the drying process, but in both, there was a difference between results obtained from in the wetting process and those from in the drying process. Thus, when soil water characteristic curves are rationally applied to the design and stability analysis considering of the properties of unsaturated soil, it is considered desirable to apply the soil water characteristic curve of the wetting process to the wetting process, and that of the drying process to the drying process.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.29 no.A
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• pp.145-153
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• 2009

In this study, to determine characteristics of compaction and the soil water characteristic curve(SWCC) in decomposed granitic soils, compaction tests and SWCC tests were carried out for samples having various contents of coefficient of uniform($c_u$), By compacting their samples with standard Proctor density test, the effects of binder contents on maximum dry density and optimum moisture content were investigated and compared. Samples compacted with the maximum dry density and the optimum moisture content were tested by means of the SWCC, to determine their SWCC parameters, such as Brooks & Corey(${\lambda}$, ${\Psi}_b$), Van Genuchten (${\alpha}$, n, m), Fredlund & Xing(a, n, m).

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.47-58
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• 2014

To investigate the unsaturated characteristics of the tailings obtained from the waste dump at Imgi mine, matric suction and volumetric water content were measured in both drying and wetting processes using Automated Soil-Water Characteristics Curve Apparatus. Based on the measured result, Soil Water Characteristic Curves (SWCC) were estimated by van Genuchten model. According to the unsaturated soil classification method, the tailings of the waste dump correspond to clayey sand. As a result of Suction Stress Characteristic Curve (SSCC) by Lu and Likos model, SSCC has a shape of S which is similar to SWCC. The hysteresis phenomenon occurred in SSCCs, which means the suction stress of drying path is larger than that of wetting path in the same effective degree of saturation. The effective stress of unsaturated soil is equal to that of saturated soil when matric suction is less than Air Entry Value (AEV). However, the effective stress of unsaturated soil is larger than that of saturated soil when matic suction is more than AEV. Meanwhile, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity by van Genuchten model decreased with increasing matric suction, and the hydraulic conductivity of drying path is larger than that of wetting path.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.17-26
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• 2005

Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) is a unique characteristic that should be considered In the analysis of unsaturated soil and prediction of unsaturated properties. However, the volume change of soil specimens that happens in the existing apparatus affects the SWCC, Therefore, In this study, we intended to obtain more appropriate SWCC by measuring the change In the volume of the specimen in the SWCC tests. The measured change of void ratio indicates that the saturation step prior to the test changes the original structure of the soil specimen. Thus we carried out the test far the same specimen omitting the saturation step prior to the test. The change of void ratio by this test procedure is relatively small.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 2022

The steady state of unsaturated soil takes a long time to achieve. The soil seepage behaviours and hydraulic properties depend highly on the wetting/drying rate. It is observed that the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) is dependent on the wetting/drying rate, which is known as the dynamic effect. The dynamic effect apparently influences the scanning curves and will substantially affect the seepage behavior. However, the previous models commonly ignore the dynamic effect and cannot quantitatively describe the hysteresis scanning loops under dynamic conditions. In this study, a dynamic hysteresis model for SWCC is proposed considering the dynamic change of contact angle and the moving of the contact line. The drying contact angle under dynamic condition is smaller than that under static condition, while the wetting contact angle under dynamic condition is larger than that under static condition. The dynamic contact angle is expressed as a function of the saturation rate according to the Laplace equation. The model is given by a differential equation, in which the slope of the scanning curve is related to the slope of the boundary curve by means of contact angle. Empirical models can simulate the boundary curves. Given the two boundary curves, the scanning curve can be well predicted. In this model, only two parameters are introduced to describe the dynamic effect. They can be easily obtained from the experiment, which facilitates the calibration of the model. The proposed model is verified by the experimental data recorded in the literature and is proved to be more convenient and effective.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.13-26
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• 2023

This study examined the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC), considering the volume change, using wetting curves on the field monitoring data of a wireless sensor network. Special attention was given to evaluating the landslide vulnerability by deriving a matric suction suitable for the actual site during the wetting process. Laboratory drying SWCC and shrinkage laboratory tests were used to perform the combined analysis of landslide and debris flow. The results showed that the safety factor of the wetting curve, considering the volume change of soil, was lower than that of the drying curve. As a result of numerical analyses of the debris flow simulation, more debris flow occurred in the wetting curve than in the drying curve. It was also found that the landslide analysis with the drying curve tends to overestimate the actual safety factor with the in situ wetting curve. Finally, it is confirmed that calculating the matric suction through SWCC considering the volume change is more appropriate and reasonable for the field landslide analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.155-162
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• 2003

The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) represents the essential constitutive relationship for solving various problems in unsaturated soil mechanics. A reliable and convenient experimental method is needed for the determination of the SWCC in engineering applications. This study introduces and proves that the suction-saturation experimental measurement based on the flow pump technique is a convenient and accurate method for obtaining the SWCC. The flow pump technique provides complete control over the test conditions and is capable of detecting all the important elements of the SWCC. In particular, it is capable of defining continuous drying and wetting curves, the moment of air occlusion, and the hysteretic behavior of unsaturated soils. Not only the optimal testing procedure but also the analysis technique for the flow pump technique has been established in this study. Especially, the method of the suction drop measurement was developed to measure the SWCC. This method is a convenient and time saving method without losing accuracy.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.343-353
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• 2024

The hydraulic anisotropic behavior of unsaturated soil has not been fully explored in relation to the grain-size distribution. The present study conducted laboratory assessments to examine the hydraulic anisotropy condition of statically compacted specimens in various initial states. The investigation incorporated the concept of hydraulic anisotropy by employing two discrete forms of soil stratification: horizontal-layering (HL) and vertical-layering (VL). The examined soils comprised sandy silt and silty sand, exhibiting either unimodal or bimodal soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC). This study aimed to investigate the potential correlation between the hydraulic anisotropy ratio and soil properties. The present study established a correlation between the hydraulic anisotropy ratio and several soil parameters, including fine content, dry density, plastic limit, and liquid limit. The study results indicate a non-linear relationship between the percentage of fine and dry density in soils with unimodal and bimodal soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) and hydraulic anisotropy ratio.