|Table of Contents|

Test for Water Retention Behaviour of Unsaturated Soil Based on Improved Transient Method(PDF)

《地球科学与环境学报》[ISSN:1672-6561/CN:61-1423/P]

Issue:
2025年第05期
Page:
962-971
Research Field:
工程地质与环境灾害
Publishing date:

Info

Title:
Test for Water Retention Behaviour of Unsaturated Soil Based on Improved Transient Method
Author(s):
LI Lin1;  ZHOU Zhi-yong1;  LI Hong-wang1;  ZHANG Rui-song2;  TANG Hui2;  SONG Tian-qi3;  MU Qing-yi4*
(1. Shandong Electric Power Engineering Consulting Institute Corp., Ltd., Jinan 250013, Shandong, China; 2. China JIKAN Research Institute of Engineering Investigations and Design, Co., Ltd., Xi'an 710043, Shaanxi, China; 3. School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710115, Shaanxi, China; 4. School of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, Shaanxi, China)
Keywords:
unsaturated soil;  soil-water characteristic curve;  improved transient method;  time-domain reflectometry technology;  steady-state method;  traditional transient method;  loess
PACS:
TU43
DOI:
10.19814/j.jese.2024.12024
Abstract:
The steady-state, traditional transient and improved transient methods were used to measure the soil-water characteristic curve of loess, sand and kaolin clay with different dry densities; the performance of improved transient method based on the non-invasive time-domain reflectometry technology was discussed. The results show that the soil-water characteristic curves of unsaturated soil measured by the improved transient method are consistent with the results of the steady-state method; differences in the air entry values and desorption rates measured by the steady-state method and the improved transient method are less than 7%; the traditional transient method overestimates the water retention capacity of various unsaturated soil types, specifically in the air entry value, which is approximately 15% greater than the actual value; this discrepancy is primarily attributed to the structure disturbance induced by the use of an invasive time domain reflectometry probe in the traditional transient method. In addition, the steady-state method approximately needs 350 h for experimental duration, due to requirement for each suction increment to attend equilibrium; conversely, the traditional transient method, which employs larger soil specimens, is characterized by a longer evaporation period, resulting in a test duration of approximately 2 000 h; in stark contrast, the improved transient method, which uses a smaller soil specimen with dimensions of 6.18 cm in diameter and 2 cm in height, reduces the experimental duration(i.e. 50 h). The improved transient method provides an efficient and accurate approach for the rapid assessment of the water retention behaviour of soils.

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Last Update: 2025-10-01