Evaluation of Hydraulic Conductivity and Diffusion Coefficient of Unsaturated Soils from Experimental SWRC

Fine unsaturated soils change their water content on account of climatic environments, pipe failure, and other determinants. These changes produce drying-wetting eras that generate decrease-swelling cycles on account of variations in soil friction and water content. Several theoretical models are used to estimate the hydraulic presence of soils (hydraulic conductivity and diffusion cooperative) by fitting the SWRC. The fitting model precision depends broadly on the accuracy of the exploratory points of the SWRC and the fitting model. Because of this, it is advisable to simply use the exploratory data from the SWRC to acquire the hydraulic behavior. Therefore, an invention based on a data table, that uses an interpolation procedure with variable accruals, is proposed. The process approximates the experimental SWRC utilizing a polynomial equation generated each branch (drying and moisting). This procedure cuts down the indirect method and avoids mistakes caused for one SWRC fitting process because it does not demand fitting parameters. The results show that the hydraulic behavior of soils maybe predicted exactly with the projected method than with the established methods.

Author(s) Details:

J. R. Galaviz-González,
Department of Civil Engineering and Topography, University of Guadalajara, 1421 Blvd. Marcelino García Barragán, Guadalajara-44430, Mexico.

J. M. Horta-Rangel,
Graduate Engineering Department, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas s/n, Queretaro, Qro. C.P.-76010, Mexico.

E. Rojas-Gonzalez,
Graduate Engineering Department, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas s/n, Queretaro, Qro. C.P.-76010, Mexico.

M. L. Pérez-Rea,
Graduate Engineering Department, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas s/n, Queretaro, Qro. C.P.-76010, Mexico.

T. Lopez-Lara,
Graduate Engineering Department, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas s/n, Queretaro, Qro. C.P.-76010, Mexico.

J. B. Hernandez-Zaragoza,
Graduate Engineering Department, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas s/n, Queretaro, Qro. C.P.-76010, Mexico.

L. Y. Cabello-Suárez,
Department of Project Engineering, University of Guadalajara, 48 Blvd. José Guadalupe Zuno, Zapopan-45157, Mexico.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/COSTR-V10/article/view/8902

Keywords: Soil water retention curve, hydraulic conductivity, diffusion coefficient, unsaturated soils, indirect method