A porous model to simulate the evolution of the soil–water characteristic curve with volumetric strains

Abstract

Volumetric strains modify the soil–water retention curve. An easy way to take this phenomenon into account is by means of a percolation model based on the pore size distribution of the material. The model proposed herein is able to simulate the retention curves during wetting–drying cycles. As volumetric deformations modify the pore size distribution, its effect on the retention curves can be easily included in the model. The model is validated by comparing some numerical results with experimental results. This procedure represents an option to create fully coupled constitutive models for unsaturated soils.