基于状态曲面的非饱和土强度准则及其验证

考虑体变对非饱和土土-水状态的影响,将状态曲面函数引入传统的Vanapalli强度公式得到与孔隙比相关的抗剪强度准则,新准则使用饱和土的强度参数和两条不同孔隙比对应的土-水特征曲线。选择一种尾矿砂和高岭土的混合土料为研究对象,进行一系列的土-水特征曲线试验、吸力控制的等向压缩和三轴剪切试验。试验结果表明,新准则能更准确地预测非饱和土的强度,证明了传统强度预测的误差主要来源于忽略了体变导致的土-水状态变化,并提出在不同应力空间内精确地获得抗剪强度包线的方法,合理地解释了强度包线斜率在净应力-强度平面内随吸力增大、强度包线形状在吸力-强度平面内随净应力发生变化的特性。     

非饱和膨胀土的土-水特征曲线研究

在干旱和半干旱地区 ,土体中含水量的变化常会引发各种工程问题。研究表明 ,非饱和土的工程性质不仅取决于土的组成、结构和应力状态 ,还与土中的吸力密切相关。非饱和土的土 -水特征曲线表达了土体中含水量与吸力的关系 ,是非饱和土研究的重要内容之一。     

土-水特征曲线及其相关性研究

土-水特征曲线（SWCC）描述了土体吸力与含水率之间的关系,是非饱和土力学研究的重要内容。从理论和试验两个方面研究了土-水特征曲线和渗透曲线的相互关系。在理论上,应用自然比例法则研究了土-水特征曲线和渗透曲线的特征,从物理和力学意义两个方面探讨了土-水特征曲线及其导数、渗透曲线、颗粒分布曲线之间的特征,给出了土-水特征曲线和渗透曲线两指数函数表达式幂的取值范围和相互关系。试验研究结果表明：土体的土-水特征曲线受到土体的物质成分、塑性指数、孔隙结构、应力状态等多种因素影响,土体持水特性研究对工程建设具有重要的指导意义。     

非饱和土土水特征曲线(SWCC)测试与预测

非饱和土土水特征曲线(SWCC)表示了土中含水量与吸力之间的关系。文章介绍了6种常用方法,各有其适用范围。体积压力板仪可量测最大基质吸力值为1500kPa的干燥曲线和浸湿曲线;超过1500kPa时,可用盐溶液法进行量测;Tem-ple仪可量测基质吸力达100kPa的干燥曲线;滤纸法可用于测量土体的基质吸力与总吸力;Dew-point电位计可用于量测土样总吸力变化,尤其适合渗透吸力的量测;TDR探头适合于量测小于300kPa的基质吸力。用GDS非饱和土三轴仪可以进行SWCC测试,测试范围主要取决于陶土板的进气值。用准确的数学模型对测得的含水量、吸力数据进行拟合,对于预测非饱和土力学性质、渗透系数、抗剪强度及分析边坡稳定性有重要意义。由于准确测试SWCC难度较大,并且测试影响因素较多,所以根据土体孔隙大小分布和颗粒大小分布情况预测SWCC,也是一种较好的方法。     

盐渍土土水特征曲线测试及预测

作为一种特殊土,盐渍土有着独特的工程性质并由此引发了盐胀、溶陷等工程问题,其发生及发展均与土体含水量密切相关,不同含水量条件下土中的吸力也对土体工程性质有着较大影响.本文选取甘肃酒泉地区的盐渍土,室内利用Ku-pF非饱和导水率仪测试了不同干密度状态下盐渍土试样的土水特征曲线,发现渗透吸力的存在使得盐渍土试样的土水特征曲线转化阶段较一般土平缓,同一含水量条件下土中的吸力较一般土大,土体持水能力有所增强.不同干密度试样土水特征曲线的测试结果表明,干密度增大后土中大孔隙减少,中、小孔隙增多,孔隙连通性变差,导致土样饱和含水量降低,进气值增大,失水速率减慢,土体持水能力有一定增强.对比国内外广泛使用的模型对实测盐渍土土水特征曲线进行拟合,发现Fredlund and Xing模型能较好地反映盐渍土土中吸力与含水量的关系.最后,基于盐渍土的颗粒累积分布曲线及其基本物理指标,依据Fredlund物理-经验预测模型的理论和方法,预测了不同干密度盐渍土的完整土水特征曲线,以期为盐渍土地区土体工程性质的研究和预测提供理论支持和有益参考.     

考虑变形影响的黄土土-水特征及其滞后效应

为了研究变形对非饱和黄土土-水特征和滞后效应的影响,通过先构建恒定吸力条件下土体含水率与孔隙比的关系,再引入吸力的影响,建立了一个能够考虑变形的三维土-水特征曲面模型,模型能够很好地描述不同初始孔隙比黄土吸脱湿过程中含水率随孔隙比和吸力的变化规律。为了证实所提出模型的可靠性,对压实黄土进行一系列吸脱湿过程的土-水特征试验。试验结果表明,恒定吸力条件下土体含水率与孔隙比成线性关系,验证了模型的理论假设。另外由模型可以确定恒定孔隙比状态的土-水特征,将其与试验结果对比发现,脱湿路径由吸力引起的变形对土-水特征影响较大,会使特征参数减小,并抑制滞后效应。     

基于土水特征曲线的渗流控制措施研究

利用WF非饱和应力路径三轴仪进行了壤土、砂壤土的土水特征曲线试验,结果表明: 2种土体的土水特征曲线差别较大,基质吸力随含水量的变化呈现不一致性。根据室内非饱和土的土水特征曲线试验结果,针对广阳水库蓄水后地下水抬升引起的地基土体由自然状态到非饱和状态到饱和状态这一变化过程,采用非饱和非稳定渗流有限单元法系统地分析了这一变化过程对库区周边环境工程地质条件的影响,并基于此分析论证了截渗沟这一渗控措施的对库区渗控效果的有效性。分析表明,设置截渗沟不但降低了地下水水位,而且也降低了地下水位以上土体内的含水量,这对减小浸没和次生盐碱化有实际的工程意义。     

非饱和土的一种分类方法

根据理想模型中土颗粒和孔隙水之间的几何关系、热力学原理和土力学基本理论,研究了土的非饱和性在非饱和土中引起的力系。给出了张力吸力和吸力比的定义,并在考虑基质吸力作用面积的基础上定义了等效吸力的概念。按照孔隙水弯液面是否与土颗粒表面搭接,将非饱和土分为搭接非饱和土和不搭接非饱和土两类。进而根据搭接状态将搭接非饱和土细分为水封闭非饱和土和搭接双开敞非饱和土,根据孔隙气状态将不搭接非饱和土细分为不搭接双开敞非饱和土和气封闭非饱和土。在搭接非饱和土中,出现张力吸力并对土体的强度产生增强作用;在不搭接非饱和土中,表面张力只是沿着液面传播,不对土的强度产生效应。另外,张力吸力只对强度问题有贡献,它不是渗流问题的驱动力。     

不同类型黏土的强度特性及其预测

强度特性是非饱和土力学中基础性的研究内容。目前对广吸力范围内非饱和黏土强度的预测研究相对较少。本文首先基于文献中粉质黏土、Madrid黏土和南阳弱膨胀土的非饱和强度特性进行了对比与分析。将不同类型非饱和黏土的强度特性大致分为3种类型:（1）在某一吸力范围试样出现强度峰值,并随着吸力值的进一步增大而降低;（2）达到某一吸力值后其强度几乎维持不变,不受吸力值的影响;（3）其强度随着吸力值的增大而增大。此外,基于现有考虑吸附水膜和毛细水作用的方法拟合广吸力范围内不同类型土的土水特征曲线,并将土水特征曲线分离成吸附土水特征曲线和毛细土水特征曲线。在非饱和土的抗剪强度公式中,认为吸力引起的非饱和强度增强部分主要由毛细水作用决定的,故将非饱和抗剪强度公式中吸力引起非饱和增强项的有效应力系数（即饱和度或有效饱和度）用毛细水对应的饱和度替代。最后,利用修正后的非饱和抗剪强度公式对3种较广吸力范围内非饱和土的强度进行了预测。预测结果表明过渡区段内的强度预测效果较好,但高吸力段非饱和强度的预测还有待进一步研究。     

失水过程孔隙结构、孔隙比、含水率变化规律

当土体总应力状态保持不变时,基质吸力的提高是导致孔隙水排出、土样收缩、孔隙结构改变的主要原因。对于特定吸力下的土样,其微观孔隙结构决定了土壤孔隙比;而土壤孔隙结构,土壤基质吸力共同决定了土壤的含水率。假定在失水过程中,当孔隙水尚未排出时,其土壤孔隙孔径不会收缩,孔隙体积保持不变。可通过吸力建立起变化的土壤孔隙体积曲线和土-水特征曲线、土壤收缩曲线之间的对应关系：（1）累计孔隙体积曲线的包络线即为实际发生的土水特征曲线;（2）基于累计孔隙体积曲线,能够有效确定土样收缩曲线的上下限范围     

吸力对弱膨胀土强度贡献的试验研究与预测分析

对部分应用土-水特征曲线来预测非饱和土抗剪强度的公式进行了归纳分析。应用压力板仪与非饱和三轴仪,测试了荆门原状弱膨胀土的土-水特征曲线和控制吸力的非饱和三轴抗剪强度参数,并将试验结果与各抗剪强度公式的预测值进行对比,分析了各强度公式的局限性。试验结果表明,非饱和原状膨胀土的净法向应力摩擦角随着吸力的不同而变化,根据双应力变量理论确定的吸力对强度的贡献与围压有关,不同围压下吸力对强度的贡献不同,表观凝聚力 与吸力间符合乘幂函数关系。     

土-水特征曲线的试验研究及曲线拟合

土-水特征曲线是非饱和土力学研究中的一条重要曲线,其拟合参数对于分析非饱和土的各种性质具有重要意义。基于渗析法及滤纸法试验,测定了合肥市某工地非饱和膨胀土的土-水特征。以van Genuchten模型为基础,采用科学计算语言Matlab中的Lsqcurvefit函数对试验结果进行了曲线拟合,分析了土-水特征曲线拟合参数的多解性及其影响因素。拟合结果表明：渗析法试验得到的吸力范围偏低,拟合参数多解性较为明显;综合2种试验结果,可以得到较大吸力范围内的土-水特征曲线,且参数多解性较小;参与土-水特征曲线拟合的试验数据点的吸力范围应足够大,试验数据点应能够代表整条曲线的形状,试验点不必太过于密集,否则土-水特征曲线拟合参数的多解性较为明显;另一方面,只要试验数据点能代表整条曲线的形状,试验数据点的个数不必太多。这一研究结果对提高土-水特征曲线拟合参数的精度、提高试验效率有重要指导意义。     

全吸力范围南阳膨胀土的土-水特征曲线

膨胀土的失水收缩、吸水膨胀过程分别对应着土-水特征曲线的脱湿和吸湿阶段。土-水特征曲线对于研究非饱和土的水力与力学特性有着重要作用。用压力板法（吸力范围0～1.5 MPa）、滤纸法（吸力范围0～40 MPa）和蒸汽平衡法（吸力范围3～368 MPa）,分别对南阳膨胀土进行了土-水特性试验,得到全吸力范围内的土-水特征曲线。试验结果表明：初始孔隙比大致相同土样的土-水特征曲线,在低吸力范围内脱湿曲线与吸湿曲线具有明显的滞回现象。当吸力大于300 MPa时,土-水特征曲线的滞回效应基本消失,即脱湿曲线与吸湿曲线基本重合。滤纸法所测出的土-水特性落在主脱湿和主吸湿曲线的滞回圈内。当吸力等于367.54 MPa时,含水率仅为0.325%,几乎近于0。孔隙比随着吸力的变化规律中,不仅受到吸力大小的影响,还受到吸力历史和吸力路径影响;孔隙比与吸力关系中,相同吸力时吸湿路径的孔隙比要比脱湿路径的大;在吸力低范围,吸湿路径与脱湿路径的孔隙比相近。孔隙比与饱和度关系因吸力路径的不同也存在着明显的滞回效应,接近饱和时趋近一致。变吸力情况条件下,饱和度随着孔隙比的增加而增加,蒸汽平衡法得出的孔隙比与饱和度的关系具有明显的线性关系,而压力板法做出来的低吸力范围内的线性关系不明显。     

Development and Application of a New Tensile Stress Model for Expansive Soils

Cracks initiate and propagate when tensile stress, caused by an increase in suction, becomes greater than tensile strength in expansive soils. It is important to understand the variation of tensile stress with suction for properly tackling the problems associated with cracks. In this paper, a new practical model is presented for predicting tensile stress from suction, and is verified using finite element analysis. The parametric study shows that drying time and diffusion coefficient control the distribution of tensile stress with depth and the depth to zero tensile stress, while elastic modulus, the difference between final surface suction and initial suction, and suction compression index control the magnitude of tensile stress. The new model can be used to predict the suction where the crack initiates using the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC), to estimate the depth of crack for a specific region, and to estimate the required drying time for a specific crack depth. The new model widens the general application of the SWCC approach in unsaturated soils and can be a useful tool to analyze the interaction between foundation or pavement subgrade and local climatic conditions.     

Influence of Unsaturated Soil Properties Uncertainty on Moisture Flow Modeling

The quality of a numerical modeling solution of moisture flow through unsaturated soil, in part, depends on properly described unsaturated soil properties. The variability of the Soil Water Characteristic Curve, SWCC, is attributed to hysteresis and reproducibility of measurement. Because the unsaturated conductivity function is rarely directly measured, the variability of the unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity function is attributed to the uncertainty associated with the estimation of this parameter with currently available fitting functions, and hence a range of reasonable variation was considered. One-dimensional modeling of expansive soil under dry initial conditions (suction of 1,500 kPa) was performed; both potential evaporation and infiltration boundary conditions were considered. It was found that small variations in the unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity function result in significantly different modeling outputs, as expected, while substential variation in SWCC alone (assuming the same unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity for all SWCCs) produced almost identical soil response in terms of soil suction when the slope of the SWCC is similiar. Thus, proper characterization of the slope of the SWCC is important to proper suction profile determination.     

Comparison of testing techniques and models for establishing the SWCC of riverbank soils

The soil water characteristic curve (SWCC), also known as soil water retention curve (SWRC), describes the relationship between water content and soil suction in unsaturated soils. Water content and suction affect the permeability, shear strength, volume change and deformability of unsaturated soils. This paper presents results of the laboratory determination of the SWCC for soil samples obtained from the riverbank of the Lower Roanoke River in North Carolina. Six different testing methods were used to establish the SWCC including the filter paper, dewpoint potentiameter, vapor equilibrium, pressure plate, Tempe cell and osmotic methods. It is concluded that each suction measurement technique provides different measurable ranges of suction values, and the combined results from the different tests provide continuous SWCCs. Three widely available models were also shown to adequately fit the experimental SWCC data, particularly for matric suction values under 1500 kPa. These results will be valuable to practitioners in deciding which methods to use to establish the SWCC, and which empirical relationship to use for modeling the SWCC of riverbank soils.     

Coupled modelling of hydro‐mechanical behaviour of unsaturated compacted expansive soils

The Barcelona basic model cannot predict the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, whereas the Barcelona expansive model (BExM) can only predict the stress–strain behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils without the water‐retention behaviour being incorporated. Moreover, the micro‐parameters and the coupling function between micro‐structural and macro‐structural strains in the BExM are difficult to determine. Experimental data show that the compression curves for non‐expansive soils under constant suctions are shifted towards higher void ratios with increasing suction, whereas the opposite is true for expansive soils. According to the observed water‐retention behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, the air‐entry value increases with density, and the relationship between the degree of saturation and void ratio is linear at constant suction. According to the above observation, an elastoplastic constitutive model is developed for predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, based on the existing hydro‐mechanical model for non‐expansive unsaturated soil. The model takes into consideration the effect of degree of saturation on the mechanical behaviour and that of void ratio on the water‐retention behaviour. The concept of equivalent void ratio curve is introduced to distinguish the plastic potential curve from the yield curve. The model predictions are compared with the test results of an unsaturated expansive soil, including swelling tests under constant net stress, isotropic compression tests and triaxial shear tests under constant suction. The comparison indicates that the model offers great potential for quantitatively predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.