非饱和土的固结与水力特性研究

采用平均土骨架应力代替Bishop的非饱和土的有效应力,基于分析体积变形连续性条件建立了简化的一维非饱和土固结方程,分析计算了非饱和土在固结过程中孔隙压力、平均土骨架应力、饱和度的变化情况。同时建立了耦合水力特性的非饱和土本构模型和屈服方程。算例计算结果表明本文提出的非饱和土简化固结理论和耦合水力特性的非饱和土应力应变本构模型的有效性。     

密度对非饱和粘土渗透系数的影响研究

取三峡库区某滑坡滑带土制备不同干密度的重塑土样进行饱和渗透试验和非饱和土水特征曲线试验,得到不同干密度重塑土样的土水特征曲线,通过理论公式预测出相应的非饱和渗透系数,进而得到不同干密度重塑土样渗透系数与基质吸力的关系.结果显示:渗透系数随着基质吸力的增大而呈非线性减小,当基质吸力较高时,渗透系数随基质吸力的变化比较小;...     

Infiltration in unsaturated soils – An analytical approach

An approximate analytical solution has been established for the well known Richards’ equation for unsaturated flow of transports in soils. Despite the importance of Richards’ equation in geotechnical and geoenvironmental applications, most solutions to the problem are generally based on numerical methods often having limitations in application. It is therefore advantageous to explore analytical solutions to the problem. The proposed solution is based on homotopy analysis method (HAM). The method is superior over traditional perturbation techniques in a sense that it is not dependent on the assumption of a small parameter as the initial step. Several simple cases have been explored to describe the application of HAM to Richards’ equation. The results obtained by HAM are also compared with existing solutions to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method.     

Multi-step and two-step experiments in heterogeneous porous media to evaluate the relevance of dynamic effects

The determination of hydraulic properties in non-stationary experiments is suspected to be affected by dynamic effects. This is based on thermodynamic considerations on the pore scale displacement of wetting and non-wetting phase. But also macroscopic heterogeneities at the continuum scale may influence the dynamics of water during drainage and wetting. In this paper we investigate both aspects. Firstly, we present the results of typical multi-step outflow experiments in heterogeneous sand columns which are compared with two-step outflow experiments covering the same pressure range. The discrepancies caused by pressure steps of different size reveal the impact of dynamic effects due to the non-stationarity of the experiments.     

A generalized transformation approach for simulating steady-state variably-saturated subsurface flow

A numerical method is proposed to accurately and efficiently compute a direct steady-state solution of the nonlinear Richards equation. In the proposed method, the Kirchhoff integral transformation and a complementary transformation are applied to the governing equation in order to separate the nonlinear hyperbolic characteristic from the linear parabolic part. The separation allows the transformed governing equation to be applied to partially- to fully-saturated systems with arbitrary constitutive relations between primary (pressure head) and secondary variables (relative permeability). The transformed governing equation is then discretized with control volume finite difference/finite element approximations, followed by inverse transformation. The approach is compared to analytical and other numerical approaches for variably-saturated flow in 1-D and 3-D domains. The results clearly demonstrate that the approach is not only more computationally efficient but also more accurate than traditional numerical solutions. The approach is also applied to an example flow problem involving a regional-scale variably-saturated heterogeneous system, where the vadose zone is up to 1 km thick. The performance, stability, and effectiveness of the transform approach is exemplified for this complex heterogeneous example, which is typical of many problems encountered in the field. It is shown that computational performance can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude with the described integral transformation approach.     

Reactive transport in unsaturated soil: Comprehensive modelling of the dynamic spatial and temporal mass balance of water and chemical components

By implementing the moisture-based form of Richards’ equation into the geochemical modelling framework PHREEQC, a generic tool for the simulation of one-dimensional flow and solute transport in the vadose zone undergoing complex geochemical reactions was developed. A second-order, cell-centred, explicit finite difference scheme was employed for the numerical solution of the partial differential equations of flow and transport. In this scheme, the charge-balanced soil solution is treated as an assembly of elements, where changes in water and solute contents result from fluxes of elements across cell boundaries. Therefore, water flow is considered in terms of oxygen and hydrogen transport.     

Reprint of “Multi-step and two-step experiments in heterogeneous porous media to evaluate the relevance of dynamic effects”

The determination of hydraulic properties in non-stationary experiments is suspected to be affected by dynamic effects. This is based on thermodynamic considerations on the pore scale displacement of wetting and non-wetting phase. But also macroscopic heterogeneities at the continuum scale may influence the dynamics of water during drainage and wetting. In this paper we investigate both aspects. Firstly, we present the results of typical multi-step outflow experiments in heterogeneous sand columns which are compared with two-step outflow experiments covering the same pressure range. The discrepancies caused by pressure steps of different size reveal the impact of dynamic effects due to the non-stationarity of the experiments.     

pH influence on sorption characteristics of heavy metal in the vadose zone

Sorption is an important process in the modelling and prediction of the movement of heavy metals in unsaturated clay barriers. This experimental study investigates the effect of pH changes in the acidic range on the sorption characteristics of heavy metals such as: lead, copper and zinc in an unsaturated soil. A series of one-dimensional coupled solute and moisture leaching column tests, using different heavy metal solutions, were conducted on an unsaturated illitic soil at varying pH values. Variations of volumetric water content (VWC) with distance were measured for different time durations, and concentrations of heavy metals in the liquid and solid phases were analysed. Partitioning coefficient profiles of contaminants along the soil column were determined for each individual layer in the soil.

Results from column leaching tests showed that the sorption characteristics of heavy metals are controlled by many factors which should be taken into consideration, i.e. the VWC, time of wetting, soil pH, and the influent heavy metal concentrations. Simplification of K_d as a constant and of the VWC as a linear function cannot be considered a good assumption and may lead to an improper evaluation of the sorption phenomena and also to serious errors in predicting contaminant transport through unsaturated soils.     

Influences of the unsaturated,saturated, and riparian zones on the transport of nitrate near the Merced River,California, USA

Transport and transformation of nitrate was evaluated along a 1-km groundwater transect from an almond orchard to the Merced River, California, USA, within an irrigated agricultural setting. As indicated by measurements of pore-water nitrate and modeling using the root zone water quality model, about 63% of the applied nitrogen was transported through a 6.5-m unsaturated zone. Transport times from recharge locations to the edge of a riparian zone ranged from approximately 6 months to greater than 100 years. This allowed for partial denitrification in horizons having mildly reducing conditions, and essentially no denitrification in horizons with oxidizing conditions. Transport times across a 50–100-m-wide riparian zone of less than a year to over 6 years and more strongly reducing conditions resulted in greater rates of denitrification. Isotopic measurements and concentrations of excess N₂ in water were indicative of denitrification with the highest rates below the Merced River. Discharge of water and nitrate into the river was dependent on gradients driven by irrigation or river stage. The results suggest that the assimilative capacity for nitrate of the groundwater system, and particularly the riverbed, is limiting the nitrate load to the Merced River in the study area.