A novel framework for deriving water retention behavior of multimodal unsaturated soils based on pore size distribution data

Abstract

The soil water retention curve (SWRC) strongly influences the hydro-mechanical properties of unsaturated soils. It plays a decisive role in geotechnical and geo-environmental applications in the vadose zone. This paper advances a novel framework to derive the water retention behavior of multimodal deformable soils based on the pore size distribution (PSD) measurements. The multiple effects of suction on the soil pore structure and total volume during SWRC tests are considered. The complete picture of soil microstructure is quantitatively described by the void ratio (for the pore volume) and a newly defined microstructural state parameter (for pore size distribution) from a probabilistic multimodal PSD model. Assuming a reversible microstructure evolution, a unique PSD surface for wetting and drying links the SWRC and PSD curves in the pore radius-suction-probability space. A closed-form water retention expression is obtained, facilitating the model's implementation in particle applications. The model is validated using the water retention data of four different soil types, showing a strong consistency between the measurement and the reproduced curve. The proposed method provides new insights into the pore structure evolution, the water retention behavior and the relationship between them for multimodal deformable soils.