Critical moisture content model and application to the formation of soil desiccation cracks

IF 4.2 2区工程技术 Q3 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Pub Date : 2025-02-24 DOI:10.1007/s10064-025-04175-5

Weiping Liu, Xinqiang Song, Shaofeng Wan, Xiaorong Hu, Xiangtai Zeng

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Abstract

Desiccation crack patterns are commonly observed in natural and engineered soils and provides preferential pathways for moisture infiltrating into the soil. Cracks occur easily in soil when moisture is lost due to desiccation. Crack formation and development are closely related to moisture content and have a marked impact on the soil deformation characteristics and hydraulic properties. However, the critical moisture content below which desiccation cracks appear in the soil is usually determined by experiment because there is a lack of research on theoretical calculation models. Therefore, a theoretical calculation model is proposed to calculate the critical moisture content, and a parameter, \(\lambda\), based on the following relationships: between soil grain size and suction, between suction and tensile strength, and between soil cracking and tensile strength. The critical moisture content values of different grain compositions were calculated and compared with laboratory experiments of desiccation crack. The critical moisture content of the granite residual soil is between 20% (50% liquid limit) and 30% (75% liquid limit). The presented model provides a means to estimate the critical moisture content of crack formation from soil desiccation using basic soil properties. This method can estimate the characteristics of soil desiccation cracks under extreme weather condition.

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临界含水率模型及其在土壤干燥裂缝形成中的应用

干燥裂缝模式在天然和工程土壤中普遍存在，为水分渗入土壤提供了优先途径。当土壤因干燥而失去水分时，容易产生裂缝。裂缝的形成和发展与含水率密切相关，对土体的变形特性和水力特性有显著影响。然而，由于缺乏理论计算模型的研究，土壤出现干裂的临界含水率通常是通过实验确定的。因此，基于土体粒径与吸力、吸力与抗拉强度、土体开裂与抗拉强度的关系，提出了计算临界含水率的理论计算模型和参数\(\lambda\)。计算了不同颗粒组成的临界含水率值，并与室内干裂试验进行了比较。花岗岩残积土的临界含水率在20之间% (50% liquid limit) and 30% (75% liquid limit). The presented model provides a means to estimate the critical moisture content of crack formation from soil desiccation using basic soil properties. This method can estimate the characteristics of soil desiccation cracks under extreme weather condition.

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来源期刊

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 工程技术-地球科学综合

CiteScore

7.10

自引率

11.90%

发文量

445

审稿时长

4.1 months

期刊介绍： Engineering geology is defined in the statutes of the IAEG as the science devoted to the investigation, study and solution of engineering and environmental problems which may arise as the result of the interaction between geology and the works or activities of man, as well as of the prediction of and development of measures for the prevention or remediation of geological hazards. Engineering geology embraces: • the applications/implications of the geomorphology, structural geology, and hydrogeological conditions of geological formations; • the characterisation of the mineralogical, physico-geomechanical, chemical and hydraulic properties of all earth materials involved in construction, resource recovery and environmental change; • the assessment of the mechanical and hydrological behaviour of soil and rock masses; • the prediction of changes to the above properties with time; • the determination of the parameters to be considered in the stability analysis of engineering works and earth masses.