A coupled model to predict the behavior of unsaturated soils

Abstract

Unsaturated soils mechanics considers all those soils which voids contain not only water but also air. This is the reason why they are susceptible to moisture changes, which can lead into volume changes. These variations in water content trigger alterations in the mechanical properties of soils. So it is important to predict the soil behavior when its water content is changing. Several hydromechanical models have been developed in which different phenomena, such as hysteresis and wetting-drying cycles, are in cluded. These models can be based on different theories or principles and some can be more accurate, such as those models based in the principle of effective stress and the critical state theory. This document presents a model and the numerical and experimental comparisons to demonstrate its effectiveness and thus promote its use among the engineers. This would allow improvements in the design of infrastructure works as it can simulate different scenarios that may happen in nature.