The importance of applying unsaturated soil mechanics concepts to geotechnical engineering design has been widely recognized. Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and hydraulic conductivity function (HCF) are vital soil properties that govern engineering behavior of unsaturated soils. In this study, a transient water release and imbibitions method (TRIM) is used to measure the SWCC and HCF under drying and wetting states, which accommodates integrated experimental and modeling techniques. The results of saturated hydraulic conductivity tests through flexible wall method are then used as input parameters for simulating experimental data. In general, the model provides a satisfactory fit to experimental data. Soil water characteristic curves (SWCCs) and hydraulic conductivity functions (HCFs) are presented for a variety of soils that were prepared at different molding water contents and compactive efforts. The influences of dry density, molding water content, and hysteresis have been investigated. Dry density affects soil-water characteristic in terms of its air-entry value (AEV), rate of drying, and size of the hysteresis loop. The test results indicate that the SWCC and HCF obtained in terms of volumetric water content is more sensitive to the changes in dry density than molding water content. Based on cohesive soil results, some statistical relations are proposed to estimate wetting-path SWCC and HCF parameters from more easily measured drying curves. Changes in the van Genuchten's fitting parameters and residual volumetric water content are investigated for both drying and wetting conditions, with changes in the kaolin clay content. / Master of Science / Traditional soil mechanics practice has experienced considerable changes during the past few decades. Within that period, the necessity of unsaturated soil mechanics has gradually emerged and become a part of geotechnical engineering practice. Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and hydraulic conductivity function (HCF) are very important properties in the assessment of unsaturated soil behaviors. A transient water release and imbibitions method (TRIM) is used to investigate unsaturated soil properties of a variety of test soils under laboratory conditions. TRIM integrates a testing program and a modeling technique to measure SWCC and HCF concurrently for both drying (water release upon matric suction increase) and wetting (water imbibition upon matric suction decrease) conditions. Compaction, which is a classical application involving unsaturated soil, has the preferred practice for improving the mechanical and hydraulic properties of a soil. The structure and fabric of compacted material is very dependent on the compacted conditions, including compactive effort and molding water content. This paper evaluates the influence of such mentioned factors on the SWCC and HCF. The test results indicate that the SWCC and HCF obtained in terms of volumetric water content is more sensitive to the changes in compactive effort than molding water content. Hysteresis phenomena, the difference in the relationship between the water content of the soil and the corresponding water potential under drying and wetting path, is investigated. Based on cohesive soil results, some statistical relations are proposed to estimate wetting-path SWCC and HCF parameters from more easily measured drying curves.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o potencial do ensaio de ascensão capilar e de uma técnica de otimização de parâmetros para estimar os parâmetros hidráulicos dos solos. O ensaio de ascensão capilar é de execução simples e rápida e reflete um fenômeno condicionado pelas propriedades hidráulicas do solo. Na representação matemática da ascensão capilar, utilizou-se o modelo de Terzaghi (1943) que considerou tratar-se de uma condição de fluxo governada pela condutividade hidráulica saturada (ks), e o modelo de Lu & Likos (2004b), que utilizaram a equação de Gardner (1958) para representar a função condutividade hidráulica, considerando que o fluxo se dá em meio não saturado. O processo de otimização utilizou a rotina SOLVER componente do programa EXCEL, e foi testado utilizando-se os dados experimentais de Lane & Washburn (1946) e de Zhang & Fredlund (2009). Em seguida, resultados de ascensão capilar de oito amostras de solos típicos do Estado do São Paulo, Brasil, foram modelados com os parâmetros derivados da técnica. Observou-se que tanto o modelo de Terzaghi (1943) quanto o de Lu & Likos (2004b) conseguiram reproduzir os resultados experimentais de ascensão capilar, com melhores resultados associados ao modelo de Lu & Likos (2004b) para a maior parte dos solos analisados. A previsão da condutividade hidráulica saturada, de forma geral, diferiu menos de uma ordem de grandeza dos valores medidos experimentalmente, embora maiores discrepâncias tenham sido notadas para determinados tipos de solos. O parâmetro de Gardner da função condutividade hidráulica resultou em valores da mesma ordem de grandeza dos valores reportados na literatura para solos similares. Os resultados sobre a aplicação do ensaio de ascensão capilar e da técnica de otimização mostraram-se promissores para a determinação de parâmetros hidráulicos dos solos analisados, com a vantagem de ter-se um procedimento simples e rápido para a finalidade descrita. / This study evaluates the potential of capillary rise test and a parameter optimization technique to estimate soil hydraulic parameters. The capillary rise is a simple and expedite test that is conditioned by soil hydraulic properties. In the mathematical representation of the capillary rise we used the model of Terzaghi (1943), who considered that saturated hydraulic conductivity commands the phenomeno and the model of Lu & Likos (2004b) who used the Gardner equation (1958) to represent the hydraulic conductivity function, considering that the flow takes place in a non-saturated condition. The optimization process used the SOLVER routine, component of the EXCEL program, that was firstly tested using experimental data of Lane & Washburn (1946) and Zhang & Fredlund (2009). Then, results of capillary rise of eight samples of typical soils of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, were modeled with the parameters derived from the technique. It was observed that both the Terzaghi (1943) and Lu & Likos (2004b) models were able to reproduce the experimental results of capillarity, although the best results were yielded by the model Lu & Likos (2004b) for most soils. The prediction of saturated hydraulic conductivity, in general, differed less than one order of magnitude of experimentally measured values, although larger discrepancies have been noted for certain types of soils. The resulting Gardner parameter of the hydraulic conductivity function were of the same order of magnitude of the values reported in the literature for similar soils. The results on the application of capillary rise test and optimization technique proved promising for the determination of soil hydraulic parameters analyzed, with the advantage of having a simple and rapid procedure for the purpose described.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o potencial do ensaio de ascensão capilar e de uma técnica de otimização de parâmetros para estimar os parâmetros hidráulicos dos solos. O ensaio de ascensão capilar é de execução simples e rápida e reflete um fenômeno condicionado pelas propriedades hidráulicas do solo. Na representação matemática da ascensão capilar, utilizou-se o modelo de Terzaghi (1943) que considerou tratar-se de uma condição de fluxo governada pela condutividade hidráulica saturada (ks), e o modelo de Lu & Likos (2004b), que utilizaram a equação de Gardner (1958) para representar a função condutividade hidráulica, considerando que o fluxo se dá em meio não saturado. O processo de otimização utilizou a rotina SOLVER componente do programa EXCEL, e foi testado utilizando-se os dados experimentais de Lane & Washburn (1946) e de Zhang & Fredlund (2009). Em seguida, resultados de ascensão capilar de oito amostras de solos típicos do Estado do São Paulo, Brasil, foram modelados com os parâmetros derivados da técnica. Observou-se que tanto o modelo de Terzaghi (1943) quanto o de Lu & Likos (2004b) conseguiram reproduzir os resultados experimentais de ascensão capilar, com melhores resultados associados ao modelo de Lu & Likos (2004b) para a maior parte dos solos analisados. A previsão da condutividade hidráulica saturada, de forma geral, diferiu menos de uma ordem de grandeza dos valores medidos experimentalmente, embora maiores discrepâncias tenham sido notadas para determinados tipos de solos. O parâmetro de Gardner da função condutividade hidráulica resultou em valores da mesma ordem de grandeza dos valores reportados na literatura para solos similares. Os resultados sobre a aplicação do ensaio de ascensão capilar e da técnica de otimização mostraram-se promissores para a determinação de parâmetros hidráulicos dos solos analisados, com a vantagem de ter-se um procedimento simples e rápido para a finalidade descrita. / This study evaluates the potential of capillary rise test and a parameter optimization technique to estimate soil hydraulic parameters. The capillary rise is a simple and expedite test that is conditioned by soil hydraulic properties. In the mathematical representation of the capillary rise we used the model of Terzaghi (1943), who considered that saturated hydraulic conductivity commands the phenomeno and the model of Lu & Likos (2004b) who used the Gardner equation (1958) to represent the hydraulic conductivity function, considering that the flow takes place in a non-saturated condition. The optimization process used the SOLVER routine, component of the EXCEL program, that was firstly tested using experimental data of Lane & Washburn (1946) and Zhang & Fredlund (2009). Then, results of capillary rise of eight samples of typical soils of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, were modeled with the parameters derived from the technique. It was observed that both the Terzaghi (1943) and Lu & Likos (2004b) models were able to reproduce the experimental results of capillarity, although the best results were yielded by the model Lu & Likos (2004b) for most soils. The prediction of saturated hydraulic conductivity, in general, differed less than one order of magnitude of experimentally measured values, although larger discrepancies have been noted for certain types of soils. The resulting Gardner parameter of the hydraulic conductivity function were of the same order of magnitude of the values reported in the literature for similar soils. The results on the application of capillary rise test and optimization technique proved promising for the determination of soil hydraulic parameters analyzed, with the advantage of having a simple and rapid procedure for the purpose described.