To acquire deeper understanding and insights into the mechanical behaviour of fibre reinforced saturated/unsaturated cohesive soils, a programme of work was designed and included. 1) Conducting standard Consolidation Undrained (CU) tests to investigate mechanical behaviour of non-reinforced fully saturated soil. 2) Studying the strength of fibre reinforced clay though unconfined compression tests. 3) Testing the behaviour of unsaturated reinforced soil in unsaturated triaxial tests. 4) Determining the soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) on soil sample with different fibre content. The investigation was undertaken on a clay of low plasticity index. Samples tested with addition of 1, 3 and 5 % fibre content and different values of matric suction of 50, 100 and 200 kPa, one of the challenges that were encountered in this research are how to prepare homogenous samples. A method for prepared compacted fibre reinforced soils with improved fibre distribution and density profile has been proposed and examined. The test results indicated that waste carpet fibres increase the shear strength of unsaturated clay soils. It was also found that relative increase in strength is also a function of applied suction. An increase in waste carpet fibres was found to reduce the hysteresis of soil. A data analysis conducted on the results of unsaturated tests as a function of fibre content and matric suction. The behaviour modelled was shown to be a perfect fit with the experimental data.

Shallow foundations are widely used in different types of soils for supporting the loads from the lightly loaded superstructures of various civil infrastructures both on level and sloping ground. Design of shallow foundations in geotechnical engineering practice is widely based on the principles of saturated soil mechanics because they are relatively simple. However, the soil near the ground surface (i.e., vadose zone) in which the shallow foundations are typically placed is in an unsaturated state. The water content variation in unsaturated soils is influenced by hydrological events such as the snow melt, rainfall infiltration, evaporation, and the plant transpiration. Due to this reason, the hydro-mechanical properties (i.e., coefficient of permeability, shear strength and volume change) of unsaturated soils are sensitive to the variation in soil suction associated with water content changes. These properties in turn have a significant impact on the bearing capacity and settlement behavior of the shallow foundations. Therefore, it is rational to investigate shallow foundations’ behavior extending the principles of unsaturated soil mechanics. During the last two decades, there has been a significant interest towards investigating shallow foundations based on unsaturated soil mechanics. Laboratory, field, and model studies highlight that matric suction variation in unsaturated soils has a significant influence on the bearing capacity and settlement behavior of shallow foundations. However, the focus of most of the presently available studies in the literature consider mostly vertical loading conditions on level soil ground. There are limited studies related to the design of shallow foundations on sloping ground and subjected to inclined and eccentric loading conditions. Also, there are only few studies that consider the effect of the steady state and transient flow conditions on the foundation bearing capacity evaluation. Therefore, one of the key objectives of this thesis is directed toward developing rational tools for investigating shallow foundations considering the steady state and transient flow conditions associated with water infiltration and evaporation in unsaturated soils. Comprehensive investigation studies are undertaken to interpret the influence of the steady state and transient flow conditions on the shallow foundations related to: (i) bearing capacity on the sloping ground in different types of soils including expansive soils, and (ii) bearing capacity under the inclined and eccentric loading conditions with homogeneous soil properties and considering spatial variation of soil properties. Succinct details related to investigated studies are summarized below: (1) An analytical method is proposed for quantifying the bearing capacity of the shallow foundations on unsaturated soil slopes considering different rainfall infiltration conditions. The proposed method is a novel tool for considering the simultaneous influence of several parameters that include the flow rates, the infiltration duration, the foundation set-back distance and the ground water table depth on the foundation bearing capacity. (2) Another analytical method is proposed for evaluating the foundation bearing capacity under inclined and eccentric loading considering both the steady state and transient flow conditions. Semi-empirical equations are proposed for describing the failure envelops in vertical and horizontal (V - H) loading space and in the vertical and moment (V - M) loading space. These equations are capable to describe the variation of failure envelops considering the influence of the groundwater table depth variation, internal friction angles, surface flux boundary conditions and different infiltration durations. (3) The influence of infiltration on the combined performance of both the foundation and the slope in cracked expansive soils is evaluated with the aid of a numerical technique. A semi-empirical model that describes the elastic modulus and the matric suction is implemented into the numerical model. Bimodal soil water characteristic curve is used as a tool for understanding the influence of surface cracks in the numerical study in a simplified manner. The influence of the rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, foundation setback distance and foundation loading on the combined performance of foundation and slope were investigated. Results combined with some suggestions for rational design procedures are presented that can be useful for geotechnical engineers in practice applications. (4) Numerical analyses are conducted for shallow foundations under vertical and combined loading subjected to different flow conditions. A numerical code procedure is exclusively developed as a part of this study to: (i) consider the variation of soil properties along with the matric suction fluctuations in the commercial software ABAQUS with the aid of a user developed subroutine USDFLD; (ii) incorporate the spatial variability of soil properties into the finite element model. Comparisons are provided between the numerical study and other methods such as the experimental investigations, the analytical methods, and the semi-empirical equations for bearing capacity failure envelopes. In addition, comparisons are also made between the failure envelopes and the failure mechanisms contour using the model considering soil spatial variability and homogeneous soil properties. The proposed methods in this thesis are simple to use for evaluating bearing capacity of shallow foundations that are subjected to steady state and transient state flow conditions considering two scenarios: (i) foundation on sloping ground (ii) foundation under inclined and eccentric loading. The results from the above studies reveal that it is the relationship between the soil permeability and the rainfall characteristics that mainly control the water infiltration rates. The soil suction and the effective degree of saturation are influenced by the water infiltration rates and have a significant impact on the foundation as well as the slope behavior. More importantly, the investigations undertaken in this thesis contribute towards addressing the research gaps related to the behavior of foundations in unsaturated soils. Various scenarios considered in this thesis include the influence of unsaturated flow have not been considered earlier in the literature. The results of the studies summarized in this thesis are expected to be useful for practicing geotechnical engineers in the optimal design of shallow foundations extending the principles of unsaturated soil mechanics for various soils. Moreover, the proposed methods can be used for interpreting the foundation behavior for their entire life span service. In addition, these methods can be employed to rationally explain the field-measured data and can also be used in the forensics analyses of failed slopes and shallow foundations.

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

Over the past 50 years, several advancements have been made in the research area of the mechanics of unsaturated soils. These advancements can be categorized into two groups; (i) development (or improvement) of testing techniques (or apparatus) to determine the mechanical properties of unsaturated soils and (ii) development of (numerical, empirical or semi-empirical) models to estimate the variation of mechanical properties of unsaturated soils with respect to suction based on the experimental results. Implementation of the mechanics of unsaturated soils in conventional geotechnical engineering practice, however, has been rather limited. The key reasons for the limited practical applications may be attributed to the lack of simple and reliable methods for (i) measuring soil suction in the field quickly and reliably and (ii) estimating the variation of mechanical properties of unsaturated soils with respect to suction. The main objective of this thesis research is to develop simple and reliable techniques, models or approaches that can be used in geotechnical engineering practice to estimate sol suction and the mechanical properties of unsaturated soils. This research can be categorized into three parts. In the First Part, simple techniques are proposed to estimate the suction values of as-compacted unsaturated fine-grained soils using a pocket penetrometer and a conventional tensiometer. The suction values less than 300 kPa can be estimated using a strong relationship between the compressive strength measured using a pocket penetrometer and matric suction value. The high suction values in the range of 1,200 kPa to 60,000 kPa can be estimated using the unique relationship between the initial tangent of conventional tensiometer response versus time behavior and suction value. In the Second Part, approaches or semi-empirical models are proposed to estimate the variation of mechanical properties of unsaturated soils with respect to suction, which include: - Bearing capacity of unsaturated fine-grained soils - Variation of bearing capacity of unsaturated fine-grained soils with respect to matric suction - Variation of initial tangent elastic modulus of unsaturated soils below shallow foundations with respect to matric suction - Variation of maximum shear modulus with respect to matric suction for unsaturated non-plastic sandy soils (i.e. plasticity index, Ip = 0 %) In the Third Part, approaches (or methodologies) are suggested to simulate the vertically applied stress versus surface settlement behavior of shallow foundations in unsaturated coarse-grained soils assuming elastic-perfectly plastic behavior. These methodologies are extended to simulate the stress versus settlement behavior of both model footings and in-situ plates in unsaturated coarse-grained soils. The results show that there is a reasonably good comparison between the measured values (i.e. soil suction, bearing capacity, elastic and shear modulus) and those estimated using the techniques or models proposed in this thesis research. The models (or methodologies) proposed in this thesis research are promising and encouraging for modeling studies and practicing engineers to estimate the variation of mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils with respect to matric suction.

[pt] O derramamento no solo de poluentes imiscíveis com a água (NAPLs) devido a vazamentos de tanques de armazenamento ou dutos e acidentes de transporte é de grande interesse, pois o NAPL e/ou seus constituintes podem migrar através da zona vadosa até atingir o lençol freático e contaminar as fontes de água potável. No Brasil, a maioria dos postos de combustível e terminais de armazenamento possui tanques de etanol, gasolina misturada com etanol e óleo diesel. Um eventual derramamento ou vazamento de hidrocarbonetos derivados de petróleo, conhecidos como LNAPL, misturados com etanol tem um maior potencial de contaminação em função do efeito de co- solvência. A motivação deste trabalho é que muitos estudos têm sido realizados com principal interesse na zona saturada e pouco se sabe sobre o comportamento destes contaminantes na zona não saturada (McDowell e Powers, 2003 e Österreicher et al., 2007). Portanto, foram realizados ensaios de coluna com esferas de vidro com o objetivo de simular os vazamentos de hidrocarbonetos líquidos na superfície e comparar a massa de benzeno que fica retida no meio poroso em um vazamento de gasolina pura ou com etanol. Para avaliar estes ensaios em uma dimensão foi utilizado um programa disponível no sítio da Agência de Proteção Ambiental dos Estados Unidos (EPA) chamado Hydrocarbon Spill Screening Model (Weaver et al., 1994) e implementado um modelo para efetuar o balanço de massa e considerar o efeito de co-solvência em função da adição de etanol na gasolina comercial brasileira. Os resultados dos ensaios de laboratório foram comparados com os obtidos através do modelo supracitado e apresentaram uma aproximação satisfatória da previsão do comportamento do contaminante. / [en] The subsurface release of water immiscible pollutants (NAPLs) due to leaks in storage tanks or pipelines and spilling transportation accidents is of great concern, since the NAPL or its constituents may migrate through the vadose zone until reaching the water table and eventually contaminate clean water sources. In Brazil, most of the gas stations store ethanol, pure and gasoline blended ethanol, diesel, among others in tanks. A spill or leak of petroleum hydrocarbons, known as LNAPL (light Nonaqueous phase liquid), combined with ethanol has a major contamination potential associated to cosolvency effects. The motivation of this work is that many studies have been developed with special interest in the saturated zone and little is known about the behavior of these pollutants in the vadose zone (McDowell e Powers, 2003 e Österreicher et al., 2007). Thus, one dimensional column tests were performed in a glass porous media to simulate the spill of hydrocarbons in the subsurface and compare the retained mass of benzene in the porous media after a release of a pure or ethanol blended gasoline. In order to evaluate these 1D tests results, the Hydrocarbon Spill Screening Model - HSSM (Weaver et al., 1994) was used. This program can be found in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. A model was also implemented to consider the cosolvency effects in function of the ethanol addition in Brazilian`s commercial gasoline. The laboratory`s results were compared with the ones obtained by the model mentioned above and showed a satisfactory approximation for the prediction of the contaminant behavior.

Apresenta-se um estudo paramétrico acerca da infiltração de água e sua repercussão no Fator de Segurança de talude em solos não saturados. Na análise adota-se um talude de referência com geometria fixada conforme a inclinação típica para taludes em areia argilo siltosa, característica do Centro-Oeste do estado de São Paulo. A análise paramétrica foi desenvolvida a partir de uma simulação de fluxo em regime transiente utilizando o programa SEEP/W, que utiliza o método de elementos finitos, e posteriormente uma análise de estabilidade do talude de referência utilizando o método de Bishop simplificado conforme apresentado no programa SLOPE/W. Foram analisados taludes homogêneos compostos por três diferentes tipos de solo, uma areia, um silte argiloso e uma areia argilo siltosa. Os parâmetros analisados compreendem a curva de retenção de água, a função condutividade hidráulica do solo e a intensidade de precipitação. Verificou-se que a função condutividade hidráulica e a pressão de entrada de ar são os principais determinantes do comportamento da infiltração e conseqüentemente da estabilidade do talude. As simulações de fluxo evidenciaram que os taludes em solos mais arenosos apresentam taxas de infiltração maiores que as apresentadas pelos taludes compostos por solos siltosos. Consequentemente, os escorregamentos ocasionados pela perda da contribuição da sucção para a resistência ao cisalhamento ocorrem primeiramente nos taludes compostos por solos arenosos e posteriormente naqueles compostos por solos siltosos, fato este que pôde ser confirmado pelas análises de estabilidade do talude de referência. / A parametric study is presented about water infiltration and its repercussion in the safety factor of unsaturated soil slopes. In the analysis it is adopted a reference slope with determined geometry according to the typical inclination for slopes in silty clayey sand, characteristic of the mid-western region of São Paulo State, in Brazil. The parametric analysis was developed from a flux simulation in transient regime using the SEEP/W software, which uses the finite elements method, and thereafter, a stability analysis of the reference slope using simplified Bishop method, as presented in the SLOPE/W software. Homogeneous slopes composed by three different types of soil (sand, clayey silt and silty clayey sand) were considered. The analyzed parameters include the water retention curve, the hydraulic conductivity function and the precipitation intensity. It was verified that the hydraulic conductivity function and the air entry value are the main determinants of the infiltration behavior and, subsequently, of the slope stability. The flux simulations have evidenced that coarser soils slopes show higher infiltration rates than the ones presented in finer soil slopes. Consequently, the slides caused by the loss of the suction\'s contribution to shear strength occur primarily in coarser soil slopes than in fine soil slopes, what could be verified in the stability analysis of the reference slope.

A combinação entre a falta de planejamento urbano e o crescimento indiscriminado de áreas impermeáveis é responsável pela ocorrência de enchentes em centros urbanos. O emprego de dispositivos de controle do escoamento superficial na fonte geradora, como poços e trincheiras de infiltração, pavimentos permeáveis e jardins de infiltração (rain gardens), é uma alternativa que permite restabelecer o processo de infiltração em áreas urbanas densamente impermeabilizadas. Neste contexto, efetuou-se uma análise paramétrica acerca da influência das funções condutividade hidráulica e das curvas de retenção dos solos no processo de infiltração de água em poços cilíndricos instalados em solos inicialmente não saturados. Para a realização das análises paramétricas, foi empregado o programa SEEP/W do pacote GeoStudio 2004, que utiliza a técnica dos elementos finitos na solução numérica da equação de Richards que rege o fluxo de água em meio não saturado. As análises paramétricas mostraram que o coeficiente de condutividade hidráulica saturada do solo é o parâmetro que apresenta maior relevância no processo de infiltração de água em poços. Com isto, desenvolveu-se uma técnica de dimensionamento de poços de infiltração que permite determinar o volume de água infiltrada em um dado poço em função do tempo de precipitação, do coeficiente de condutividade hidráulica saturada do solo e da área total do poço. Por fim, comparou-se o volume estimado de água infiltrada obtido através da técnica de dimensionamento com o volume medido em um ensaio de infiltração realizado por Lima (2009) em uma trincheira de pequenas dimensões e pôde-se constatar que o a técnica de dimensionamento desenvolvida é consistente com o ensaio de infiltração realizado em campo. / The chief consequence of unplanned urban sprawl is the turning to impervious large tracts of land. Impervious developed areas are prone to floods during heavy rains. Flooding may be mitigated by installation of devices that can control runoff at the source. Examples of control devices are infiltration wells, infiltration trenches, permeable pavement, and rain gardens. By facilitating infiltration, such devices serve to return to the soil below the waterproofed area the waters that would otherwise be lost as runoff, which overloads urban drainage. A study of infiltration wells was conducted through parametric analyses of hydraulic conductivity function and soil-water characteristics curve of unsaturated soils in the process of infiltration. This research used the computer program SEEP/W by GeoStudio 2004 to carry out the parametric analysis. SEEP/W uses the finite element method for the numerical solution of Richards equation, which describes water flow in the unsaturated zone. The parametric analysis showed that the saturated hydraulics conductivity of the soil is the parameter that has greater relevance in the process of infiltration of water into the soil surrounding the wells. Based on the results obtained, a technical procedure was developed to assist the consulting professional to size the infiltration wells. The variables employed in the proposed design procedure consist of time of precipitation, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and total surface area of well. Further, it was compared the estimated volume of infiltrated water obtained through this procedure to the measured volume obtained by Lima (2009) in a small trench. It was observed that the scaling procedure proposed by this work yields results consistent with infiltration field experiments such as that conducted by Lima (2009).

Submitted by Alfredo Lopes Saab null (alfredo.saab@hotmail.com) on 2017-02-01T17:00:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Alfredo Lopes Saab - Dissertacao.pdf: 12254886 bytes, checksum: 3adb2a1a44c1994fad82ff8230482cea (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by LUIZA DE MENEZES ROMANETTO (luizamenezes@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-02-06T11:32:23Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 saab_al_me_bauru.pdf: 12254886 bytes, checksum: 3adb2a1a44c1994fad82ff8230482cea (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-06T11:32:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 saab_al_me_bauru.pdf: 12254886 bytes, checksum: 3adb2a1a44c1994fad82ff8230482cea (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nos solos não saturados mudanças sazonais de umidade ocorrem devido a ciclos de umedecimento e secagem. Tais mudanças dependem das características do solo e das condições climáticas da região, o que afeta a sucção no solo. Por esta razão, as propriedades dos solos não saturados dependem não apenas da história geológica e do ambiente de formação, mas também da variabilidade sazonal, fato que muitas vezes é negligenciado na prática da engenharia. Esta dissertação apresenta um estudo da influência da sucção na compressibilidade de um perfil de solo não saturado por meio de ensaios edométricos realizados em câmaras comuns e em câmaras que permitem o controle de sucção pela técnica de translação de eixos. Os ensaios foram realizados submetendo as amostras a trajetórias de carregamento-descarregamento com sucção constante. Parâmetros constitutivos mecânicos são apresentados e correlacionados ao longo da profundidade de acordo com as condições de campo. Os resultados indicam que a colapsibilidade e a variabilidade dos parâmetros são maiores na superfície do terreno, onde o solo interage com a atmosfera e, tende a decrescer com a profundidade e com a redução da sucção inicial no solo. O estudo realizado permite uma avaliação mais detalhada da colapsibilidade do solo e auxilia a interpretação de perfis de solos colapsíveis similares e de suas propriedades e parâmetros constitutivos. / Seasonal moisture content changes take place in the unsaturated soils as a result of wetting and drying cycles. These changes depend of soil characteristics and climatic conditions of the region, which affects the soil suction. Therefore, the properties of unsaturated soils depend not only on geological history and environment formation, but also the seasonal variability, a fact that is oftentimes neglected in engineering practice. This research presents an study of the influence of suction on compressibility of a collapsible unsaturated soil profile using conventional and suction controlled oedometer tests by the axis translation technique. The tests were performed submitting the specimen to loading-unloading paths under constant suction. Mechanical constitutive parameters are presented and correlated with the depth according to the in situ conditions. The results indicate that the soil collapsibility and the variability of constitutive parameters are greather on the ground surface, where the soil interacts with the atmosphere, and tends to decrease with depth and with the reduction of the initial soil suction. The study allow a more detailed evaluation of soil collapsibility and assist the interpretation of collapsible soils profiles and their properties and constitutive parameters.

Submitted by Rodrigo Botelho Dumont null (botelhodumont@hotmail.com) on 2017-02-01T18:36:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Rodrigo Dumont FINAL.pdf: 2885082 bytes, checksum: 1ce7aca2f53fea3c38a490103ddb8948 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by LUIZA DE MENEZES ROMANETTO (luizamenezes@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-02-06T11:52:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 dumont_rb_me_bauru.pdf: 2885082 bytes, checksum: 1ce7aca2f53fea3c38a490103ddb8948 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-06T11:52:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dumont_rb_me_bauru.pdf: 2885082 bytes, checksum: 1ce7aca2f53fea3c38a490103ddb8948 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-12 / Os solos não saturados são materiais multifásicos e de comportamento complexo que podem ser encontrados em depósitos de grande espessura onde são construídas as obras de engenharia civil. O entendimento do comportamento tensão-deformação/fluxo desses solos tem sido aprimorado com o desenvolvimento de experimentos e modelos constitutivos que são aplicados para a previsão de comportamentos e análises de desempenho das obras geotécnicas. Tais modelos têm sido utilizados para simular diversos resultados de ensaios de laboratório de solos não saturados compactados, porém, simulações de resultados de ensaios de campo em solos não saturados naturais ainda têm sido pouco exploradas. A proposta deste trabalho é simular numericamente o comportamento Hidro-Mecânico de um solo arenoso não saturado via método de elementos finitos em ensaios de prova de carga em placa. Os parâmetros constitutivos do solo são provenientes de resultados de ensaios de laboratório realizados com controle de sucção. O programa de elementos finitos Code_Bright foi utilizado para a simulação dos resultados dos ensaios das provas de carga em placa realizadas em campo. Os resultados obtidos numericamente demonstraram a capacidade do modelo constitutivo mecânico em reproduzir adequadamente os resultados dos ensaios. A partir dos resultados, constatou-se que os recalques são fortemente afetados pela variação da sucção, demonstrando o comportamento colapsível do solo diante de aplicação de tensões e mudanças de umidade e sucção. O parâmetro constitutivo mecânico po*, tensão de pré-adensamento isotrópica do solo saturado, influencia significativamente o comportamento do solo, assim como a magnitude do colapso por inundação. Os resultados demonstraram a importância da condição não saturada na previsão de comportamento e o quanto tal condição pode afetar o dimensionamento de fundações diretas em solo não saturado de comportamento colapsível. O trabalho oferece informações básicas no tocante à estimativa da tensão admissível considerando a variabilidade sazonal decorrente da sucção no solo. / Unsaturated soils are multiphase materials with complex behavior that can be found in large thickness deposits where civil engineering works are built. The understanding of the stress-strain/flow behavior of these soils has been improved with the development of experiments and constitutive models that are applied to behavior predictions and performance analysis of geotechnical works. Such models have been used to simulate several laboratory test results on compacted unsaturated soils, however, simulation of field test results on natural unsaturated soils have been little explored. This work aims to simulate numerically the Hydro-Mechanical behavior of an unsaturated sandy soil by finite element method in plate loading tests. Constitutive parameters of the soil come from the laboratory test results performed with controlled soil suction. The program Code_Bright was used to simulate plate loading test results. The results showed the capacity of the constitutive mechanical model to reproduce the test results. The settlements are strongly affected by the soil suction variation, demonstrating the collapsible behavior for stress, moisture content or soil suction changes. The constitutive mechanical parameter po*, preconsolidation stress for saturated condition, affected significantly the soil behavior, as well as the magnitude of the collapse by wetting. The results presented the great importance of the unsaturated status of the soil in prediction behavior and how this condition can affect the design of foundations in unsaturated soils with collapsible behavior. This study provides basic information concerning the estimation of admissible stress, taking the seasonal variability due to the soil suction.

A combinação entre a falta de planejamento urbano e o crescimento indiscriminado de áreas impermeáveis é responsável pela ocorrência de enchentes em centros urbanos. O emprego de dispositivos de controle do escoamento superficial na fonte geradora, como poços e trincheiras de infiltração, pavimentos permeáveis e jardins de infiltração (rain gardens), é uma alternativa que permite restabelecer o processo de infiltração em áreas urbanas densamente impermeabilizadas. Neste contexto, efetuou-se uma análise paramétrica acerca da influência das funções condutividade hidráulica e das curvas de retenção dos solos no processo de infiltração de água em poços cilíndricos instalados em solos inicialmente não saturados. Para a realização das análises paramétricas, foi empregado o programa SEEP/W do pacote GeoStudio 2004, que utiliza a técnica dos elementos finitos na solução numérica da equação de Richards que rege o fluxo de água em meio não saturado. As análises paramétricas mostraram que o coeficiente de condutividade hidráulica saturada do solo é o parâmetro que apresenta maior relevância no processo de infiltração de água em poços. Com isto, desenvolveu-se uma técnica de dimensionamento de poços de infiltração que permite determinar o volume de água infiltrada em um dado poço em função do tempo de precipitação, do coeficiente de condutividade hidráulica saturada do solo e da área total do poço. Por fim, comparou-se o volume estimado de água infiltrada obtido através da técnica de dimensionamento com o volume medido em um ensaio de infiltração realizado por Lima (2009) em uma trincheira de pequenas dimensões e pôde-se constatar que o a técnica de dimensionamento desenvolvida é consistente com o ensaio de infiltração realizado em campo. / The chief consequence of unplanned urban sprawl is the turning to impervious large tracts of land. Impervious developed areas are prone to floods during heavy rains. Flooding may be mitigated by installation of devices that can control runoff at the source. Examples of control devices are infiltration wells, infiltration trenches, permeable pavement, and rain gardens. By facilitating infiltration, such devices serve to return to the soil below the waterproofed area the waters that would otherwise be lost as runoff, which overloads urban drainage. A study of infiltration wells was conducted through parametric analyses of hydraulic conductivity function and soil-water characteristics curve of unsaturated soils in the process of infiltration. This research used the computer program SEEP/W by GeoStudio 2004 to carry out the parametric analysis. SEEP/W uses the finite element method for the numerical solution of Richards equation, which describes water flow in the unsaturated zone. The parametric analysis showed that the saturated hydraulics conductivity of the soil is the parameter that has greater relevance in the process of infiltration of water into the soil surrounding the wells. Based on the results obtained, a technical procedure was developed to assist the consulting professional to size the infiltration wells. The variables employed in the proposed design procedure consist of time of precipitation, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and total surface area of well. Further, it was compared the estimated volume of infiltrated water obtained through this procedure to the measured volume obtained by Lima (2009) in a small trench. It was observed that the scaling procedure proposed by this work yields results consistent with infiltration field experiments such as that conducted by Lima (2009).