Techno Press
You logged in as. Techno Press

Geomechanics and Engineering
  Volume 21, Number 6, June25 2020 , pages 537-549
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2020.21.6.537
 


Numerical study on the effect of crack network representation on water content in cracked soil
Sugeng Krisnanto, Harianto Rahardjo and Eng Choon Leong

 
Abstract
    The presence of cracks changes the water content pattern during seepage through a cracked soil as compared to that of intact soil. In addition, several different crack networks may form in one soil type. These two factors result in a variation of water contents in the soil matrix part of a cracked soil during seepage. This paper presents an investigation of the effect of crack network representation on the water content of the soil matrix part of cracked soil using numerical models. A new method for the numerical generation of crack networks incorporating connections among crack endpoints was developed as part of the investigation. Numerical analysis results indicated that the difference in the point water content was large, whereas the difference in the average water content was relatively small, indicating the uniqueness of the crack network representation on the average water content of the soil matrix part of cracked soil.
 
Key Words
    water content; numerical model; drying; shrinkage; crack network; unsaturated soils
 
Address
Sugeng Krisnanto: Geotechnical Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology, CIBE Building Level 5, Room CIBE 0506, Jalan Ganesha No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia

Harianto Rahardjo: School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Blk N1, #1B-36, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798

Eng Choon Leong: School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Blk N1, #1C-80, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798

 

Techno-Press: Publishers of international journals and conference proceedings.       Copyright © 2025 Techno Press
P.O. Box 33, Yuseong, Daejeon 305-600 Korea, Tel: +82-42-828-7996, Fax : +82-42-828-7997, Email: admin@techno-press.com