APPLICATION OF UNSATURATED SOIL MECHANICS IN CAPILLARY BARRIER SYSTEM

摘要

This paper explains the application of unsaturated soil mechanics in the working principle of capillary bamer system. Capillary barrier is a soil cover consisting of a fine-grained soil layer overlying a coarse-grained soil layer. The mechanism of capillary barrier system is based on the contrast in the Linsaturated hydraulic properties (soil-water characteristic curves and permeability functions) of the materials. The effectiveness of capillary bamer system could be quantified by its water storage capacity, water storage recovery, diversion capacity, and diversion length. To illustrate the application of unsaturated soil mechanics, experimental results of a one-dimensional capillary barrier column and a two dimensional capillary barrier model are presented in this paper. In order to design an effective capillary barrier system, an understanding oF unsaturated soil mechanics is imperative. Material selection, climatic condition, and drainage availability are also important in the design of capillary barrier system.