Unsaturated soils: A fundamental interpretation of soil behaviour

摘要

Several geotechnical operations, such as compaction and excavation processes, are linked to the mechanics of unsaturated soils. As more than one third of the Earth's surface is arid or semi-arid, in addition to the less extreme cases of seasonal droughts and diurnal variations of the water table in soils, it is obvious that most soils are in a general state of partial water saturation. In other words, the pore space within soils is generally filled with water and air. Therefore the mechanics and physics of the considered soil are those of a three-phase porous material consisting of solid mineral and two immiscible fluid phases.