Numerical analysis of a one-dimensional infiltration problem in unsaturated soil by a seepage-deformation coupled method

作者：Garcia E; Oka F^*; Kimoto S

来源：International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 2011, 35(5): 544-568.

DOI：10.1002/nag.908

• infiltration problem
• unsaturated soil
• seepage-deformation coupled analysis
• finite element method

A multiphase coupled elasto-viscoplastic finite element analysis formulation, based on the theory of porous media, is used to describe the rainfall infiltration process into a one-dimensional soil column. Using this framework, we have numerically analyzed the generation of pore water pressure and deformations when rainfall is applied to the soil. A parametric study, including rainfall intensity, soil-water characteristic curves, and permeability, is carried out to observe their influence on the changes in pore water pressure and volumetric strain. From the numerical results, it is shown that the generation of pore water pressure and volumetric strain is mainly controlled by material parameters alpha and n' that describe the soil-water characteristic curve. A comparison with the laboratory results shows that the proposed method can describe very well the characteristics observed during the experiments of one-dimensional water infiltration into a layered unsaturated soil column.

• 出版日期2011-4-10