Applications of the Porous-Solid Model

Abstract

In the previous chapter, a probabilistic porous-solid model with the ability to simulate both branches of the soil-water retention curve was developed. In this chapter, the model is used to interpret more realistically the results of mercury intrusion porosimetry tests. Moreover, it is used to obtain the pore size distribution of soils employing both branches of the soil-water retention curve as data. The numerical and experimental comparisons for different soils show that the model approximately reproduces the pore size distribution obtained from mercury intrusion porosimetry tests. Finally, a procedure to fit the numerical with the experimental soil-water retention curves in order to obtain the pore size distribution of soils is presented.

Keywords: Contact angle, Critical radius, Grain size distribution, Hydromechanical coupling, Logarithmic normal distribution, Macropores, Mean size, Mercury intrusion porosimetry tests, Mesopores, Micropores, Pore size distribution, Relative volume, Scanning electron micrographs, Soil mixtures, Soilwater retention curve, Standard deviation, Superficial tension.