Determination of the Soil Water Characteristic Curve of Highly Compressible Materials: Case Study of Pulp and Paper By-Product
Cabral, AR
Department of Civil Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec

Planchet, L
Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec

Marinho, FA
Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil

Lefebvre, G
Department of Civil Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec

(Received 5 September 2001; accepted 2 May 2003)

Abstract
A technique was developed for the determination of various points of the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC)–including the air entry value (AEV)–of compressible materials from one single test. The testing setup, which employs the axis-translation technique, is presented and the testing methodology, explained. With the proposed methodology, it is possible to determine the volume of the sample at various stages of the desaturation process, thus making it possible to determine the degree of saturation and volumetric water content for each level of suction applied. The results of some tests performed on deinking residues (DR), a fibrous and highly compressible industrial by-product used in geoenvironmental works, are presented and discussed. It is shown that if volume changes that samples undergo during desaturation are not considered, the volumetric water content and degree of saturation of the sample is underestimated at all suction values. One important consequence is that lower hydraulic conductivities are obtained from mathematical models based on the SWCC.

Keywords:
air entry value, capillary barriers, characteristic curve, deinking residues, soil, suction

Paper ID: GTJ10808
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ10808

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Author Cabral, AR Affiliation Department of Civil Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec Author Planchet, L Affiliation Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec Author Marinho, FA Affiliation Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil Author Lefebvre, G Affiliation Department of Civil Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec Author Cabral AR, Planchet L, Marinho FA, Lefebvre G Title Determination of the Soil Water Characteristic Curve of Highly Compressible Materials: Case Study of Pulp and Paper By-Product Symposium , Committee on