Effect of confining pressure on soil-water characteristic curves

Drying and wetting soil-water characteristic curves at different net confining pressure were obtained for two sandy soils using Tempe cell and Permeability cell. The data were fitted into soil-water characteristic curve equation using a least square algorithm.The effects of net confining pressure on the shapes of soil-water characteristic curves and soil-water characteristic curve equation parameters were investigated. The result shows that higher net confining pressure gives larger air-entry value, residual matric suction, water-entry value and smaller hysteresis loop.The study also found that air-entry value has linear correlation with soil-water characteristic curve parameter 'a'. No apparent correlation between residual matric suction and parameter 'm' was obtained.Bachelor of Engineering (Civil