Pitfalls in Interpretation of Gravimetric Water Content–Based Soil-Water Characteristic Curve for Deformable Porous Media

Abstract

Pitfalls in the common approaches to obtaining material parameters from soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs) are discussed, and the typical mistakes made in the literature are highlighted. Particular attention is given to the evaluation of the air-entry value (AEV) from the gravimetric water content–based SWCCs. A consistent graphical approach for the determination of AEV based on an understanding of the effects of stress history and volume change on gravimetric water retention behavior is presented. The robustness and application of the approach are demonstrated using an extensive set of experimental data from the literature.