A model of capillary water rise based on fractal theory and experimental validation

• Published in: Shuiwen Dizhi Gongcheng Dizhi Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 102 - 109
• Main Authors: Hanjing JIANG, Yuran XU, Zhiming CHEN, Shue LI, Fengyi KANG, Yongfu XU
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: Editorial Office of Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology 01.05.2024
• Subjects: capillary water; darcy law; dry density; fractal theory; particle distribution
• ISSN: 1000-3665
• DOI: 10.16030/j.cnki.issn.1000-3665.202304055

As to the roadbed projects in coastal areas, capillary water rise can produce roadbed diseases and affect the safety and durability of road operation. It is important to study the capillary water rise height. The article regards capillary water rise as a kind of unsaturated soil seepage phenomenon, and introduces fractal dimension to unsaturated soil permeability coefficient modification. A capillary water rise height model based on fractal theory is proposed to obtain the capillary water rise height curve with time. Then a vertical tube method capillary water rise height test was conducted on a mainline roadbed soil sample in Nantong, with the control test of changes in the dry density of the soil sample and the fractal dimension of the initial particle size distribution. The results show that: the capillary water rise presents a rapid increase at the beginning, and then slowly increases, and finally stabilizes. The larger the fractal dimension of the particle size distribution of soil sample, the greater th