SpringerLink
Log in

The connection between soil shrinkage and pore water distribution of compacted clays using the nuclear magnetic resonance technique

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Acta Geotechnica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

The shrinkage behavior of compacted clays is crucial for evaluating deformation and failure potentials in subgrade and earth dam engineering. A series of soil shrinkage and nuclear magnetic resonance tests were performed on the same specimen for a wide range of compacted clays under drying condition. The correlation between soil shrinkage on the macroscale and pore water evolution on the microscale was thoroughly investigated. The experimental results show that structural shrinkage depends on the initial structure of compacted clay, while the impact of compaction density on basic and residual shrinkages is relatively minimal. The distribution of the transverse relaxation time T2 in a saturated specimen effectively indicates the transitional water content from the structural to basic shrinkage using the NMR technique. Furthermore, a nearly identical maximum T2 could serve as the characteristic time for identifying the other transitional water content between basic and residual shrinkage stages in compacted clays. Two transitional water contents in the shrinkage curve and Atterberg limits are highly correlated, indicating a potential method for estimating the soil shrinkage curve of compacted clays using fundamental soil properties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

References

  1. Akin D, Likos W (2014) Specific surface area of clay using water vapor and EGME sorption methods. Geotech Tes J 37(6):1016–1027. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ20140064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Amenuvor AC, Li G-W, Wu J-T, Hou Y-Z, Chen W (2020) An image-based method for quick measurement of the soil shrinkage characteristics curve of soil slurry. Geoderma 363:114165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114165

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. ASTM (2007) Standard test method for particle-size analysis of soils. ASTM D422–63. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM

  4. ASTM (2018a) Standard test methods for liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of soils. ASTM D4318–17E1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM

  5. ASTM (2018b) Standard test method for measuring the exchange complex and cation exchange capacity of inorganic fine-grained soils. ASTM D7503–18. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM

  6. ASTM (2020) Standard practice for classification of soils for engineering purposes (unified soil classification). ASTM D2487–17E1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM

  7. Birle E, Heyer D, Vogt N (2008) Influence of the initial water content and dry density on the soil–water retention curve and the shrinkage behavior of a compacted clay. Acta Geotech 3:191–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-008-0059-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Boivin P, Garnier P, Vauclin M (2006) Modeling the soil shrinkage and water retention curves with the same equations. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70(4):1082–1093. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cerato AB, Lutenegger AJ (2002) Determination of surface area of fine-grained soils by the Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether (EGME) method. Geotech Tes J 25(3):GTJ200210035. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11087J

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chen P, Liu J, Wei C-F, Xue W-J, Tian H-H (2017) Approach to rapidly determining the water retention curves for fine-grained soils in capillary regime based on the NMR technique. J Eng Mech 143(7):04017032. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen P, Lu N (2018) Generalized equation for soil shrinkage curve. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 144(8):04018046. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001993

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Cheng Q, Tang C-S, Zneg H, Zhu C, An N, Shi B (2020) Effects of microstructure on desiccation cracking of a compacted soil. Eng Geol 265:105418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2019.105418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Chertkov VY (2012) An integrated approach to soil structure, shrinkage, and cracking in samples and layers. Geoderma 173–174:258–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.01.010

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Dong Y, Wang L (2021) Determination of soil shrinkage curve using transient water evaporation method. Int J Geomech 21(5):04021040. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001993

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Fredlund DG (2018) State of practice for use of the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) in geotechnical engineering. Can Geotech J 56(8):1059–1069. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2018-0434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Fredlund MD, Wilson GW, Fredlund DG (2002) Representation and estimation of the shrinkage curve. In: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Unsaturated Soils, Recife, Brazil, 1, pp 145–149

  17. Gupt CB, Prakash A, Hazra B, Sreedeep S (2021) Predictive model for soil shrinkage characteristic curve of high plastic soils. Geotech Tes J 45(1):GTJ20190180. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ20190180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Haines W (1923) The volume-changes associated with variations of water content in soil. J Agr Sci 13(3):296–310. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021859600003580

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Head KH (1993) Manual of soil laboratory testing. Vol. 1. Soil classification and compaction tests. Geoderma 58(1–2):125–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7061(93)90089-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Huang C-Q, Shao M-A, Tan W-F (2011) Soil shrinkage and hydrostructural characteristics of three swelling soils in Shaanxi, China. J Soils Sediments 11:474–481. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0333-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Jain S, Wang Y, Fredlund DG (2015) Non-contact sensing system to measure specimen volume during shrinkage test. Geotech Tes J 38(6):936–949. https://doi.org/10.1520/gtj20140274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Leong EC, Wijaya M (2015) Universal soil shrinkage curve equation. Geoderma 237–238:78–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.08.012

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Li L, Zhang X, Li P (2019) Evaluating a new method for simultaneous measurement of soil water retention and shrinkage curves. Acta Geotech 14(4):1021–1035. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-018-0713-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lu N, Dong Y (2017) Correlation between soil shrinkage curve and water-retention Characteristics. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 143(9):04017054. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lu N, Kaya M (2013) A drying cake method for measuring suction stress characteristic curve, soil-water retention curve, and hydraulic conductivity function. Geotech Test J 36(1):1–19. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ20120097

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Ma T-T, Wei C-F, Yao C-Q, Yi P-P (2020) Microstructural evolution of expansive clay during drying–wetting cycle. Acta Geotech 15(8):2355–2366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-020-00938-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Marinho FAM (2017) Fundamentals of soil shrinkage. In: Proceedings of the 2nd Pan American conference on unsaturated soils, Dallas, USA, GSP 300, pp 198–222. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784481677.011

  28. McGarry D, Malafant KWJ (1987) The analysis of volume change in unconfined units of soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 51(2):290–297. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1987.03615995005100020005x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Mitchell AR (1992) Shrinkage terminology: escape from “normalcy.” Soil Sci Soc Am J 56:993–994. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1992.03615995005600030053x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Mitchell JK (1993) Fundamentals of soil behavior, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York, pp 183–185

    Google Scholar 

  31. Peng X, Horn R (2005) Modeling soil shrinkage curve across a wide range of soil types. Soil Sci Soc Am J 69(3):584–592. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2004.0146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Peng X, Zhang Z-B, Wang L-L, Gan L (2012) Does soil compaction change soil shrinkage behaviour? Soil Till Res 125(3):89–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2012.04.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Puppala AJ, Katha B, Hoyos LR (2004) Volumetric shrinkage strain measurements in expansive soils using digital imaging technology. Geotech Test J 27(6):547–556. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ12069

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Rossi AM, Hirmas DR, Graham RC, Stermberg PD (2008) Bulk density determination by automated three-dimensional laser scanning. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72(6):1591–1593. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2008.0072N

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Saha A, Sekharan S (2021) Importance of volumetric shrinkage curve (VSC) for determination of soil–water retention curve (SWRC) for low plastic natural soils. J Hydro 596:126113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Tripathy S, Tadza MYM, Thomas HR (2014) Soil-water characteristic curves of clays. Can Geotech J 51(8):869–883. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2013-0089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Tariq AUR, Durnford DS (1993) Analytical volume change model for swelling clay soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 57(5):1183–1187. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1993.03615995005700050003x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Tian H-H, Wei C-F (2020) Characterization and quantification of pore water in clays during drying process with low-field NMR. Water Resour Res 56(10):e2020WR27537. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027537

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. Tian H-H, Wei C-F, Lai Y-M, Chen P (2018) Quantification of water content during freeze-thaw cycles: a nuclear magnetic resonance based method. Vadose Zone J 17(1):160124. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2016.12.0124

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Tian H-H, Wei C-F, Wei H-Z, Yan R-T, Chen P (2014) An NMR-based analysis of soil-water characteristics. Appl Magn Reson 45:49–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00723-013-0496-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Wan Y, Xue Q, Liu L, Wang S-Y (2018) Relationship between the shrinkage crack characteristics and the water content gradient of compacted clay liner in a landfill final cover. Soils Found 58(6):1435–1445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2018.08.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Wei C-F (2014) A theoretical framework for modeling the chemomechanical behavior of unsaturated soils. Vadose Zone J. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2013.07.0132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Wen T-D, Wang P-P, Shao L-T, Guo X-X (2021) Experimental investigations of soil shrinkage characteristics and their effects on the soil water characteristic curve. Eng Geol 284:106035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. White DJ, Take WA, Bolton MD (2003) Soil deformation measurement using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and photogrammetry. Géotechnique 53(7):619–631. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2003.53.7.619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Wong JM, Elwood D, Fredlund DG (2018) Use of a three-dimensional scanner for shrinkage curve tests. Can Geotech J 51(8):869–883. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2013-0089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Zhai Q, Rahardjo H (2012) Determination of soil–water characteristic curve variables. Comput Geotech 42:37–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2011.11.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Zhang C, Lu N (2018) What is the range of soil water density? Critical reviews with a unified model. Rev Geophys 56(3):532–562. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018RG000597

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. Zhang X, Li L, Chen G, Lytton R (2015) A photogrammetry-based method to measure total and local volume changes of unsaturated soils during triaxial testing. Acta Geotech 10(1):55–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-014-0346-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Zolfaghari Z, Mosaddeghi MR, Ayoubi S (2016) Relationships of soil shrinkage parameters and indices with intrinsic soil properties and environmental variables in calcareous soils. Geoderma 277:23–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.04.022

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The first author was supported by the program of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grants No. 2020326). This research was also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51939011, 41877269, 12002243).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People’s Republic of China

    Shengao Jia, Pan Chen, Changfu Wei, Huihui Tian & Panpan Yi

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, 100049, People’s Republic of China

    Pan Chen, Changfu Wei & Huihui Tian

Authors
  1. Shengao Jia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Changfu Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Huihui Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Panpan Yi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pan Chen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jia, S., Chen, P., Wei, C. et al. The connection between soil shrinkage and pore water distribution of compacted clays using the nuclear magnetic resonance technique. Acta Geotech. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-024-02291-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-024-02291-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation