The mechanics of air entry of drying-cracking soils: Physical models

Because of common exposure to high temperatures and forced ventilation of geomaterials in energy production and storage, failure mode of these materials often involves intense drying and constrained shrinkage associated cracking. Previous experiments show that drying-cracking occurs when the materia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers and geotechnics 2021-08, Vol.136 (C), p.104177, Article 104177
Main Authors: Mielniczuk, Bolesław, El-Youssoufi, Said Moulay, Hueckel, Tomasz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adhesive force
Air
Air entry
Capillary water
Desaturation
Drying
Drying cracking
Energy storage
Engineering Sciences
Failure modes
Geomaterials
Grain-scale testing
Granular materials
High temperature
Mechanics
Saturation
Soil
Soil mechanics
Unsaturated soils
Ventilation
Water bodies
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Summary:Because of common exposure to high temperatures and forced ventilation of geomaterials in energy production and storage, failure mode of these materials often involves intense drying and constrained shrinkage associated cracking. Previous experiments show that drying-cracking occurs when the materials are completely saturated, practically simultaneously with the onset of air entry and start of desaturation. Computer assisted experiments are presented focusing on the phenomenon of air entry into drying granular meso-scale material models. A critical value of capillary adhesion force is assessed associated with the first (and subsequent) unstable air entries (Haines jumps) into drying capillary water of granular materials, as well as the corresponding saturation. The entries are recognized as precursors of drying cracks. The evaporating models with different separations of grains are photographed every 10 s and the images of menisci are computer-processed to follow the evolving water body geometry and cluster saturation. Energy released during subsequent instabilities is also assessed.
ISSN:0266-352X
1873-7633
DOI:10.1016/j.compgeo.2021.104177