Abstract

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Title:: Unified Solution of Rankine’s Earth Pressure of Unsaturated Soil Under Rainfall

Author(s):: ZHAO Jun-hai; YIN Jia; ZHANG Chang-guang; DU Wen-chao; School of Civil Engineering, Chang’an University

Keywords:: unsaturated soil; rainfall infiltration; unified strength theory; matric suction; earth pressure

Abstract:: Based on the unified strength theory and the principle of effective stress of Bishop, combining with rainfall infiltration analytic solution, the unified solution of Rankine’s earth pressure formula of unsaturated soil under rainfall condition was established with taking the effect of the intermediate principal stress and material tension-pressure ratio into account. The availability was verified by an example, and the influence of matric suction during rainfall was discussed. The results indicate that with the increase of the unified strength theory parameters, the active earth pressure decreases, whereas the passive earth pressure shows the opposite trend. In the wake of the occurrence, infiltration and end of rainfall, the earth pressure presents a tendency of unstable variation but finally stabilizes, which is caused by the change of matric suction during rainfall. The parameter of soil permeability character will significantly influence the earth pressure.