Numerical modelling of infiltration profiles in the silt Tlemcen (Algeria)

Abstract

It is obvious that for geotechnical knowledge of soil properties namely, suction-water content and water content hydraulic-conductivity relationship is essential to solve the problems associated with flow in unsaturated soils. The best way to evaluate these properties is to make direct measurements. However, the hydraulic-conductivity water content and suction-conductivity relationship are complex and it is often very difficult to measure for practical reasons, economic and spatial variability. Indeed, the used equipment is expensive and the tests are slow. Of more over the spatial variability of this property that makes the steps number necessary to characterize a site is relatively large. Furthermore, when this relationship is determined, usually it has only limited information and it is always desirable to extrapolate the experimental curve. Facing these difficulties, this given research targets computer tool to assess this relationship from other measurable parameters. In this paper, we used the software “flow line temperature” to achieve numerical and graphical simulations of the water flow in a soil initially unsaturated non-deformable modeling the evolution of the water content and suction in function of depth. The use of this software allowed us to make comparison with the experimental results [18] as well as a qualitative assessment of the drought penetrating in an unsaturated soil.