Numerical study of a desaturation process by air injection in sandy soil

Abstract

This work aims to numerically study the desaturation process in a coarse-grained sandy deposit by means of air injection. It is well-known that the soil cyclic strength to liquefaction of a saturated, sandy deposit is positively affected by the presence of gas in the void space in either a dissolved or a free form. A numerical study is performed to investigate some of the factors affecting the desaturation advance and controlling the soil desaturation process by air injection. Among these factors are: a) soil-water characteristic curve and intrinsic permeability (hydraulic parameters), b) injection time, and c) standard approach to two injection wells placement. Only the standard mechanisms of biphasic flow are investigated (i.e., incompressible and isothermal biphasic flow in an isotropic homogeneous porous media with capillary effects).