Long-term suction measurements in Greece & Cyprus. A continuous update

Abstract

The occurrence of unsaturated soils in the field has been well documented worldwide by measurements of the degree of saturation on samples taken during geotechnical investigations. On the other hand, the suction of unsaturated soils in the field, especially as part of long-term measurements, is documented very rarely and references on the subject are very few and for very few places around the world. The scarceness of this kind of measurements denies researchers perception of the anticipated suction and its possible loss or retention as a result of climatic conditions, especially in countries with warm temperate climate. Suction measurements from temporary and permanent stations in Greece and Cyprus are presented in the paper. From these -admittedly few-measurements until today, the large magnitude of suction that may occur both during summer and winter is presented, along with the possibility of long periods of these suctions being maintained. Another consequence is the range of suction values that sensors should be able to measure in regions of similar climatic conditions in order to cover the range of expected values as obtained from the measurements available so far.