Water Flow in Unsaturated Porous Media by Finite Element Analysis

Abstract:

To simulate water flow in unsaturated porous media, analytical and numerical solutions of infiltration models have revealed the hydraulic and mechanical properties of partially saturated soil, such as the soil-water retention curve, shear strength, and permeability functions. Seepage, which is related to both the rainfall intensity and the saturated soil permeability, is a problem for partially saturated soils. In this study, a simple stage model in developed to represent vadose zone infiltration under a constant intensity into a homogeneous soil with an ideal suction profile; in this model, the saturated permeability is less than the rainfall intensity. The typical trends of the matric suction profile in a vadose zone during a rainfall are calculated via analytical methods. The model predictions agree well with both a coupled code (this study) and open/commercial codes (UNSAT-H and SEEP/W) for several soil types.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 1044-1045)
• Pages: 597-602
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.1044-1045.597
• Online since: October 2014
• Authors: Jae Hong Kim*
• Keywords: Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Seepage, Unsaturated Porous Media, Vadose Zone, Water Flow

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