ESR1: University of Nottingham (UNOTT), UK

Theoretical and experimental investigation into the behaviour of unsaturated soils

Supervisor: Prof. Hai-sui Yu

Objective: Develop advanced constitutive model for unsaturated soils

Methodology: An advanced constitutive model for unsaturated soils will be developed considering the hysteretic soil-water characteristic curves and incorporating inter-particle bonding, fabric and wetting collapse and thermodynamics in a single framework. Moreover, the calibration procedure for the model parameters will be provided. The model will be validated by simulating more sophisticated laboratory tests, e.g. hollow cylinder test. The constitutive model will be available to WP2 and WP3

Deliverable: Advanced constitutive model developed for unsaturated soils, Validation by standard and sophisticated laboratory tests; Database on test results and constitutive model dissemination for further network applications (i.e. model calibration);

Secondments: BOKU: 2 p-ms (testing technique exchange), INPG: 2 p-ms (micro-macro link)