Abstract

The paper presents a finite element study of the influence of spatial variations in soil properties on the progress of water flow and solute transport in partially saturated porous media. Four parameters were retained as random variables: the saturation hydraulic conductivity Ksat and the saturation water content θsat given their common interdependence of soil and flow as well as the two parameters of the VAN GENUCHTEN model, α and η. Log-Normal distribution laws were used. The probabilistic study was carried out using the Monte Carlo method. The results of three hundred and fifty (350) flow and solute transport calculations were analyzed in terms of variability of hydraulic loads to show the influence of the structure of soil variability. Three cases of variability were retained:o The first is statistically homogeneous (150 calculations)o The second is stratified (150 calculations per horizontal layers)o The third and last is heterogeneous (50 calculations in both the vertical and horizontal directions).

The reduction in variability of results when the soil also varies in the horizontal direction was shown quantitatively. Comparison with classical deterministic solutions was also carried out. It indicates that the average evolution of flow and transport can be reproduced by a deterministic calculation. The probabilistic treatment cannot therefore explain the existence of a bias in relation to field observations.

Details

Title
Contributing to a Study of the Influence of Soil Parameter Variability on Flow in Porous Media
Author
Bir, S 1 ; H Ait Aider 1 ; Bouheraoua, A 1 

 Laboratory of Experimental and Numerical Modeling of Materials and Structures in Civil Engineering LaMoMS. Faculty of Construction Engineering. Mouloud MAMMERI University of Tizi-Ouzou, address: Faculty of Construction Engineering. Mouloud Mammeri University B.P.17 RP, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria, phone/fax: +213 26.10.03.17 
Pages
41-54
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
De Gruyter Poland
ISSN
22473769
e-ISSN
22847197
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3206828931
Copyright
© 2025. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.