Abstract

Determinations of unsaturated soil parameters using experimental procedures are time consuming and difficult. In recent years, the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) has become an important tool in the interpretation of the engineering behavior of unsaturated soils. Difficulties associated with determining such parameters have justified the use of indirect determination. This paper presents the general nature of the SWCC for soils with different plasticity limits, index and gradation, in terms of gravimetric water content and degree of saturation versus soil matric suction from Anbar governorate. In order to investigate possible relationships between the plasticity limits, index, percent passing no.200 and SWCC, 7 type of soils were tested to find its SWCC experimentally and compared the result with the curves obtained from different model presented in the literature. The objectives of the paper were to check the validity of these models with the experimental results. The results shows a good agreement and to present a simple method for inferring the SWCC for soils, taking into account the liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index and percent of fines passing sieve no.200.