Optimization-based pore network modeling approach for determination of hydraulic conductivity function of granular soils

A wide range of applications of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is well known in geotechnical, hydrological, and agricultural engineering fields. The standard prediction models for hydraulic conductivity function overlook the complexity of soil pore structure and employ a simplistic approach based on the bundle of capillary tubes. This study proposes an alternative approach employing pore network models calibrated to match soil water retention data to predict the hysteretic hydraulic conductivity function of granular soils. A novel approach to constructing a multidirectional pore network built on an irregular lattice with variable coordination numbers is presented for the realistic representation of soil voids. The geometric and topological parameters of the pore network model are optimized using the genetic algorithm, and adequate pore-scale processes (piston-like advance and corner flow during drainage and piston-like advance, pore body filling, and snap-off during imbibition) are modeled to get reasonable predictions of hysteretic hydraulic conductivity functions over the entire suction range of granular soils. Comparisons between the pore network model results, standard physically based models, and measured data for a variety of granular soils show that the proposed pore network has a superior performance over other models and compares favorably to the experimental data.