Soil suction and soil-water potentials in swelling clays in engineered clay barriers

This paper is concerned with the interactions resulting from water uptake b y partly saturated swelling soils in their rule as liner material for engin eered clay barriers. The energy status of the soil-water (i.e. pore-water) provides the focus for the mechanistic view of the microstructure and mesos tructure interactions that govern the development of those 'matric' and 'os motic' forces responsible for water uptake by the swelling soils. Central i ssues in the interactions developed are the governing roles played by the i nterlayer and interparticle forces in the presence of water, and the need t o differentiate between unit layer separations, micropores and macropores i n the articulation of void volumes or pore spaces. The matric and osmotic c omponents of soil suction and soil-water potential need to be distinguished in respect to micro and mese-macro applications, particularly when interpr etations of measured values are needed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.