Dr. Wentao Li

Based on the Tao and Kong (TK) model and the fractal model of the soil–water characteristic curve, a simplified model of the relationship between the saturated permeability coefficient and the air-entry value is established in this study: k_s = k₀ψ_a⁻². It is shown that the saturated permeability coefficient of soil is determined by its maximum pore size. In order to facilitate the mutual prediction of saturation permeability coefficient and air-entry value, based on the data of five types of soil in the UNSODA database, the comprehensive proportionality constant k₀ of the five types of soil were obtained: sand k₀ = 0.03051; clay k₀ = 0.001878; loam k₀ = 0.001426; sandy loam k₀ = 0.009301; and silty clay loam k₀ = 0.0007055. Based on the obtained comprehensive proportionality constant k₀ and the relationship model between saturated permeability coefficient and air intake value, the air-entry value of five kinds of soils in the existing literature and the SoilVision database were calculated. Comparing the calculated air-entry value with the measured one, the results showed that the model simplifies the traditional air-entry value prediction method to some extent and can effectively predict the air-entry value of different types of soil. On the whole, the model better predicts the air-entry value for sandy, clay, and silty clay loam than loam and sandy loam.

26 May 2022 in Materials

Journal Article

The Triaxial Test of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Fly Ash Soil

Recently, soil reinforcement using arranged or randomly distributed fibers has attracted increasing attention in geotechnical engineering. In this study, polypropylene (PP) fibers with three lengths (6, 12, and 24 mm) and three mass percentages (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) were used to reinforce a coal fly ash soil (FAS) mixture. Unconsolidated, undrained triaxial tests were carried out in order to study the mechanical properties of the polypropylene fiber-reinforced FAS mixture and evaluate the impact of fiber on the shear strength of the FAS mixture. It is found that the fiber length of 12 mm could significantly improve the shear strength of the polypropylene fiber reinforced FAS mixture, and little effect is shown on the shear strength while using a fiber length of 24 mm. Additional fibers enhance the energy absorption capacity of the FAS specimens and therefore the highest energy absorption capacity occurs when the fiber content is 1% and the fiber length is 12 mm. The peak deviator stress enhances impressively with the addition of polypropylene fiber. The impact of fiber on the peak deviator stress is the largest when fiber content is within 1.0%. The fiber length has little effect on the peak deviator stress when it exceeds 12 mm.

24 September 2022 in Journal of Mountain Science

Journal Article

Effect of Zn2+-Cu2+ combined heavy metal on mechanical properties and microstructure of clayey soil

About Me

Dr. Wentao Li received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Auckland in 2018. From 2017 to 2020, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Nanyang Technological University. He is now an associate professor in the School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, specializing in geotechnical engineering. He was selected for two provincial talent programs, presided over one provincial scientific research project, and participated in four provincial and ministerial scientific research projects. He has published 51 academic papers, 37 of which are included in SCI/Chinese EI. He has authorized eight national invention patents and won one first prize in provincial and ministerial science and technology and one first prize in the China Geosynthetics Engineering Association. He is a member of the 3rd Youth Working Committee of the Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Branch of the China Civil Engineering Society, the Youth Working Committee of the China Geosynthetics Engineering Association, the Transportation Branch of the Institution of Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ), the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, and the Hubei Highway Society, and a director of the Hubei Underground Engineering Society and the Hubei Rock Mechanics and Engineering Society. He is a reviewer for Science of the Total Environment, Soils and Foundations, the Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, and more.

Dr. Wentao Li

Dr. Wentao Li

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