• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.29-39
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• 2023

The degree of saturation determines the connectivity of void space and the particle surface. Thus, it greatly affects the electrical conductivity of soils. This study aimed to analyze the electrical conductivities of coarse grains with a high relevance of pore water conduction and fine grains with a high relevance of surface conduction based on the degree of saturation. It also aimed to express the electrical conductivity of unsaturated soils as a combination of surface and pore water conductions using the modified Archie's equation. Samples were prepared in a plastic cell equipped with four electrodes, and the electrical conductivity was measured based on the porosity at various degrees of saturation (40%~100%). The results demonstrate that Archie's equation can be used to express the electrical conductivity of coarse grains, with a saturation exponent of ~1.93 regardless of the pore water conductivity. However, the saturation exponent of fine grains varied considerably with pore water concentration. This variation can be attributed to the relative magnitude of surface conduction with respect to the electrical conductivity of soils at different pore water concentrations. Thus, the degree of saturation has varying effects on pore water conduction and surface conduction. Therefore, different saturation exponents must be used for pore water conduction and surface conduction to predict the electrical conductivity of unsaturated soils using the modified Archie's equation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.47-50
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• 2001

The laboratory tests were peformed to investigate the relationship between electrical resistivity and the unsaturated subsurface condition and to evaluate the contamination due to leachate based on measuring electrical resistivity. For weathered granite soil, the electrical resistivity of soil decreases as moisture density increases. The electrical resistivity of soil decreases as the concentration of leachate in pore fluid increases since leachate contains various ionic constituents. And the modified Archie's equation for applying to unsaturated sand is derived by regression analysis.