Influence of degree of saturation on the thermal conductivity of soils: Experimental and comparative model analysis

Authors

  • Abderrahim Laimech Laboratory of Water and Structure in Their Environnement – EOLE, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria.
  • Feth-Ellah Mounir Derfouf Laboratory of Water and Structure in Their Environnement – EOLE, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria. Department of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, University of Saïda-Dr Moulay Tahar, Saïda, Algeria
  • Khalfallah Mekaideche Laboratory of Water and Structure in Their Environnement – EOLE, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria.
  • Nabil Aboubekr Laboratory of Water and Structure in Their Environnement – EOLE, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18540/jcecvl10iss6pp19473

Keywords:

Unsaturated soils‎, Calcareous tufa, Thermal conductivity, Degree of saturation, Model predictions

Abstract

The thermal conductivity can characterize thermal behaviour of soils in different engineering studies: environmental, geothermal, geotechnical and buildings construction. However, accurately measuring and predicting this parameter poses a challenging task. Measuring this parameter can be very complex, considering several factors, such as soil heterogeneity and external climatic conditions. In addition, predictions models may not capture all the nuances of real-world soil conditions, leading to less accurate predictions of ?. The objectives of this paper encompassed two primary aspects: (i) Evaluation of laboratory tests of thermal conductivity of unsaturated soil. (ii) Assessment of five highly recommended soil thermal conductivity models to determine their validity and strengthen their trustworthiness. The studied material consisted of calcareous tufa locally available in Beni-Saf region (Algeria). The tested samples were compacted to the Standard and Modified Proctor Optimum (SPO, MPO) followed by drying periods under laboratory conditions. The thermal conductivity of samples was evaluated using transient method. The models’ predictive results of the thermal conductivity were assessed with different criteria such as Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Coefficient of Determination R². Furthermore, this work also attempts to deliver an in-depth discussion of the effect of degree of saturation Sr on the thermal conductivity of soils.

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Published

2024-09-09

How to Cite

Laimech, A., Derfouf, F.-E. M., Mekaideche, K., & Aboubekr, N. (2024). Influence of degree of saturation on the thermal conductivity of soils: Experimental and comparative model analysis. The Journal of Engineering and Exact Sciences, 10(6), 19473. https://doi.org/10.18540/jcecvl10iss6pp19473

Issue

Section

General Articles