CE 223

Soil Mechanics
Unit-02 (Part 2) Capillarity

Dr. Manendra Singh

 Capillarity
 Ground Water Table (or Phreatic surface) is the level to which
underground water will rise in an observation well, pit or other open
excavation into the earth.
 In addition, Every soil in the field is completely saturated up to some
height above the water table and partially up to some more height. This
is attributed to the phenomenon of CAPILLARITY in soils.
 Capillarity arises from a fluid property known as surface tension,
which is a phenomenon that occurs at the interface between different
materials.
 (DEFINITION of Surface tension: Caused by each portion of the liquid
surface exerting tension (due to molecular attraction) on adjacent
portions of the surface or on objects that are in contact with the liquid
surface.)
 The phenomenon in which water rises above the GWT against the pull
of gravity but is in contact with the water table as its source is referred
to as CAPILLARY RISE.
 Water is sucked up into the pores of the soil in this zone on account of
the surface tension of water, a manifestation referred to as the
Capillary phenomenon.
 Capillary water system

1. Zone of capillary saturation

 Closest to GWT. This zone is full saturated
2. Zone of partial saturation
 Above the zone of saturation is the zone of capillary saturation and
above is the zone of partial capillary saturation. In this zone water is
connected through the smaller pores, but more of the larger pores are
filled with air.
 Capillary Rise in Tube

 A rise in a liquid above the level of zero pressure due to a net upward
force produced by the attraction of the water molecules to a solid
surface, e.g, glass, soil (for those cases where the adhesion of the
liquid to the solid is greater than the cohesion of the liquid to itself)
 Immersing a glass tube of small diameter into a vessel containing
water.
 Rise of water in tube = f(d of tube and cleanliness of its inner surface).

hc
 Capillary Rise in Soil

 It is reasonable to assume that pore spaces between soil particles of

various diameters, behaves in much the same manner as that of a
capillary tube

hc
 Capillary Rise in Soil

Above the water table, when the soil is saturated, pore

pressure will be negative (less than atmospheric).
T he height above the water table
to which the soil is saturated is
called the capillary rise, and this
depends on the grain size and
the size of pores. In coarse soils,
the capillary rise is very small.

55
 Capillary Rise in Soil
T he continuous void spaces in soil can behave as
bundles of capillary tubes of variable cross
section.
Because of surface tension force, water may rise
above the phreatic surface.

Tube
Water
surface
 Capillary Rise in Soil

T he height of rise of water in the capillary tube can

be given by summing the forces in the vertical
direction, or
𝑇𝑠 𝑇𝑠
𝜋𝑑2ℎ 𝑐 𝛾w α α
𝜋𝑑 𝑇𝑠 𝑐o𝑠𝛼 = 𝑢𝑐
4
ℎ𝑐 Tube
4 𝑇𝑠 𝑐o𝑠𝛼
ℎ𝑐 = (6 − 13) Water
𝑑𝛾w surface
- +

h
 Capillary Rise in Soil
T he surface tension 𝑇𝑠 of water can be taken as
equal to 73 × 10−3 N /m. Equation (6- 13) can
be simplified by assuming 𝛼 = 0 and by substituting
for Ts. Therefore, for the case of water,
the capillary height hc can be written as
4 𝑇𝑠
ℎ =
𝑑𝛾w
0.3
o𝑟 ℎ𝑐 =
𝑑
hc and d are expressed in cm
 Capillary Rise in Soil

 In soils, shapes of void spaces between solid particles are unlike those
in capillary tubes.
 The voids are of irregular and varying shape and size, and
interconnected in all directions.
 Hence, accurate prediction of the height of capillary rise in soil is next
to impossible.
 However, the features of capillarity rise in tubes are applicable to soils
as they facilitate an understanding of factors affecting capillarity.
Height of capillary rise is a function of
diameter of capillary tube.
For soils:
 Capillary Rise in Soil

 This estimate may be improved to allow for the effect of grading and
grain shape characteristics, such as irregularity and flakiness

Where
 C = constant (0.1 - 0.5 cm²)= f( grain shape, surface impurities)
 e = void ratio

 Capillary action holds soil water in small pores against the force of
gravity. The smaller the pores, the greater the movement can be.
Capillary Rise in Soil
 Capillary rise in soil

• For the condition of capillarity, the existence if air-water is required. Capillary will
cease and all its effects disappear on submergence of soil.
• The negative pressure of water held above the W.T. results in attractive force
between the particles are terms as soil suction/capillary potential/pressure
deficiency/capillary tension.
• Capillary tension is maximum at the level of meniscus and reduces linearly to zero at
free water surface level.
• Meniscus transfer its surface tension from the liquid circumferentially to the side of
the capillary tube that induces capillary pressure. This capillary pressure is
compressive stresses in soil solids equal to the weight of water in capillary tube.

Capillary
pressure +
 Effective Stress in the Zone of Capillary Rise

• The general relationship among total stress, effective stress, and pore water
pressure was given:

σ’ = σ – (-u) = σ + u
• If partial saturation is caused by capillary action, The pore water pressure u at a
point can be approximated as (with the atmospheric pressure taken as datum):

u = -hc . γw . S
Where
S = degree of saturation in fraction
hc =height of the point under consideration measured from the
groundwater table
• The pore water pressure u at a point in a layer of fully saturated soil by capillary
rise:

u = -hc . γw
 Physical examples of capillarity phenomena

• Two soil grains held together by a capillary film:

• Bulking structure in sand is due to capillary action.

• Strength gain in a granular soil due to partial saturation and surface tension
is termed as apparent cohesion.
Problem 1

A soil profile is shown in Figure . Given: H1 = 1.83 m, H2 = 0.91 m, H3 = 1.83 m.

Plot the variation of stresses with depth.
Problem 2

The capillary rise in silt is 50cm and that in fine

sand is 30cm. What is the difference in the pore
size of two soils.
Problem 3

Calculate the approximate height of capillary rise in a soil

having void ratio of 0.75, effective diameter of 0.05mm
(Assume C=25mm2). Use both approaches. What are the
corresponding values of capillary Tension