PHYSICAL, MICROSTRUCTURAL, HYDRAULIC AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF AN UNSATURATED SOIL PROFILE ASSOCIATED WITH VOLUMETRIC WATER CONTENT SENSORS IN BAIXADA SANTISTA-SP

• Grant number: 23/13949-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Geotechnical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Ferreira Benessiuti Motta
• Grantee: João Vitor Almeida Leite
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEG). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Guaratinguetá. Guaratinguetá , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Nowadays, due to an increasing number of landslides in different regions of the country, geotechnical studies are gaining importance to understand the dynamics of water in the soil. One of the factors that motivate these studies is the fact that many people live in risky areas, on steep slopes and embankments, as is the case of Baixada Santista-SP, which has already suffered and still suffers from landslides during rainy seasons. Understanding the behavior of water in a given soil is essential for carrying out effective risk monitoring. In this scope, this project is proposed, linked to the FAPESP project already approved (2023/04461-4), aiming to evaluate the physical, microstructural, hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of an unsaturated soil profile in a location monitored by CEMADEN (National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts) with volumetric water content sensors in the city of Guarujá-SP, through a geotechnical data collection platform (PCD). The general objective is to characterize the soil horizons in order to determine risk moisture ranges, thus ensuring greater refinement in warning emissions for the location. For this purpose, deformed and undisturbed samples of the soils in question will be collected to carry out tests in the laboratory, such as grain size distribution, limit index, permeability tests, retention curves and mercury porosimetry. In addition, in order to complement the hydraulic and mechanical characterization in situ, tests will be carried out with the Guelph permeameter and with the DPL (Light Dynamic Penetrometer), at different depths along the profile, to investigate the phenomena of infiltration and percolation of water in the different identified horizons. With this, it is intended to correlate field and laboratory data with the PCD sensors, aiming to understand the main processes associated with soil behavior in this location, where such a study could serve as a reference in decision-making to improve early warning systems.