Unified Elastic Modulus Characteristic Curve Equation for Variably Saturated Soils

A soil’s elastic modulus is a fundamental property defining the soil’s reversible stress-strain relation under mechanical and environmental loadings. It has been observed that a soil’s elastic modulus can increase up to several orders of magnitude from fully saturated to dry conditions due to two distinct soil water retention mechanisms: adsorption and capillarity. Adsorption affects interparticle stress through van der Waals and electrostatic...