Experimental Study on Gravel Soils of Matrix Suction

Soil-water characteristic curve（SWCC）is closely relevant to two main factors which are structure and moisture content. According to the two factors the values of matrix suction of 45 groups experimental specimens within different moisture content and soil -stone ratio of unsaturated soil are get through filter paper method. Date analysis shows that relation between matrix suction and soil-stone ratio at different moisture states is of different characteristics. Relation between matrix suction and water content is notably nonlinear. Distribution of matrix suction is curved surface in the moisture and soil-stone ration state space which is the function of water content and soil-stone ratio, in which the axial plan is parallel to the axis of soil-stone ratio.At low water content,the matrix suction on the moisture content change is very sensitive, at high moisture content and closed to saturation stage matrix suction hardly changes along with water content and soil-stone ratio change. The curved surface which Located in the middle section ,the matrix suction on the change of water content are more sensitive, reduced with water content increasing; and in this phase the matrix suction is insensitive to the variation of soil-stone ratio. Finally, it is concluded that the saturation to describe the soil water characteristic curve is a bad choice, with moisture to depict the so. In contrast, directly using the water content to describe the soil water characteristic curve is better.