Bodemparameters

Bodemparameters, or soil parameters, are numerical properties that characterize a soil's physical, hydraulic, and mechanical behavior. They are used in geotechnical engineering, hydrogeology, agronomy, and environmental science to predict settlement, strength, drainage, and transport processes.

Physical and mineralogical properties include grain size distribution, Atterberg limits (liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index), particle density, porosity, bulk density, and natural water content. These properties influence strength, compressibility, and drainage behavior.

Hydraulic properties describe water movement through soil, notably saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, and the soil-water retention curve, which relates matric suction to moisture content. These parameters govern infiltration, drainage, and pore pressure development.

Mechanical properties determine soil strength and deformation. Key parameters are cohesion (c'), internal friction angle (phi'), Young's modulus (E), Poisson's ratio (nu), and consolidation characteristics such as the coefficient of consolidation (Cv) and compression index (Cc).

Determination and use: Parameters are obtained from laboratory tests (triaxial compression, oedometer, direct shear, Atterberg limits) and in-situ tests (Standard Penetration Test SPT, Cone Penetration Test CPT, vane shear). Data are used in design codes and numerical models.

Variability and application: Soil parameters vary with moisture, density, stress history, and drainage conditions; uncertainties require conservative design and sensitivity analyses. They are stored in databases and used for site-specific modeling, slope stability, foundation design, and contaminant transport assessments.