Water retention properties of a compacted clayey silt including void ratio dependency and microstructural features

An experimental study focused on the water retention properties of a compacted clayey silt with dominant bimodal pore size distribution is reported. A water retention model accounting for soil microstructural features and void ratio is used to track the observed hydraulic behaviour. The model parameters were calibrated on the basis of drying and wetting data at a given dry density and the model predictions are verified along drying and wetting paths at different void ratios.