%0 Journal Article %T Lattice Boltzmann modelling of liquid distribution in unsaturated granular media %+ Laboratoire sols, solides, structures - risques [Grenoble] (3SR ) %+ GéoMécanique %+ Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Divisés (PMMD) %+ Multiscale Material Science for Energy and Environment (MSE 2) %+ Ingénierie des Agro-polymères et Technologies Émergentes (UMR IATE) %A Richefeu, Vincent %A Radjai, Farhang %A Delenne, Jean-Yves %< avec comité de lecture %@ 0266-352X %J Computers and Geotechnics %I Elsevier %V 80 %P 353-359 %8 2016 %D 2016 %R 10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.02.017 %K goût %K granular structure %K Unsaturated soils %K Granular materials %K capillarity %K Capillary condensation %K Lattice Boltzmann Method %K vapor condensation %K capillarité %K structure granulaire %K goutte %K condensation %K simulation %K courbe de rétention %Z Engineering Sciences [physics]/Chemical and Process EngineeringJournal articles %X We use capillary condensation simulated by a multiphase Lattice Boltzmann model as a means to generate homogeneous distributions of liquid clusters in 2D granular media. Liquid droplets condense from the vapour phase between and on the grains, and they transform into capillary bonds and liquid clusters as thermodynamic equilibrium is approached. As the amount of condensed liquid is increased, liquid clusters of increasing connectivity are formed and the distribution of liquid undergoes topological transitions until the whole pore space is filled by the liquid. We investigate the cluster statistics and local grain environments. From extensive simulations, we also obtain the mean Laplace pressure as a function of the amount of liquid, which is found to be quite similar to the well-known experimental retention curve in soil mechanics. The tensile stress carried by the grains increases as a function of the amount of condensed liquid up to a peak in the funicular state beyond which the stress falls off as a result of pressure drop inside the merging clusters. %G English %2 https://hal.science/hal-01837433/document %2 https://hal.science/hal-01837433/file/Art_Radjai_al_Computers-Geotechnics_2016.pdf %L hal-01837433 %U https://hal.science/hal-01837433 %~ CIRAD %~ UGA %~ CNRS %~ UNIV-MONTP2 %~ INPG %~ INRA %~ 3S-R %~ IATE %~ LMGC %~ AGREENIUM %~ MIPS %~ BA %~ UNIV-MONTPELLIER %~ INSTITUT-AGRO-MONTPELLIER %~ INRAE %~ INRAEOCCITANIEMONTPELLIER %~ UGA-COMUE %~ UM-2015-2021 %~ INSTITUT-AGRO