China Safety Science Journal ›› 2025, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (S2): 50-57.doi: 10.16265/j.cnki.issn1003-3033.2025.S2.0018

• Safety engineering technology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study on dynamic rainfall infiltration characteristics of soil slopes based on a dual-permeability model

SUN Changkun1,2(), WU Haifei3,4,**(), ZHANG Yihai3,4, YANG Jianglin1, YUAN Yu1,5, YUAN Yunxing3,4   

  1. 1 Yunnan Gold Mining Group Co., Ltd., Kunming Yunnan 650299, China
    2 State Key Laboratory of Metal Mine Mining Safety and Disaster Prevention and Control, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
    3 China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, Beijing 100012, China
    4 Cathay Safety Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 102209, China
    5 Heqing Beiya Mining Co., Ltd., Heqing Yunnan 671500, China
  • Received:2025-08-14 Online:2026-02-04 Published:2026-07-01
  • Contact: WU Haifei

Abstract:

To enhance landslide prediction and early warning capabilities and to optimize engineering disaster prevention and mitigation design, a non-saturated seepage model incorporating the coupling effect between matrix and fractures was developed based on dual-permeability theory. The model systematically accounted for rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, fracture permeability, spatial distribution and connectivity of fractures, matrix permeability, and the initial water content of the soil, enabling a realistic representation of water competition, migration, and coupling between the matrix and fracture domains. By using the improved rainfall boundary condition and considering the characteristics of unsaturated soil flow, COMSOL Multiphysics finite element software was employed as the computational platform, and the interactions between water in the matrix and fracture domains were comprehensively analyzed to reveal the rainfall infiltration characteristics of homogeneous soil. The results show that the presence of fractures significantly accelerates the initial infiltration rate and, under specific conditions, forms preferential flow paths, inducing local saturation; meanwhile, matrix suction plays a dominant role in water redistribution, and the competition and coupling between the matrix and fracture domains have a decisive effect on the spatiotemporal distribution of rainfall infiltration and the evolution of pore pressure.

Key words: dual-permeability medium, rainfall infiltration, unsaturated seepage, matrix domain, fracture domain

CLC Number: