InterPore2026

Influence of Contact-Bound Cementation on Pore Structure and Hydraulic Response of Granular Materials

21 May 2026, 15:35

1h 30m

Poster Presentation (MS09) Pore-Scale Physics and Modeling Poster

Speaker

Dr Suaiba Mufti (IISC)

Description

Cementation is a fundamental diagenetic process that transforms loose sediments into consolidated geomaterials through the precipitation of secondary minerals, which coerce particles together (Attewell & Farmer, 2012). While natural cementation evolves over geological timescales in sediments, comparable bonding effects are engineered in the infrastructure sector. These effects are intentionally replicated using artificial cementation techniques widely adopted in soil stabilization, grouting, and slope reinforcement to enhance the strength, stiffness, and durability of granular soils (Singh & Murthy, 2022).
Cementation alters the soil fabric and pore structure, thereby influencing not only mechanical behavior but also fluid flow characteristics. While the bulk mechanical response of both uncemented and cemented granular materials has been extensively investigated, the effects of cementation on hydraulic behavior remain comparatively underexplored, despite the strong influence of cementation on pore connectivity and fluid transport mechanisms. Even less understood is the evolution of void structure and flow characteristics associated with contact-bound cementation, in which very small amounts of bonding material reinforce grain contacts without causing a substantial reduction in pore volume.
To address the limited understanding of hydraulic behavior in lightly cemented granular materials, this study investigates pore-scale evolution in contact-bound cemented granular assemblies subjected to controlled cementation using epoxy as the bonding agent. The effects of both cementation and applied stress on the poromechanical and hydraulic responses of uncemented and contact-bound cemented specimens with cement contents between 1 and 3 percent are examined. X-ray computed tomography (XRCT) is employed to quantify changes in pore geometry induced by contact bonding and subsequent one-dimensional compression. By combining microstructural imaging with pore network reconstruction and flow simulations, the study evaluates how small amounts of cement alter pore size distributions, throat connectivity, and pore-scale flow pathways.
The results demonstrate that contact cementation homogenizes pore structure and hydraulic response, leading to a marked reduction in the directional dependence of permeability, water retention behavior, and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity that is characteristic of uncemented granular assemblies. Cementation is shown to primarily affect pore constrictions (throats) rather than pore bodies, with even small cement contents producing substantial reductions in throat diameters and a more uniform throat size distribution. The most pronounced geometric and hydraulic changes occur at early stages of cementation (1% cementation), beyond which additional cement produces diminishing effects. Cementation also shifts water retention behavior toward higher capillary entry pressures and increased residual saturation, reflecting enhanced capillary resistance associated with reduced throat apertures. Overall, the findings highlight the distinct yet interacting roles of mechanical compression and cementation in controlling pore structure and flow behavior and demonstrate the effectiveness of XRCT informed pore network modeling as a multiscale framework for linking microstructural evolution to macroscopic saturated and unsaturated flow properties in contact-bound cemented granular materials.