This paper on "Ability of Computational Methods to Predict Coupled Phenomena Not Accessible to Direct Experimentation: A Typical Example in an Unsaturated Soil" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on Design, Simulation & Optimisation: Reliability & Applicability of Computational Methods - 9-11 April 1997, Stuttgart, Germany.

Abstract

This paper enlightens the ability of computational methods to predict coupled phenomena in heterogeneous media, when these phenomena are not accessible by a direct experimentation in presence of complex thermo-hydro-mechanical and physico-chemical evolutions. Fundamentals of multiphysics in heterogeneous media are first recalled, according to a generalized approach developed by the authors, based on the last developments in this field. The ability of predicting couplings in the case of an unsaturated soil column is then discussed before presenting two typical examples of couplings. One deals with the ability of computational methods to assess initial state in a complex medium. The other example describes an unexpected phenomenon, the so-called "convection by phase change".