A procedure for modeling coupled soil consolidation and solute migration processes in compressible soils

In this paper is presented a procedure for modeling coupled soil consolidation and solute transport in compressible soils. The mathematical models used consider finite strains in soil consolidation, non-linear soil properties and variation in hydraulic conductivity and hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients in space and in time. This approach presents many advantages relative to current conventional ones, which generally consider a scenario of infinitesimal strains and constant parameters of soil consolidation and solute transport in the coupled process. The Finite Volume Method (FVM) is used to discretize the governing equations. Validation exercises have shown that the model correctly predicts the expected behavior. Parametric studies have shown that soil deformation may have a great influence on solute transport.