Edge effects when determining contact angles for hydrophobic granular soils

Hydrophobic granular soils may have a useful role to play in constructing water sequestration infrastructure, particularly in regions where clayey soils are not plentiful. However, hydrophobicity has significant implications on the possible hydromechanical behaviour of these materials. Given that the solid-liquid contact angle is used to define hydrophobicity and is a key parameter when predicting hydromechanical behaviour, it is useful to explore the role of contact angles in meniscus formation in hydrophobic soils. This short study presents classical models for water menisci between hydrophilic particles and uses experimental findings to determine how to extend those models to hydrophobic soils.