Influence of the wetting path on the mechanical response of shallow unsaturated sloping covers

Some Authors highlight the hysteretic response to wetting of unsaturated soils, showing that the operative SWCC may significantly diverge from the one usually adopted in conventional approaches. Accounting for the typical range of values covered by the suction–degree of saturation relationship for loose granular pyroclastic soils, the paper examines the influence of potential wetting paths on slope stability conditions.