The effective stress in unsaturated soil should be related to soil microstructure.

A suitable
effective stress that can explain the unsaturated soil behaviour is explored considering the
results of suction controlled strength and stiffness on different types of soil and interpretation
of microstructural features. To define effective stress of unsaturated soils a term which
brings together total stress, suction, and degree of saturation is needed. The contribution of
suction is smaller than predicted.. Degree of saturation was defined by the volume of water in
the macropores of the soil structure. The result yielded by the microstructural interpretation
of the water retention curve with piecewise approximation is determined to be more effective
in eliminating suction effects. Hence two approaches based on piecewise linear and non-
linear approximations were put forward to determine the effective degree of saturation. The
effective degree of saturation of granular soils were found equal to the total degree of
saturation. As plastic nature of soil shows prominence, there is marked reduction in effect of
suction to the effective stress. The implication is that at low degrees of saturation, for high
plastic soils, effective stress reduces to net stress. Analysis using this method led to
identification of the material parameter involved in the definition of the effective degree of
saturation. An equation for effective stress was proposed based on the amount of immobile
water present in pores. Interpretation of experimental data shows consistence with the
proposed definition of effective stress.