Abstract
The mechanism of soil cracking has long been concerned and discussed from the perspective of macro mechanics. Based on the concept of the contractile skin in the Soil Mechanics for Unsaturated Soils, a mechanical model on which the force equilibrium is established is developed. With the established model, the microcosmic mechanical mechanism for soft soil cracking can be clearly paraphrased. The tensile test of water film and attachments is analogy of soil cracking process. The start, development and end of saturated soil cracking are further studied by different scales and shapes of the model tests.
