An Improved Volume Measurement for Determining Soil Water Retention Curves

Complete determination of soil water retention curves requires that the sample volume be measured in order to calculate its void ratio and degree of saturation. During drying in the pressure plate apparatus, cracks often appear in the sample, altering its deformation and evaporation patterns, causing significant scatter in the volume measurement when using the volume displacement method. This paper proposes a simple method to avoid cracking, by limiting friction and adhesion boundary effects, to allow for unrestrained shrinkage of the sample. Such modification of the technique decreases the measurement error by a factor of 3.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01496115
• Authors:
  • Peron, Herve
  • Hueckel, Tomasz
• Publication Date: 2007-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-8
• Serial:
  • Geotechnical Testing Journal
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: ASTM International
  • ISSN: 0149-6115
  • Serial URL: http://www.astm.org/DIGITAL_LIBRARY/JOURNALS/GEOTECH/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Geotechnical engineering; Moisture content; Soil science; Soil suction; Soil water; Unsaturated soils; Void ratios
• Uncontrolled Terms: Retention curves
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01049834
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 8 2007 6:08PM