Abstract
This paper presents the pore size distribution and the soil water retention curves (SWRC) for an undisturbed residual soil obtained using traditional methods and using mercury intrusion porosimeter (MIP). The specimens were obtained from two residual soil profiles of the Serra do Mar, SP, Brazil. The results obtained allowed the evaluation of the pore size distribution along the soil profile and its relation to the water retention characteristics of the soil profile. The SWRC obtained using traditional methods, such as suction plate, pressure plate and filter paper method, is compared with the soil water retention curve inferred from the MIP. The results indicated that the amount of meso and macropores tends to increase with depth, while the amount of micropores tends to decrease. The comparison between the SWRC obtained using the MIP technique and the traditional procedures suggested that the former overestimates the water retention capacity for lower suctions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aung KK, Rahardjo H, Leong EC, Toll DG (2001) Relationship between porosimetry measurement and soil-water characteristic curve for an unsaturated residual soil. Geotech Geol Eng 19:401–416
Blight GE (2012) Origin and formation of residual soils. In: Blight GE, Leong EC (eds) Mechanics of residual soils, 2nd edn. Balkema, Leiden, pp 01–40
Brazilian Association of Technical Standards – ABNT (1984a) Grain of soil that cross the mesh of 4,8mm: determination of the specific mass/NBR-6508. 1a ed., Rio de Janeiro: ABNT. (in Portuguese)
Brazilian Association of Technical Standards – ABNT (1984b) Soil: determination of the bulk specific weight of undisturbed samples by technical of the hydrostatic balance/NBR 10838. 1a ed., Rio de Janeiro: ABNT. (in Portuguese).
Brazilian Association of Technical Standards – ABNT (1984c) Soil: granulometric analysis/NBR-7181. 1a ed., Rio de Janeiro: ABNT. (in Portuguese).
Brazilian Association of Technical Standards – ABNT (1995) Rocks and soils/NBR-6502. 1a ed., Rio de Janeiro: ABNT. (in Portuguese).
Bruand A, Prost R (1987) Effect of water content on the fabric of a soil material: an experimental approach. Eur J Soil Sci 38:461–472
Chandler RJ, Crilly MS, Montgomery-Smith G (1992) A low-cost method of assessing clay desiccation for low-rise buildings. Inst Civ Eng 2:82–89
Cooper M, Medeiros JC, Rosa JD, Soria JE, Toma RS (2013) Soil functioning in a toposequence under rainforest in São Paulo Brazil. R Bras Ci Solo 37:392–399
Delage P, Lefebvre G (1984) Study of the structure of a sensitive Champlain clay and its evolution during consolidation. Can Geotech J 21:21–35
Fredlund DG, Rahardjo H (1993) Soil mechanics for unsaturated soils. Wiley, New York
Griffiths FJ, Joshi RC (1989) Change in pore size distribution due to consolidation of clays. Geotechnique 39(1):159–167
Kiehl EJ (1979) Edaphology manual: soil-plant relationships. Ceres, São Paulo
Klein VA, Libardi PL (2002) Unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity of an oxisol, under different use and management systems. Ciencia Rural 32:945–953
Lawrence GP (1978) Stability of soil pores during mercury intrusion porosimetry. J Soil Sci 29:299–304
Li X, Zhanga LM (2009) Characterization of dual-structure pore-size distribution of soil. Can Geotech J 46(2):129–141
Luxmoore RJ (1981) Micro, meso and macroporosity of soil. Soil Sci 45:671–672
Machado SL (1995) Study of the confined compression and of the collapse of a compacted sandy soil using controlled suction edometric test. Masters Dissertation. Sao Carlos: School of Engineering/USP. (in Portuguese).
Marinho FAM, Chandler R (1993) Aspects of the behavior of clays on drying - Unsaturated Soils - Geotechnical Special Publication n. 39 – ASCE, Houston SL and Wray WK (eds), pp 77–90
Marinho FAM, Gomes JES (2011) The effect of contact on the filter paper method for measuring soil suction. Geotech Test J 35(01):172–181
Marinho FAM, Oliveira OM (2006) The filter paper method revisited. Geotech Test J 29(3):250–258
Marinho FAM, Take WA, Tarantino A (2008) Measurement of matric suction using tensiometric and axis translation techniques. Geotech Geol Eng 26(6):615–631
Mendes RM (2008) Study of the geotechnical properties of unsaturated residual soils of Ubatuba (SP). Doctoral Thesis. Polytechnic School, Sao Paulo University, 255p. https://www.teses.usp.br (in Portuguese)
Moraes SO, Libardi PL, Dourado Neto D (1993) Methodological problems of the soil-water retention curve. Sci Agric 50(3):383–392
Otto SRL, Alcaide M (2001) Soil water retention curve by TDR-Tensiometer method. R Bras Eng Agric Amb 5(2):265–269
Prapaharan S, Altschaeffl AG, Dempsey BJ (1985) Moisture curve of compacted clay: mercury intrusion method. J Geotech Eng 111(09):1139–1143
Rahardjo H, Aung KK, Leong EC, Rezaurd RB (2004) Characteristics of residual soils in Singapore as formed by weathering. Eng Geol 73:157–169
Richards LA (1965) Physical conditions of water in soil. In: Black CA (ed) Methods of soil analysis. American Society for Testing and Materials, Madison, pp 128–152
Sills ID, Aylmore LAG, Quirk JP (1973) A comparison between mercury injection and nitrogen sorption as methods of determining pore size distribution. Proc Soil Sci Soc Am 37:535–537
Acknowledgements
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP -Process No. 05 / 55736-5) supported the research. The second author also acknowledge the support given by CNPq.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mendes, R.M., Marinho, F.A.M. Soil Water Retention Curves for Residual Soils Using Traditional Methods and MIP. Geotech Geol Eng 38, 5167–5177 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-020-01354-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-020-01354-x