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Structural stabilization of soil backfill with quicklime
Author(s) -
Zimmermann Iris,
Filser Stefan,
Mordhorst Anneka,
Fleige Heiner,
Horn Rainer
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.201800511
Subject(s) - loam , hydraulic conductivity , soil water , soil science , carbonate , soil ph , environmental science , chemistry , mineralogy , organic chemistry
The application of quicklime (CaO) to soil backfill for the amelioration of poorly aerated grave soils (sandy loam) was tested in a cemetery in Germany. Two grave simulations (soil pits 9 m × 2 m × 1.6 m, l × w × d) were set up. Variation sans was only excavated and refilled, while in variation qlm, 20 kg quicklime per m 3 soil were added to the backfill. Soil matric potential and gas composition were recorded over a period of 24 months in the two refilled pits and in the surrounding undisturbed soil (ref) at the 50 cm and 135 cm depths, respectively. Soil samples were taken in the beginning from ref and in three‐month intervals from the treatments sans and qlm. Soil pH and CaCO 3 content, as well as bulk density (ρ B ), air capacity (AC), air conductivity (k l ), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (k s ) were measured. Excavation and backfill of the untreated soil (sans) led to an increase in ρ B at the 50 and 90 cm depths and decreases in AC, k l , and k s when compared to ref. Quicklime application led to an increase in pH, the formation of CaCO 3 in the formerly carbonate‐free soil, consistently reduced ρ B , and increased AC, k l and k s . Although the quicklime application did not lead to notably more negative matric potentials, it increased the O 2 concentration in the soil air and reduced the CO 2 concentration to zero. The results show that the application of quicklime helps the structural amelioration of cemetery soils even at relatively low clay contents.