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Effect of soil conditioners on the permeability and stability of soils
Author(s) -
Desmet J.,
Gabriels D.,
Dierickx W.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740360403
Subject(s) - loam , soil water , soil texture , moisture , permeability (electromagnetism) , water content , soil science , environmental science , soil type , geotechnical engineering , materials science , geology , chemistry , composite material , biochemistry , membrane
Permeability and wet sieving tests were carried out to study the effect of soil conditioner treatments on aggregate stability of a loam, clay loam and silty clay soil, and to evaluate possible applications in drainage, such as treating the trench backfill in soils of low permeability. The permeability test and prolonged wet sieving test were considered to be valid methods for determining the behaviour of soil aggregates. The permeability and stability of a soil are strongly affected by soil texture and soil moisture conditions after treatment. Treatments with polymer solutions are effective with regard to both stability and permeability, even in situations where the soil remains moist after treatment. Treatments with emulsions were effective for loam soil when the samples were dried out, and for the silty clay soil at higher moisture contents. For the clay loam soil the highest permeability was found at higher moisture contents although a high instability index was obtained after prolonged wet sieving. Treatment with soil conditioners, especially polymer solutions, results in highly permeable and stable aggregates under a wide range of moisture conditions after treatment.