MOISTURE CONTENT

DETERMINATION

ABE 72
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering I
MEASUREMENT OF SOIL MOISTURE

1. Direct measurement
gravimetric method
neutron dispersion method
2. Feel and Appearance
3. Indirect method
Bouyoucos method
4. Measurement of soil moisture tension
tensiometer method
1. Direct Method

a. Gravimetric Method
mcm = fresh weight - oven dry weight
oven dry weight

b. Neutron Scattering
most accurate but radioactive
2. Feel and Appearance

•descriptive method
•3 methods
•Ball Test - soil is squeezed several times
into a firm ball and dropped

•Rod Test - 3 mm of soil rod

•Ribbon Test - soil is sneared out between

thumb and finger
 3. Bouyoucos Method
• uses the electrical properties of
the soil to determine the
moisture content of the soil

• the electrical resistance which

is measured by a portable
Wheatstone Bridge reflects the
moisture content of the soil
 4. Tensiometers
• measures the tension of
water in the soil in the
range of 0 to 700
millibars (0.85 atm)

• uses soil moisture

depletion curve to
determine moisture
content (on a dry mass
basis)
 35

30
Moisture content by weight (%)

25

20

15

10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Soil moisture tension in bars

Figure 1. Moisture depletion curve for sample soil

 HYSTERESIS
• Difference in
mc readings
even same
tensiometer
readings
 Causes of Hysteresis
1. Entrapment of air during wetting
2. Ink bottle effect
3. Contact angle
•Contact angle concept

• Angle between liquid-solid interface and liquid-air interface

• Contact angle greater in wetting than in drying
• The higher contact angle, the lesser the mc is
 SOIL MOISTURE RETENSION CURVES

• Buchner Funnels 35

• Pressure Cells
• Pressure Plate 30

Moisture content by weight (%)

25

20

15

10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Soil moisture tension in bars

Figure 1. Moisture depletion curve for sample soil

1. Buchner Funnels
2. Pressure Cell
3. Pressure Plate
Moisture Extraction Pattern