SOIL PHYSICS

Soil Structure and Aggregation

To understand how a soil behaves as a composite body, we need
to consider how individual particles are packed.

Primary soil particle are arranged into secondary units called
aggregates or peds.

Cementing agents bind the primary particles within aggregates:

Organic matter
Silicate clays
Lime (CaCO3)
Sesquoxides (Al and Fe oxides)

SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation

Soil structure is defined as the spatial arrangement of the
primary soil particles into compound particles, aggregates or
peds and the stability of these units.


Soil structure influences the following soil properties:

Soil water transport
Soil aeration
Soil temperature
Mechanical impedance of soil to germination
Root penetration



SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation

Unlike soil texture which is more permanent, soil structure is
strongly affected by the following factors:

climate

biological activity

soil management practices

Soil structure determines:

the total porosity
the shapes of individual pores and
pore size distribution.

SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation

Pore size distribution

Macropores (0.08-5 mm):

for conducting water during flooding or heavy rainfall.
good for aeration purpose.

Mesopores (0.03-0.08 mm):

conduct water, but more important for redistribution of
water.

Micropores (0.005-0.03 mm):

water moves extremely slow, but still plant-available.
important for water retention


SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation

Types of Soil Structure

There are several categories of soil structure:

Granular and crumb (A-horizon)

Individual particles of sand, silt
and clay grouped together in
small, nearly spherical grains.
Water circulates very easily through
such soils. They are commonly found
in the A-horizon of the soil profile;
SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation

Types of Soil Structure

There are several categories of soil structure:

Blocky and subangular blocky(B-horizon)

Soil particles that cling together in
nearly square or angular blocks
having more or less sharp edges.
Relatively large blocks indicate that
the soil resists penetration and
movement of water.
SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation

Types of Soil Structure

There are several categories of soil structure:

Prismatic and columnar (B-horizon)

Soil particles which have formed into
vertical columns or pillars separated
by miniature, but definite, vertical
cracks.
Water circulates with greater
difficulty and drainage is poor.
SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation

Types of Soil Structure

There are several categories of soil structure:

Prismatic and columnar (B-horizon)

Soil particles aggregated in thin
plates or sheets piled on
horizontally on one another.

Plates often overlap,
greatly impairing water
circulation.
SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation
Aggregate Stability

Aggregate stability is defined as the resistance of soil structure
to mechanical and physico-chemical destructive forces.

Aggregate stability is as important as structure itself.

Lack of aggregate stability may lead to soil surface sealing
(crusting), reduced infiltration, and reduced aeration.

Surface sealing is undesirable except in paddy rice fields.

The process by which dry soil aggregates disintegrate upon
wetting is called slaking.




SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation
Procedure for Determination of Aggregate Stability

A 250 g dry soil sample is passed through a set of 7 sieves:
E.g. 0.5 1 2 5 10 20 50 mm


The fraction retained on each sieve is weighed.

The mass percentage of each fraction is calculated.

The weight of the different aggregate fraction may be plotted
on a cumulative curve (on mm-paper).

A similar sample is passed through the sieves set, but sieving
is done under water.





SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation
Procedure for Determination of Aggregate Stability

Calculations:

=
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

=
=
=
ht of soil total weig
diameter smallest iameter greatest d
oil weight % s
i i
MWD
w x
n i
i
2
1
wet dry
MWD MWD
Index Stability

=
1
SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation
Procedure for Determination of Aggregate Stability
Example



Aggregate
diameter
range (mm)

Dry sieving

Wet sieving

Virgin soil Cultivated soil Virgin soil Cultivated soil
0.0-0.5 10% 25% 30% 50%
0.5-1.0 10% 25% 15% 25%
1-2 15% 15% 15% 15%
2-5 15% 15% 15% 5%
5-10 20% 10% 15% 4%
10-20 20% 7% 5% 1%
20-50 10% 3% 5% 0%
SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation
Procedure for Determination of Aggregate Stability
Example

Range: 0-0.5, 0.5-1, 1-2, 2-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-50 mm
Mean: 0.25, 0.75, 1.5, 3.5, 7.5, 15, 35 mm




For dry-sieved virgin soil,
x = (0.250.1)+(0.75 0.1)+(1.5 0.15)+(3.5 0.15)+(7.5 0.2)
+(15 0.2)+(35 0.1) = 8.85 mm



i i
n i
i
w x MWD

=
=
=
1
SOIL PHYSICS
Soil Structure and Aggregation
Procedure for Determination of Aggregate Stability
Example
Do the same for the other soils, to get the following results:







Mean weight diameter
Dry sieving Wet sieving
Virgin soil Cultivated soil Virgin soil Cultivated soil
8.85 mm 4.30 mm 4.56 mm 1.16 mm
233 . 0
56 . 4 85 . 8
1 1
=

=
wet dry
MWD MWD
il) (virgin so Index Stability
318 . 0
16 . 1 30 . 4
1 1
=

=
wet dry
MWD MWD
d soil) (cultivate Index Stability
SOIL PHYSICS
Atterberg Limits

Atterberg Limits are the basic measure of the nature of a fine-
grained soil.

Depending on the water content of the soil, it may appear in
four states: solid, semi-solid, plastic or liquid.

Consistency: the strength with which soil materials are held
together or resistance of soils to deformation and rupture.

Plastic Limit (PL): the water content where soil starts to exhibit
plasticity.

Liquid Limit (LL) : the water content where a soil changes to
liquid behavior.






SOIL PHYSICS
Atterberg Limits


Plasticity Index (PI): A measure of plasticity of the soil.




Liquidity Index (LI): A measure that includes the scaling of the
natural water content (W)of a soil sample to the limits.






PL LL
PL W
LI

=
PL LL PI =
SOIL PHYSICS
Atterberg Limits

Liquid Limit (LL) Determination






Casagrande Device