1 Scope
This International Standard specifies laboratory methods for determination of the
soil water-retention characteristic.
This International Standard applies only to measurements of the drying or desorption
curve.
Four methods are described to cover the complete range of soil water pressures as
follows:
-
a) method using sand, kaolin or ceramic suction tables for determination of matric pressures from 0 kPa to – 50 kPa;
-
b) method using a porous plate and burette apparatus for determination of matric pressures from 0 kPa to – 20 kPa;
-
c) method using a pressurized gas and a pressure plate extractor for determination of matric pressures from – 5 kPa to – 1 500 kPa;
-
d) method using a pressurized gas and pressure membrane cells for determination of matric pressures from – 33 kPa to – 1 500 kPa.
Guidelines are given to select the most suitable method in a particular case.