MOISTURE CONTENT OF SOIL

Moisture Content of soil defines amount of water present in soil expressed in percentage of dry mass of soil, this amount of water is assumed to be within pore space between soil grains.

Determination of moisture content 

This is the laboratory test which is carried by the following methodology

Required Equipments

• Drying oven with temperature 105°c up to 110°c.
• Metal container.
• Balance readable up to 0.1g

Test Procedures

1. Clean and dry container should be weighted nearest to 0.1g as mass A.
2. Median grain soil sample not less than 300g should be placed in container.
3. Container with wet soil sample shall be weighted as mass B.
4. Container with wet soil sample inside is placed in oven to dry at 105°c for not less than 12 hours.

   

   Drying Soil samples inside oven

   
   
5. Dried sample is removed from oven and weighted as mass C.
6. The test should be repeated for not less than 3 sample so as to get average moisture content.

Measurement of dried soil samples.

Calculation and Report

Important of determining moisture content of soil.

It is important to measure moisture content of soil as it is one of index properties of soil, which can give notice to other properties of soil such as grading, porosity, strength.


Amount of water that the soil can hold defines the size of soil particles as fines holds more water over time and allows water rise from underlying layers (capillarity action).

Soil which holds more water also indicates that,it has more pores between particles.

Soil with more water has low strength, because more water between soil particles reduces shear strength of soil, amount of water has also effect on dry density (bearing capacity) of compacted soil layer.