Modeling and determination of critical state of consolidation from mass-volume ratio in farmland

Abstract

The objectives of this research was to suggest equations, to estimate the bulk den­sity (ρσp) and total porosity (nσp), on the pre-compression stress (σp), proposing them as indicators for the evaluation of the quality and the critical consolidation state of farm­land. The physical characteristics were ob­tained by uniaxial precompression tests of undisturbed samples of an Alfisol after be­ing subject to the following states of con­sistency: toughness, friability and plasticity. The results allowed estimating the ρσp and nσp which the soil can reach without having its structure degraded. The equations were shown to be powerful tools in assessing the soil bearing capacity and the maximum mass-volume ratio that may reach the ground.