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International Agrophysics
publisher:Institute of Agrophysics
Polish Academy of Sciences
Lublin, Poland
ISSN: 0236-8722


vol. 17, nr. 4 (2003)

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Effect of uniaxial compression on water retention, hydraulic conductivity and the penetration resistance of six Greek soils
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Panayiotopoulos K.P. , Salonikiou E. , Siaga K. , Germanopoulou V. , Skaperda S.
Laboratory of Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece

vol. 17 (2003), nr. 4, pp. 191-197
abstract Undisturbed samples from three Entisols, two Alfisols and a Vertisol were compressed uniaxially by 0 (control), 100, 200 or 300 kPa and the changes in soil water retention characteristics, saturated hydraulic conductivity and penetration resistance were studied. Penetration resistance was determined on samples equilibrated, after compression, at soil water matric suctions of 1, 10, 100, 1000 and 100000 kPa. The results obtained showed that uniaxial compression slight ly affected soil water retention characteristics only at low matric suctions while the influence of compression on saturated hydraulic conductivity was significant. Significant differences in penetration resistance between the controls and the compressed samples were found especially for samples equilibrated at soil water matric suctions higher than 100 kPa. The influence of both particle size distribution and structure development and stability on the respon- se of the soils used to compression and on the consequent changes in saturated hydraulic conductivity and in penetration resistance is discussed.
keywords uniaxial compression, water characteristics, penetration resistance, Greek soil