To support your
evapotranspirative cover system or unsaturated soils testing projects
TRI now has the ability to determine Soil Water Characteristic Curve
(SWCC) for a soil specimen. The SWCC determines the relationship
between volumetric water content and matric suction potential.
This relationship can be determined using ASTM D 6836, Standard Test
Methods for Determination of the Soil Water Characteristic Curve for
Desorption Using a Hanging Column, Pressure Extractor, Chilled Mirror
Hygrometer, and/or Centrifuge. Typically a SWCC curve is defined by 5
to 7 data points determined using two or more of the methods described
in ASTM D 6836. For soils with high matric suction potential (i.e.
clays) we can develop data points using our relative humidity box
method following the procedures outlined in Methods of Soil Analysis
(1986).
One should beware that the SWCC has several synonyms names. SWCC
also
known at Moisture Characteristic Curve (MCC), Soil Wetting Curve (SWC),
Moisture Retention Curve (MRC), and Soil Drying Curve (SDC).