Soil–Water Characteristic Curves Obtained for a Colluvial and Lateritic Soil Profile Considering the Macro and Micro Porosity

Abstract

This study aims to determine and to model the relationship of matric suction versus water content, known as soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC), for a tropical soil profile at the southeastern Brazil. This soil profile consists of a colluvial, lateritic silty clay, with thickness of about 6.5 m. The filter paper and pressure plate techniques were used to determine the SWCC. Specimens were trimmed from the undisturbed soil samples collected along soil profile depth and submitted to drying paths. Impregnated thin-layer plates and a petrographic microscope were used to examine the structure and mineralogical composition of the soil samples. Mercury intrusion porosimetry tests were performed on some soil samples to obtain the frequency histogram of the pores. SWCC with bimodal pore-size distribution were obtained by the filter paper technique and SWCC with unimodal pore-size distribution were obtained by the pressure plate technique. The SWCC showed values of air-entry ranging from 1 to 3 kPa, depending on the technique used, resembling soils with macroporosity, as the lateritic soils. Combining both techniques, the SWCC could be fitted by a model that takes into consideration soils with macro and microporosity.