IMPROVEMENT OF A SIMPLE TENSION INFILTROMETER FOR DETERMINING SOIL HYDRAULIC PROPERTIES

Abstract

An improved design of an existing simple tension infiltrometer which could use easily available PVC pipes for its water reservoir is presented. The disc is made of cast aluminium and incorporates a reservoir pipe adapter to facilitate the use of multiple reservoir pipe sizes. The test results from the constructed infiltrometer in loamy sand showed the performance of the equipment to be consistent and satisfactory suggesting that the equipment would be useful in routine research instrumentation and sturdy enough for use in students’ practical works. It was considered valuable in our local situation where typically there are resource constraints for importing sophisticated instrumentation and components.