Development of An Equipment For Measuring Pressure-Sinkage Behaviour of A Heavy Clay Soil
Development of An Equipment For Measuring Pressure-Sinkage Behaviour of A Heavy Clay Soil
Development of An Equipment For Measuring Pressure-Sinkage Behaviour of A Heavy Clay Soil
Development of Equipment for Measuring Pressure-Sinkage Behaviour of a Heavy Clay Soil. 84 – 93.
1. Introduction
Soil compactions under tractors and agricultural machines are of special concern because weights of
these machines have been increased dramatically in the last decades (Hakansson and Reeder, 1994;
Abu-Hamdeh and Reeder, 2003). One of the most causes of soil compaction is soil sinkage imposed
by wheels and tracks. Therefore prediction of soil sinkage under wheels or tracks is very important
for determining the level of soil compaction (Abu-Hamdeh, and Reeder, 2003).
Furthermore, the ability to predict soil sinkage can enable agricultural engineers to till or traffic the
soil when it is not in a highly compatible state or to estimate the damage being done to the soil
structure due to their excessive loading when tillage or traffic is necessary (Rashidi et al, 2006).
Currently, there are two major techniques used in measuring and characterizing terrain properties for
evaluation of off-road vehicle mobility in the field: the cone penetrometer technique and the
bevameter technique (Wong, 2010). The bevameter technique by Bekker (1956, 1960, 1969) is based
on the premise that terrain properties pertinent to terramechanics can best be measured under loading
conditions similar to those exerted by an off-road vehicle. A vehicle exerts normal and shear loads to
the terrain surface. To simulate these, the bevameter technique comprises two separate sets of tests.
One is a plate penetration test and the other is a shear test. In the penetration test, the pressure-
sinkage relationship of the terrain is measured using a plate of suitable size to simulate the contact
area of the running gear is vehicle.
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
Based on the measurements, vehicle sinkage and motion resistance may be predicted. In the shear
test, the shear displacement and the shear strength of the measured, upon which the tractive effort-
slip characteristics and the maximum traction of a vehicle may be estimated. For measuring the
pressure-sinkage relationship of terrain, the device for in situ or laboratory sinkage can be used.
Goodman and Lee (1963) used an experimental equipment to obtain load sinkage soil values for
evaluating the effects of remolding on soil constants to use in soil-vehicle relationships. Wong
(1980) used a bevameter with a portable automatic data processor for field measurements of the
terrain properties in relations to off-road mobility. Youssel and Ali (1982) and McKyes (1985) used
sinkage devices to determine soil parameters in laboratory condition. Earl and Alexandrou (2001)
used sinkage device for studying the behavior of oil under normal load in a soil bin as well as in field
soil. For modeling the sinkage test in tilled soil for mobility study, Benoit and Gotteland (2004) used
sinkage equipment to conduct penetration tests in small and large soil bins.
Though much research has been done in developing equipment, modeling and measuring soil
pressure-sinkage in some parts of the world, very little work has been done on soil pressure-sinkage
studies in this part of the world. Therefore, the development of equipment for measuring the soil
pressure-sinkage is necessary so as to determine soil pressure-sinkage relationships and predict soil
sinkage which results into soil compaction.
.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1 Fabrication and Assembly of the Pressure-Sinkage Equipment
The equipment components were fabricated at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal
University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. The u-channel and cylindrical pipes were cut using
portable cutting machine while the sinkage plates were machined and drilled using the lathe machine
in the workshop. The bought-out components such as pressure gauge and hydraulic jack and all the
fabricated components were brought to the Soil Tillage Dynamics Laboratory where they were
bolted together and assembled on an existing soil bin in the laboratory. The isometric view of the
equipment is shown in Fig. 1.
Each of the six plates used was then driven into the soil at five different pressure intervals and at a
particular cone index. At each pressure interval, the depth of sinkage was read on the slide gauge and
recorded. After each cone index test, the soil was then removed from the soil bin and loosened by
hand shovel. The soil bin was then filled again with the loosened soil and compacted to higher cone
index and the value of the cone index wasrecored. Plate penetration tests were carried out at four
different cone indexes. The pressure intervals and depth of sinkage obtained at each cone index were
also recorded. This procedure was replicated three times.
The logarithmic values of p and z obtained from the experiment were calculated and the graph of log
p was plotted against log z using SigmaPlot software in order to obtain the values of stiffness
constant kc, kφand n. Equation (1) thus become:
k
log p log c k log z n
b (2)
k
Letting k c k , then we have
b
Graph of log p against log z gave a slope, n and intercept, log k from which the value of k was
1
determined. Using equation k k c k , the graph of k against 1/b will also give a slope, kc and
b
intercept, k which are the soil stiffness constants required.
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
3.2 Discussion
From Table 8, for rectangular plates, the average values of kc , k and n obtained are 1034.81 kN/mn-
1, 165.79 kN/mn and 1.3126 respectively at four different cone indexes while for circular plates, the
average values of kc , k and n are 232.58 kN/mn-1, 97.75 kN/mn and 1.2283 respectively at four
different cone indexes. It was observed that the values of kc were higher than that k at different
cone indexes. This is reasonable because of the moderately high clay content of the sample since kc
is the cohesive modulus of deformation. It was also observed that the circular plates gave higher
values of sinkage constants than the rectangular plates. This agrees with the result obtained by Nang
et al (2007) who used both circular and rectangular plates to determine the soil sinkage parameters
with an experimental device.
Variations of values of kc and k with cone index for both types of plates used are shown in Fig. 6
and 7. For the rectangular and circular plates, the values of kc and k increase with cone index at an
increasing rate. This may be due to increase in bulk density of the soil as cone index was increased.
4. Conclusion
A pressure-sinkage equipment was designed and fabricated to investigate the pressure-sinkage
behaviour of a heavy clay soil. The equipment was used to carry out plate penetration tests using
both circular and rectangular plates at different cone indexes. Average soil stiffness constants were
obtained for the experimental soil. Variation of the values of soil stiffness constants kc and k shows
that they increase as cone index increases. The values of kc were higher than that of k at different
cone indexes.The circular plates also gave higher values of sinkage constants than the rectangular
plates. The data obtained in this study are relevant in the design of tractive devices and also in
evaluating the performance of the off-road vehicles and mobility studies of natural terrains.
References
Abu-Hamdeh, N.H. and Reeder, R.C. (2003): Measuring and predicting stress distribution under
tractive devices in undisturbed soil. Biosys. Eng., 85: 493- 502.
Bekker, M. G. (1956): Theory of land locomotion-the mechanics of vehicle mobility. University of
Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, MI: 522pp.
Bekker, M. G. (1960): Off-The-Road Locomotion. Ann Arbor, MI, USA, The University of
Mchigan Press.
Bekker, M. G. (1969): Introduction to Terrain-Vehicle Systems. Ann Arbor, MI, USA, The
University of Michigan Press.
Benoit, O. and Gotteland, P. (2004): Modelling of sinkage tests in tilled soils for mobility study. Soil
and Tillage Research, 80, 215-231.
Earl, R. and Alexandrou, A. (2001): Deformation processes below a plate sinkage test on sandy
loam soil: experimental approach. Journal of Terramechanics, 38, 153-162.
Goodman, J. and Lee, N. (1963): Effect of remolding on soil values related to vehicle mobility.
Proceedings of 1st International Conference on the Mechanics of Soil-Vehicle Systems, 63-
75.
Hakansson, I. and Reeder, R. C. (1994): Subsoil compaction by vechicles with high axle load-extent,
persistence and crop response. Soil Tillage Research, 29: 277-304.
Manuwa, S. I. (2009): Performance evaluation of tillage tines operating under different depths in a
sandy clay loam soil. Soil and Tillage Research 103 (2009) 399-405.
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
Development of Equipment for Measuring Pressure-Sinkage Behaviour of a Heavy Clay Soil. 84 – 93.
Manuwa, S. I. and Ademosun, O. C. (2007): Draught and soil disturbance of model tillage tines
under varying soil parameters. Agricultural Engineering International: the CIGR
Ejournal. Manuscript PM 06 016. Vol. IX. March, 2007.
McKyes, E. (1985): Soil cutting and tillage. Elsevier Science Publishing Company Inc. New York,
USA.
Nang, N. V., Takaaki, M., Tatsuya, K. and Shikegi, I. (2007): Experimental device for measuring
sandy soil sinkage parameters. Bulletin of Faculty of Agriculture Saga University No.
www.dl.saga- u.ac.jp/contents/mgzn/ZR00006175/ZR00006175.pdf.
Rashidi, M., Keyhani, A. and Tabatabaeefar, A. (2006): Multiplate penetration tests to predict soil
pressure-sinkage behaviour under rectangular region. International Journal of
Agriculture and Biology. http://www.fspublishers.org.
Wong, J. Y. (2010): Terramechanics and off-road vehicle mobility. Elsevier.The Boulevard,
Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, UK.
Wong, J. Y. (1980): Data processing methodology in the characterization of the mechanical
properties of terrain. Journal of Terramechanics, 17, 13-41.
Youssel, A. A. and Ali, G. A. (1982): Determination of soil parameters using plate test. Journal of
Terramechanics, 19, 129-147.
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
2 30 75 2.5 -
3 50 150 3.0 -
Plates
4 - - - Ø25
5 - - - Ø30
Circular
Plates
6 - - - Ø50
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
Development of Equipment for Measuring Pressure-Sinkage Behaviour of a Heavy Clay Soil. 84 – 93.
2.4
2.3
2.2
2.1 Plate 1
Plate 2
Log P
Plate 3
2.0 Plate 4
Plate 5
1.9 Plate 6
1.8
1.7
1.6
-1.7 -1.6 -1.5 -1.4 -1.3 -1.2 -1.1
Log z
Fig. 2: Graph of Log P against Log z at cone index of 621 kN/m2
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
2.4
2.3
Plate 1
2.2 Plate 2
Plate 3
2.1 Plate 4
Plate 5
Log P
Plate 6
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.6
-1.9 -1.8 -1.7 -1.6 -1.5 -1.4 -1.3 -1.2 -1.1
Log z
Fig. 3: Graph of Log P against Log z at cone index of 776 kN/m2
2.4
2.3
2.2
2.1 Plate 1
Plate 2
Log P
Plate 3
2.0
Plate 4
Plate 5
1.9 Plate 6
1.8
1.7
1.6
-2.0 -1.8 -1.6 -1.4 -1.2 -1.0
Log z
Fig. 4: Graph of Log P against Log z at cone index of 1103 kN/m2
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
Development of Equipment for Measuring Pressure-Sinkage Behaviour of a Heavy Clay Soil. 84 – 93.
2.4
2.3
2.2
2.1 Plate 1
Plate 2
Log P
Plate 3
2.0 Plate 4
Plate 5
1.9 Plate 6
1.8
1.7
1.6
-2.2 -2.0 -1.8 -1.6 -1.4 -1.2
Log z
Fig. 5: Graph of Log P against Log z at cone index of 1327 kN/m2
kc (kN/mn-1) k (kN/mn) n
Moisture Cone Rectangul Circul Rectangul Circula Rectangul Circular
Content Index ar Plates ar ar Plates r ar Plates Plates
(%) dry (kN/m2) Plates Plates
basis
621 1.5234 1.4808
18.07 776 1.2734 1.3836
(moist) 1103 320.43 107.96 85.30 58.70 1.2286 1.2029
1327 1201.33 270.99 163.30 73.40 1.2251 0.8461
1441.62 309.92 195.85 122.80
1575.84 441.44 218.70 136.10
Average 957 1434.81 432.58 165.79 97.75 1.3126 1.2283
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Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure 2014 November 3 - 6, Akure, Nigeria
1800
1600
1400
1200
kc
1000
(kN/ Rectangular Plates
800
mn-1) 600 Circular Plates
400
200
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
250
200
kφ 150
(kN/m
n-1 Rectangular Plates
)
100 Circular Plates
50
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
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