Soil testing is a crucial process in agricultural and lawn development processes. There are various processes that can be employed to test the viability of soils for agricultural purposes. Some of the procedures are so extensive and can only be conducted in laboratories. There are others however that are simple and are done in the field, on-site. When one needs Soil Testing California offers the perfect location to visit.
More comprehensive methods of soil testing should be conducted in case one intends to use the land for large scale agricultural activities. For those who intend to use the land for small scale farming or lawn-making, simple tests should be enough. Tests are usually conducted to determine the components of the soil such as silt/clay and sand fractions. The tests are also meant to investigate mouldability.
Finding out the properties of soils is important in order to determine stabilization procedures. Some tests are really simple. Examples of simple tests are smell, shine, color appearance, thread rolling, and hand moulding tests. Smell test usually involves applying water to a sample and if it emits a musty odor, it means that it contains organic materials. Organic materials are usually good for agricultural purposes, but soils that contain it are unsuitable for block making.
The color appearance test is equally important. A sample containing dark like matter is an indication of the presence of organic matter. When the sample has light brown to black hue, it implies that even though it has some organic matter, it can be stabilized. Soils that contain iron oxide are normally reddish or dark brown in color. Yellow color in a sample is an indication of lime-based elements. However, the color appearance test does not always work in all cases.
In shine test, a small amount of the soils is rubbed with the back of finger nail to identify the most common components. The existence of sand and silt in huge amounts makes the sample to be abrasive to the touch. On the other hand, the presence of clay in huge quantities will make the sample smooth to the touch.
Thread rolling test involves adding enough amount of water to a sample so that it can be moulded by hand easily. The sample is then rolled out with the palm of the hand on a flat clean surface. If the sample can be reduced to a diameter of 3 mm, then it means that it has a high composition of clay.
In the event that the sample breaks before it can be rolled to 3 mm, it implies that there is a lot of sand in it. Also, the elasticity limit of the sample can be tested using thread rolling. Properties that can be tested for using hand moulding include malleability and stickiness of a sample.
The tests named above are all preliminary and can be conducted on-site. However, in case more comprehensive testing is required, then the sample has to be taken to a laboratory for more tests to be carried out. There are different tests that are meant to test different components and properties.
More comprehensive methods of soil testing should be conducted in case one intends to use the land for large scale agricultural activities. For those who intend to use the land for small scale farming or lawn-making, simple tests should be enough. Tests are usually conducted to determine the components of the soil such as silt/clay and sand fractions. The tests are also meant to investigate mouldability.
Finding out the properties of soils is important in order to determine stabilization procedures. Some tests are really simple. Examples of simple tests are smell, shine, color appearance, thread rolling, and hand moulding tests. Smell test usually involves applying water to a sample and if it emits a musty odor, it means that it contains organic materials. Organic materials are usually good for agricultural purposes, but soils that contain it are unsuitable for block making.
The color appearance test is equally important. A sample containing dark like matter is an indication of the presence of organic matter. When the sample has light brown to black hue, it implies that even though it has some organic matter, it can be stabilized. Soils that contain iron oxide are normally reddish or dark brown in color. Yellow color in a sample is an indication of lime-based elements. However, the color appearance test does not always work in all cases.
In shine test, a small amount of the soils is rubbed with the back of finger nail to identify the most common components. The existence of sand and silt in huge amounts makes the sample to be abrasive to the touch. On the other hand, the presence of clay in huge quantities will make the sample smooth to the touch.
Thread rolling test involves adding enough amount of water to a sample so that it can be moulded by hand easily. The sample is then rolled out with the palm of the hand on a flat clean surface. If the sample can be reduced to a diameter of 3 mm, then it means that it has a high composition of clay.
In the event that the sample breaks before it can be rolled to 3 mm, it implies that there is a lot of sand in it. Also, the elasticity limit of the sample can be tested using thread rolling. Properties that can be tested for using hand moulding include malleability and stickiness of a sample.
The tests named above are all preliminary and can be conducted on-site. However, in case more comprehensive testing is required, then the sample has to be taken to a laboratory for more tests to be carried out. There are different tests that are meant to test different components and properties.
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