Estimation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity using soil suction measurements obtained by an insertion tensiometer

To estimate the unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity of a silty soil, an insertion tensiometer has been used for measuring its suction corresponding to different water contents. These suction values have been used for developing the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC). The obtained SWCC has been compared with the trends predicted by various fits available in the literature. Further, with the help of the obtained SWCC, the unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity has been estimated. The study demonstrates the usefulness of insertion tensiometers for measuring soil suction and for estimating its hydraulic conductivity.Key words: silty soil, suction, insertion tensiometer, soil-water characteristic curve, unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity.