Thin layer measurement of soil bulk density

Abstract

Measurement of soil bulk densities is difficult if there are gravel, stones, or other materials present in the soil profile. A technique is offered for estimating the soil bulk density in thin layers (1.0 cm) in loose, nonuniform soils with low moisture levels. The technique consists of the removal of the soil in shallow layers. As each layer is removed, the hole is filled with a molten paraffin wax to obtain a casting of the excavated volume. Measured bulk densities values using this procedure compare well to results obtained with other techniques.