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Applicability of Soil Moisture Sensors in Determination of Infiltration Rate

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science, University of Toledo, Civil Engineering.
The need for stormwater management has been heightened in urban areas due to the increase in impermeable surfaces, causing flooding, erosion and pollution of water and soil. This problem can be mitigated with a scientifically designed stormwater management system, which requires field data including soil infiltration rate. Conventional approaches to measuring infiltration are tedious, time-consuming, and do not address the need for extensive, real-time data. The main objective of this research is to develop a technique that incorporates readily available real-time soil sensor data into the Green and Ampt Infiltration Model. Initial laboratory experiments confirmed that estimates of infiltration using Green and Ampt Infiltration Model with parameters found in the literature compared well to actual laboratory measurements of infiltration. A sensitivity analysis was then performed on the Green and Ampt Infiltration Model parameters of which saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) showed largest influence and porosity (¿) showed negligible influence on the calculated soil infiltration rate while average capillary suction at the wetting front (¿) showed high influence only on initial values of calculated soil infiltration rate. The method was then validated to measure infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration of sand (with varying initial moisture content) and samples including sand and an equal volume of organic matter. Oven dried sand had average initial infiltration rate of 4.37 cm/min, 18.11% higher than that of sand, which was 3.7 cm/min. It also showed that sand mixed with equal volume of organic matter had average initial infiltration rate of 6.2 cm/min, 41.88% higher than that of oven dried sand. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) of oven dried sand and sand were 0.30 cm/min and 0.22 cm/min respectively, within normal range (0.19 cm/min to 0.40 cm/min). The value of saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) after mixing sand with organic matter was 0.51 cm/min, 27.5% more than that of oven dried sand. Future research will involve testing this approach in field studies. The resulting method would provide a more economical and useful approach for measuring soil infiltration rate in stormwater applications.
Cyndee Gruden (Committee Chair)
Ashok Kumar (Committee Member)
Liangbo Hu (Committee Member)
85 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • K C, M. (2017). Applicability of Soil Moisture Sensors in Determination of Infiltration Rate [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1509217475534338

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • K C, Milan. Applicability of Soil Moisture Sensors in Determination of Infiltration Rate. 2017. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1509217475534338.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • K C, Milan. "Applicability of Soil Moisture Sensors in Determination of Infiltration Rate." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1509217475534338

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)