| Institution: | 1. Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755-1290, USA;2. School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 101 Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, NE 68583-0961,USA;1. University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Biosystem Engineering, Ardabil, Iran;2. University of Urmia, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Biosystem Mechanics, Urmia, Iran;1. Institute of Power and Transport Machinery Engineering, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Lithuania;2. Joni?k?lis Experimental Station, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Lithuania;1. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA;2. Dept. of Aerospace Engineering and Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA;3. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA;4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Maine, USA;5. Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA;6. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA |
| Abstract: | In 2014 the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL) was engaged in field testing program to investigate a soil moisture mapping system as a crop management tool. In conjunction with this work, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (ERDC-CRREL) deployed a team to perform soil characterization and strength measurements at three agricultural test sites. The primary objective was an investigation of the Lightweight Deflectometer (LWD) as a soil surface strength tool for the purposes of assessing bearing capacity of soft soils. The LWD measurements were performed with those from more “standard” tests, i.e. the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer, Cone Penetrometer, and Clegg Impact Hammer to determine if the LWD produced results that compared with these methods. The strength test data were also used to calculate California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values using existing equations in order to see if the different test methods produced similar CBR values that could in turn be used to predict the bearing capacity of the sites. The secondary objective was to compare the strength data with the corresponding soil water content data taken by UNL to determine if soil moisture was an indicator of soil strength. |
