Request Quote| Specification sheet| Reference List

Tension Infiltrometer

20cm Tension Infiltrometer

Tension infiltrometers are designed to measure the unsaturated hydraulic properties of soils. Water is allowed to infiltrate soil at a rate which is slower that when water is ponded on the soil surface. This is accomplished by maintaining a small negative pressure on the water as it is infiltrating into the soil.

The saturated hydraulic conductivity of surface soils on the other hand is determined with double ring infiltrometers. With double ring infiltrometers water at atmospheric pressure is allowed to infiltrate soil. The steady infiltration rate measured with double ring infiltrometers is often equated to the saturated hydraulic conductivity. However, because with double ring infiltrometers water is ponded on the soil surface, a large portion of the water might infiltrate through cracks or wormholes, and thus result in very large saturated hydraulic conductivity values, which are not representative for the soil matrix. By applying a small negative pressure (or tension) on the water as it is infiltrating, water will not enter the large cracks or wormholes, but infiltrate into the soil matrix. As a result the measurements obtained with a tension infiltrometer are more representative of the soil as a whole.

8 cm Tension Infiltrometer

© 2003-2009, ICT International

    EST NSW Australia