EN ISO 11274:2014

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2014
.DNRYRVWWDO'RORþHYDQMHNDUDNWHULVWLN]DGUåHYDQMDYRGH/DERUDWRULMVNHPHWRGH
,62&
Soil quality - Determination of the water-retention characteristic - Laboratory methods
(ISO 11274:1998 + C1:2009)
Bodenbeschaffenheit - Bestimmung des Wasserrückhaltevermögens - Laborverfahren
(ISO 11274:1998 + Cor. 1:2009)
Qualité du sol - Détermination de la caractéristique de la rétention en eau - Méthodes de
laboratoire (ISO 11274:1998 + C1:2009)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 11274:2014
ICS:
13.080.40 Hidrološke lastnosti tal Hydrological properties of
soils
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN ISO 11274
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
March 2014
ICS 13.080.40
English Version
Soil quality - Determination of the water-retention characteristic -
Laboratory methods (ISO 11274:1998 + Cor 1:2009)
Qualité du sol - Détermination de la caractéristique de la Bodenbeschaffenheit - Bestimmung des
rétention en eau - Méthodes de laboratoire (ISO Wasserrückhaltevermögens - Laborverfahren (ISO
11274:1998 + Cor 1:2009) 11274:1998 + Cor 1:2009)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 13 March 2014.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United
Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2014 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 11274:2014 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword .3
Foreword
The text of ISO 11274:1998, including Cor 1:2009 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 190
“Soil quality” of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as
is held by NEN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by September 2014, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by September 2014.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 11274:1998, including Cor 1:2009 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 11274:2014 without
any modification.
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 11274
First edition
1998-07-01
Soil quality — Determination of the water-
retention characteristic — Laboratory
methods
Qualité du sol — Détermination de la caractéristique de la rétention en
eau — Méthodes de laboratoire
A
Reference number
ISO 11274:1998(E)
ISO 11274:1998(E)
Contents Page
1 Scope . 1
2 Definitions . 1
3 Guidelines for choice of method . 2
4 Sampling . 3
Determination of the soil water characteristic using sand,
kaolin and ceramic suction tables . 5
6 Determination of soil water characteristic using a porous
plate and burette. 8
7 Determination of soil water characteristic by pressure
plate extractor. 11
8 Determination of soil water characteristic using pressure
membrane cells . 13
9 Precision . 15
Annexes .
A (informative)  Construction of suction tables . 16
B (informative)  Bibliography. 20
©  ISO 1998
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Organization for Standardization
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Genève 20 • Switzerland
Internet iso@iso.ch
Printed in Switzerland
ii
©
ISO ISO 11274:1998(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide
federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of
preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which
a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented
on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-
governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO
collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are
circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting
a vote.
International Standard ISO 11274 was prepared by Technical Committee
ISO/TC 190, Soil quality, Subcommittee SC 5, Physical methods.
Annexes A and B of this International Standard are for information only.
iii
©
ISO 11274:1998(E) ISO
Introduction
Soil water content and matric pressure are related to each other and
determine the water-retention characteristics of a soil. Soil water which is in
equilibrium with free water is at zero matric pressure (or suction) and the
soil is saturated. As the soil dries, matric pressure decreases (i.e. becomes
more negative), and the largest pores empty of water. Progressive
decreases in matric pressure will continue to empty finer pores until
eventually water is held in only the finest pores. Not only is water removed
from soil pores, but the films of water held around soil particles are reduced
in thickness. Therefore a decreasing matric pressure is associated with a
decreasing soil water content [5], [6]. Laboratory or field measurements of
these two parameters can be made and the relationship plotted as a curve,
called the soil water-retention characteristic. The relationship extends from
saturated soil (approximately 0 kPa) to oven-dry soil (about 210 kPa).
The soil water-retention characteristic is different for each soil type. The
shape and position of the curve relative to the axes depend on soil
properties such as texture, density and hysteresis associated with the
wetting and drying history. Individual points on the water-retention
characteristic may be determined for specific purposes.
The results obtained using these methods can be used, for example:
- to provide an assessment of the equivalent pore size distribution (e.g.
identification of macro- and micropores);
- to determine indices of plant-available water in the soil and to classify
soil accordingly (e.g. for irrigation purposes);
- to determine the drainable pore space (e.g. for drainage design,
pollution risk assessments);
- to monitor changes in the structure of a soil (caused by e.g. tillage,
compaction or addition of organic matter or synthetic soil
conditioners);
- to ascertain the relationship between the negative matric pressure and
other soil physical properties (e.g. hydraulic conductivity, thermal
conductivity);
- to determine water content at specific negative matric pressures (e.g.
for microbiological degradation studies);
- to estimate other soil physical properties (e.g. hydraulic conductivity).
iv
©
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD  ISO ISO 11274:1998(E)
Soil quality — Determination of the water-retention
characteristic — Laboratory methods
1  Scope
This International Standard specifies laboratory methods for determination of the soil water-retention characteristic.
This International Standard applies only to measurements of the drying or desorption curve.
Four methods are described to cover the complete range of soil water pressures as follows:
a) method using sand, kaolin or ceramic suction tables for determination of matric pressures from 0 kPa to
- 50 kPa;
b) method using a porous plate and burette apparatus for determination of matric pressures from 0 kPa
to - 20 kPa;
c) method using a pressurized gas and a pressure plate extractor for determination of matric pressures from
- 5 kPa to - 1500 kPa;
d) method using a pressurized gas and pressure membrane cells for determination of matric pressures from
- 33 kPa to - 1500 kPa.
Guidelines are given to select the most suitable method in a particular case.
2  Definitions
For the purposes of this International Standard, the following definitions apply.
2.1
soil water-retention characteristic
relation between soil water content and soil matric head of a given soil sample
2.2
matric pressure
amount of work that must be done in order to transport, reversibly and isothermally, an infinitesimal quantity of
water, identical in composition to the soil water, from a pool at the elevation and the external gas pressure of the
point under consideration, to the soil water at the point under consideration, divided by the volume of water
transported
©
ISO
ISO 11274:1998(E)
2.3
water content mass ratio
w
mass of water evaporating from the soil when dried to constant mass at 105 °C, divided by the dry mass of the soil
(i.e. the ratio between the masses of water and solid particles within a soil sample)
2.4
water content volume fraction
q
volume of water evaporating from the soil when dried to constant mass at 105 °C, divided by the original bulk
volume of the soil (i.e. the ratio between the volume of liquid water within a soil sample and the total volume
including all pore space of that sample)
NOTE 1  The soil water-retention characteristic is identified in the scientific literature by various names including soil water
release curve, soil water-retention curve, pF curve and the capillary pressure-saturation curve. Use of these terms is
deprecated.
NOTE 2  The pascal is the standard unit of pressure but many other units are still in use. Table A.1 provides conversions for
most units.
NOTE 3  Sometimes suction is used instead of pressure to avoid the use of negative signs (see Introduction). However, this
term can cause confusion and is deprecated as an expression of the matric pressure.
NOTE 4  For swelling and shrinking soils, seek the advice of a specialist laboratory since interpretation of water-retention data
will be affected by these properties.
3  Guidelines for choice of method
Guidelines are given below to help select the most suitable method in a particular case.
3.1  Sand, kaolin or ceramic suction tables for determination of pressures from 0 kPa to – 50 kPa
The sand, kaolin and ceramic suction table methods are suitable for large numbers of determinations at high
pressures on cores or aggregates of different shapes and sizes. Analyses on samples of a wide range of textures
and organic matter contents can be carried out simultaneously since equilibration is determined separately for each
core. The suction table methods are suitable for a laboratory carrying out analyses on a routine basis and where
regular equipment maintenance procedures are implemented.
3.2  Porous plate and burette apparatus for determination of pressures from 0 kPa to – 20 kPa
The porous plate and burette apparatus allows analysis of only one sample at a time, and several sets of equipment
are therefore necessary to enable replication and full soil profile characterization. The method is particularly suited
to soils with weak structures and sands which are susceptible to slumping or slaking, since minimal sample
disturbance occurs. Capillary contact is not broken during the procedure and all samples, p
...