Menon, M. orcid.org/0000-0001-5665-7464, Tatari, A. and Smith, C.C. orcid.org/0000-0002-0611-9227 (2018) Mechanical properties of freshly amended soils with miscanthus biochar. Soil Use and Management, 34 (4). pp. 563-574. ISSN 0266-0032
Abstract
Biochar has been shown to have multiple, positive benefits on soil physico‐chemical and biological properties. However, mechanical behaviour of biochar‐amended soils has been given relatively less attention. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to describe these properties of freshly amended soil with Miscanthus biochar in the context of compaction mitigation through a comprehensive laboratory study. In particular, for the first time, we evaluated the short‐term loading and unloading responses of replicated biochar‐amended soils using a modified oedometer, using different rates of application of biochar (2, 6 and 10% w/w, dry weight basis), in two types of soil (humus free loam and field loam) prepared at two different (10 and 22% w/w) soil moisture contents. From the experiment, dry density (ρd), void ratio (e), compression index (Cc) and relaxation ratio (R) were derived and statistically analysed. The addition of biochar was shown to reduce ρd while e increased with the amount of added biochar. The addition of biochar increased Cc and R. The effect of soil moisture content and soil types were also found to be statistically significant on the above parameters. However, field studies are needed to understand the long‐term mechanical behaviour of biochar‐amended soils and further studies are required to examine the performance of different biochar types and soil types.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 British Society of Soil Science. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Soil Use and Management. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Compaction; Soil Moisture; Loam; Biochar; Void ratio; Compression index; Relaxation ratio; Dry density |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Geography (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 27 Nov 2018 10:14 |
Last Modified: | 02 Nov 2021 13:27 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/sum.12464 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:139217 |