Effect of water content, bulk density, and aggregate size on mechanical characteristics of Aquults soil blocks and aggregates from subtropical China

Soil aggregate mechanical characteristics can significantly affect soil strength and are important soil properties to predict soil erodibility. However, in most research, the aggregate mechanical strength is always measured under air-dried condition, and limited information is available about the mechanical strength of aggregates and soil blocks with different water contents. This study evaluated the effects of water content, bulk density, and aggregate size on mechanical properties of soil blocks and aggregates. Shear strength (τ) parameters (φ and c) of soil blocks in different states (undisturbed and remoulded) and tensile strength (TS) of aggregates were determined in the laboratory on two soils derived from Quaternary red clay (Q) and shale (S) with variations in water content, bulk density, and aggregate size. The results indicated that the φ values were higher in drier and denser soil and showed no obvious variation with varying aggregate size. The c values increased first and then decreased with increasing water content and decreasing aggregate size and increased with increasing bulk density. The water content corresponding to the rapid decrease of the c value appeared to be related to soil properties. Tensile strength increased with decreasing water content in all sizes of aggregates. It decreased with increasing aggregate size at a relative low water content (3.2–7.3 %), but increased with increasing aggregate size at a relative high water content (10.6–14.8 %). The effect of soil moisture on soil strength varied with soil states. Thus, water content, bulk density, and aggregate size have significant effects on the mechanical properties of the soil blocks and aggregates. The result from this research may contribute to a better understanding of the soil erosion resistance of Aquults from the perspective of soil mechanics.