Technical Papers
Aug 1, 2012

Temperature Corrections for Time Domain Reflectometry Parameters

Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 5

Abstract

The waveforms from time domain reflectometry (TDR) tests on soil depend on the temperature of the soil being tested. This study provides a discussion of, and the basis for, temperature corrections for the parameters measured in the TDR test for use in calculating water content and dry density of soil. This paper is a companion to one that provides the basis for an updated ASTM Standard, but does not cover temperature effects. A brief synopsis of the new methodology is provided herein to identify parameters that are sensitive to temperature of the soil being tested.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

Acknowledgments

Professor Maria C. Santagata, Professor P. Suresh C. Rao, Professor Robert N. Nowack, and Professor James V. Krogmeier at Purdue University provided many valuable comments through discussions. The late Janet Lovell was of significant help in performing the experiments in this research. Chris Doktorcik and Jessica Zartman helped with some of the TDR tests. S. Jung acknowledges the Indiana Department of Transportation through the Joint Transportation Research Program and the School of Civil Engineering for financial support. M. R. Abou Najm acknowledges the financial support provided by National Science Foundation Grant No. 0943682.

References

ASTM. (2012). “Standard test method for water content and density of soil in place by time domain reflectometry (TDR).” D6780-12, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2007). “Standard test method for particle-size analysis of soils.” D422, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2010a). “Standard practice for classification of soils for engineering purposes (Unified Soil Classification System).” D2487, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2010b). “Standard test methods for laboratory determination of water (moisture) content of soil and rock by mass.” D2216, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2010c). “Standard test methods for liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of soils.” D4318, West Conshohocken, PA.
Birchak, J. R., Gardner, C. G., Hipp, J. E., and Victor, J. M. (1974). “High dielectric constant microwave probes for sensing soil moisture.” Proc. IEEE, 62(1), 93–98.
Dalton, F. N., Herkelrath, W. N., Rawlins, D. S., and Rhoades, J. D. (1984). “Time-domain reflectometry: simultaneous measurement of soil water content and electrical conductivity with a single probe.” Science, 224(4652), 989–990.
Dirksen, C., and Dasberg, S. (1993). “Improved calibration of time domain reflectometry soil water content measurements.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 57(3), 660–667.
Dobson, M. C., Ulaby, F. T., Hallikainen, M. T., and El-Rayes, M. A. (1985). “Microwave dielectric behavior of wet soil-part II: dielectric mixing models.” IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing, GE-23(1), 35–46.
Drnevich, V. P., Yu, X., Lovell, J., and Tishmack, J. (2001). “Temperature effects on dielectric constant determined by time domain reflectometry.” Proc., TDR 2001: 2nd Int. Symp. and Workshop on Time Domain Reflectometry for Innovative Geotechnical Applications, Infrastructure Technology Institute, Evanston, IL, 483–494.
Giese, K., and Tiemann, R. (1975). “Determination of the complex permittivity from thin-sample time domain reflectometry improved analysis of the step response waveform.” Advan. Mole. Relax. Proc., 7(1), 45–59.
Heimovaara, T. J., Focke, A. G., Bouten, W., and Verstraten, J. M. (1995). “Assessing temporal variations in soil water composition with time domain reflectometry.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 59(3), 689–698.
Jung, S., Drnevich, V. P., Abou Najm, M. R. (2013). “New methodology for density and water content by time domain reflectometry.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 139(5), 659–670.
Low, P. F. (1976). “Viscosity of interlayer water in montmorillonite.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 40(4), 500–505.
Mitchell, J. K. (1993). Fundamentals of soil behavior, 2nd Ed., Wiley, New York.
Mohamed, A.-M. O. (2006). Principles and applications of time domain electrometry in geoenvironmental engineering, Taylor & Francis, London.
Nadler, A., Dasberg, S., and Lapid, I. (1991). “Time domain reflectometry measurements of water content and electrical conductivity of layered soil columns.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 55(4), 938–943.
Or, D., and Wraith, J. M. (1999). “Temperature effects on soil bulk dielectric permittivity measured by time domain reflectometry: A physical model.” Water Resour. Res., 35(2), 371–383.
Pepin, S., Linvingston, N. J., and Hook, W. R. (1995). “Temperature-dependent measurement errors in time domain reflectometry determinations of soil water.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 59(1), 38–43.
Persson, M., and Berndtsson, R. (1998). “Texture and electrical conductivity effects on temperature dependency in time domain reflectometry.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 62(4), 887–893.
Roth, K., Schulin, R., Fluhler, H., and Attinger, W. (1990). “Calibration of time domain reflectometry for water content measurement using a composite dielectric approach.” Water Resour. Res., 26(10), 2267–2273.
Schanz, T., Baille, W., and Long, N. T. (2011). “Effects of temperature on measurements of soil water content with time domain reflectometry.” J. ASTM Geotech Test., 34(1), 1–8.
Siddiqui, S. I., and Drnevich, V. P. (1995). “Use of time domain reflectometry for determination of water content and density of soil.” FHWA/IN/JHRP-95-9, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN.
Siddiqui, S. I., Drnevich, V. P., and Deschamps, R. J. (2000). “Time domain reflectometry development for use in geotechnical engineering.” J. ASTM Geotech Test., 23(1), 9–20.
Skierucha, W. (2009). “Temperature dependence of time domain reflectometry-measured soil dielectric permittivity.” J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci., 172(2), 186–193.
Stogryn, A. (1971). “Equations for calculating the dielectric constant of saline water.” IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., 19(8), 733–736.
Weast, R. C. (1986). CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, 67th Ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Wraith, J. M., and Or, D. (1999). “Temperature effects on soil bulk dielectric permittivity measured by time domain reflectometry: Experimental evidence and hypothesis development.” Water Resour. Res., 35(2), 361–369.
Yu, C., Warrick, A. W., Conklin, M. H., Young, M. H., and Zreda, M. (1997). “Two- and three-parameter calibrations of time domain reflectometry for soil moisture measurement.” Water Resour. Res., 33(10), 2417–2421.
Yu, X., and Drnevich, V. P. (2004). “Soil water content and dry density by time domain reflectometry.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 130(9), 922–934.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139Issue 5May 2013
Pages: 671 - 683

History

Received: Feb 22, 2012
Accepted: Jun 15, 2012
Published online: Aug 1, 2012
Published in print: May 1, 2013

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Sochan Jung
Project Professional, Fugro Consultants, Inc., 6100 Hillcroft Ave., Houston, TX, 77081; formerly, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Vincent P. Drnevich, Dist.M.ASCE [email protected]
Professor Emeritus, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907 (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
Majdi R. Abou Najm
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, American Univ. of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon 1107 2020.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share