Infrared Oven for the Determination of Soil Moisture Content

A study was conducted to investigate the feasibility and practicability of using the infrared heating technique for carrying out routine soil moisture content tests. Only 1 out of 1,400 measurements (<0.1 %) showed that the temperature of the soil specimen had exceeded the threshold value of 110°C by 1.5°C for about 5 minutes in the drying process. Two sets of comparative tests subsequently carried out indicated that there was virtually no difference between the infrared method and the conventional method using a convection oven. The moisture content test of the majority of the commonly used fill materials in Hong Kong could be completed within 3.5 hours, which could facilitate the early determination of relative compaction and hence the progress of filling works. The new test was also proven to be efficient, low-cost and environmentally friendly due to less energy consumption and an economical alternative to using the conventional convection oven.