Authors : S.I. Manuwa and B.O. Malumi
Abstract: The compaction problems associated with the use of heavy machinery in Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government of Ondo state, Southwestern Nigeria has led to the concern to study the compaction behaviour of this major soil in the area. A description of the compaction behaviour was obtained by the use of a simple unit-axial compression technique that enabled the compaction behaviour of the soil to be described and analyzed and modeled. Plots of bulk density, against applied pressure describe the compaction behaviour at varying moisture levels. Models that describe the relationships vary from linear to intrinsically linear models: linear; exponential; power and logarithmic functions with very high coefficients of determination (R2>0.9). Multiple regression analysis was also used to analyze the effects of moisture content and applied pressure on bulk density with (R2 =0.6114). The analysis also showed that the principal factor influencing compaction of the loamy sand was water content rather than applied pressure at the time of compaction. The plot of bulk density versus moisture content was best fitted by parabolic (or quadratic) model. At applied pressure of 17.5 kPa, the bulk densities were 1.599 and 1.475 Mg m 3 when the soil was dry and when it approached saturation, respectively. At applied pressure of 618 kPa, the corresponding values were 1.6393 and 1.5990 Mg m 3, respectively.
S.I. Manuwa and B.O. Malumi , 2007. Modeling the Behaviour of Igbokoda Loamy Sand Soil, under Uni-Axial Compression . Agricultural Journal, 2: 254-257.