A method for prediction of soil penetration resistance

A new equation for predicting penetration resistance of soil is presented. The equation contains two main additive terms: the first is a measure of the degree of compactness of the soil and the second gives the contribution of pore water to the soil strength. It is proposed that these terms are applicable to soils of different texture, at different bulk densities and at different water contents. The equation is calibrated and tested using values of penetrometer resistance measured in the field at a range of locations in Poland. Predictions from the equation are compared with predictions from two other published equations. It is shown that the performance of the proposed equation is superior to the other two, at least for the Polish data set used in this work. On the basis of the assumption that the proposed equation is correct, predictions of penetrometer resistance are made using pedotransfer functions to illustrate typical effects of soil texture, bulk density and water content.