Soil moisture assessment by means of compressional and shear wave velocities: Theoretical analysis and experimental setup

In previous works, the authors presented the outline of a method for measuring the moisture content in agricultural soils via elastic waves, along with experimental results obtained on a specimen of sandy soil. This work illustrates other aspects and results of the research, regarding both the underlying theory and the design and realization of an improved measurement system. Firstly, the derivation of the simplified equations which are at the basis of the moisture measurement is thoroughly illustrated and discussed, starting from the more complex (and generally unmanageable) equations of elastic waves in unconsolidated porous media. The analysis suggests that by measuring the velocities of low-frequency compressional and shear waves in soils, it is possible not only to measure the water content, but also the uniformity in the water distribution. Secondly, the design and the practical realization of an experimental setup, which is able to measure the velocity of compressional and shear waves in soils, is illustrated in detail. The use of custom-built compressional and shear waves electromechanical actuators, together with geophones, low noise preamplifiers, and suitable signal processing techniques, brought to the realization of an effective and reasonably accurate measurement system.