Estruturas de solos: métodos de observação

Abstract

Concerned with the study of soil structure. This study is divided in two parts. In the first part a literature review on the existing methods for the observation of soil fabric is made. This part is itself sub-divided in two other parts: - indirect methods, - direct methods. In the indirect methods, the use of the principal properties of soil, such as permeability, shear strenght, etc. is shown. In the direct method’s part, the use of optical microscopy, X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy is described with special emphasis on the methods for the preparation and handling of the samples. It is concludes that scanning electron microscopy together with optical microscopy is the best method for the study of soil fabric. The second part presents a study of the fabric of six soils using a scanning electron microscope. Examples of some common deffects due to improper sample preparation are also shown.