Collection of Intact Cores from a Rocky Desert and a Glacial Till Soil

Abstract

A method involving the use of triple‐expanding polyurethane foam was developed for the collection of large intact cores from two problem soil types for use in anion/cation transport studies. Intact cores, 36‐ to 41‐cm diameter, were collected from a Jean series (sandy‐skeletal, mixed, thermic Typic Torriorthent) and a Colonel series (coarse‐loamy, mixed, frigid Aquic Haplorthod). A free‐standing pedestal was isolated. The circumference of the core was reduced, to allow encapsulation with a PVC pipe of appropriate inner diameter. The space between the soil and the PVC pipe was filled with polyurethane foam. After the foam cured overnight, the core was severed at the base by driving a steel plate beneath the PVC pipe. Endcaps were fastened to the PVC pipe and the cores were transported to the laboratory.

Rainfall Simulator‐Grid Lysimeter System for Solute Transport Studies Using Large, Intact Soil Blocks

“…During recent years there has been increasing interest in preferential water flow through soils and the resulting potential for rapid transport of pesticides, nutrients and other solutes to tile drains and groundwater. A well established technique for characterizing preferential water and solute movement is the use of instrumented, intact soil cores or blocks (Murphey et al, 1981;Buchter et al, 1984;Lewis et al, 1990;Isensee and Sadeghi, 1992;Tindall et al, 1992). Inherent in the successful use of this method, however, are several difficult and critically important steps, including the choice of adequate block size, the use of effective techniques for isolating, transporting and storing the block, and the instrumentation of the block with appropriate, effective solution delivery, collection and monitoring systems.…”

“…Andreini and Steenhuis (1990) and Ogden et al (1992) used a plaster of paris shell around their block, which had the potential for forming shrinkage cracks upon drying, being permeable to water, and being too rigid to accommodate shrink and swell of the soil during wetting-drying cycles. Lewis et al (1990) used tripleexpanding polyurethane foam to form a seal between a polyvinylchloride pipe (46-cm. diam.)…”

Field Extraction of Large Intact Soil Cores for Leaching Studies in the Laboratory

“…The type of data expected from the soil core is also an important consideration in selection of the sampling method (3,13,17,28,32,35). Various methods (e.g., 5,6,7,8,15,19,25,27) have been developed for the extraction of intact soil columns due to the differences in soils (4,9,14,24,26,30) or field conditions (16,18,31,38). The construction costs were very high, particularly for those rnotorized sarnplers.…”