Methodology for Determination of Electrical Properties of Soils

Abstract Efforts were made to determine electrical resistivity, capacitance, and dielectric constant of the soil mass, by conducting experiments on silty soil and white clay samples, compacted at various dry densities, water contents, and saturations. To achieve this an impedance cell and a time-domain reflectometry probe were used. Based on the study, relationships between resistivity and capacitance, with respect to saturation, dry density, and water content are developed, and the dielectric constant of the soil mass is determined. These results exhibit an excellent match with results reported in the literature. The study demonstrates the utility of the developed methodology for determining electrical properties of soils, easily and rapidly.