Satellite technology allows us to measure surface soil moisture across vast areas regularly and cost-effectively. This provides significantly greater insight into the susceptibility of infrastructure to geohazards such as landslides and expansive clays.

However, the relationship between soil moisture content and soil engineering properties is a complex one involving unsaturated soil mechanics. FEA provides a useful tool to simulate the effect of changing moisture content on soil behaviour, particularly in the field of slope stability.

This webinar will provide an overview of soil moisture content measurement by satellite and present examples of assessing soil strength and slope stability due to changing moisture content using FEA.

Learning outcomes:

• Outline a method of measuring soil surface moisture content by satellite
• Understand the derivation and uses of soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC)
• Predict soil suction from moisture content using an SWCC Simulate the effect of soil suction on slope stability using FEA.