Investigations on Influence of Bio-Geo Interface on Suction Characteristics of Fine-Grained Soil

Dependence of soil suction on factors such as formation of the soil, its particle size, mineralogy, pore-size distribution characteristics, water content, fabric, stress history and presence of salts has been extensively investigated by researchers. However, the influence of the microbial presence and its activity on the soil suction has not yet received researchers’ attention. With this in view, a methodology that facilitates investigation regarding the presence of ‘soil-microbial interface’, which has been termed as ‘bio-geo interface’, has been proposed in this study. Furthermore, the influence of this ‘interface’ on suction characteristics of such soils has also been investigated and the utility of the proposed methodology in addressing such issues, successfully, has been demonstrated.