AGR4305 Agricultural Soil Mechanics (FOENS)

Units 1.0 (EnginTech not classified) Band 2

Synopsis

Agriculture machinery interacts with soils in a number of ways, and so the processes of tillage, traction and compaction are of vital interest to engineers involved in agriculture. This course investigates these processes by developing a detailed understanding of the response of soils to imposed stresses and their resulting deformations and modes of failure. It uses both classical soil mechanics and recent developments in the application of Critical State soil mechanics to establish a theoretical framework that explains and describes the action of tillage tools, the development of tractive forces, and the process of soil compaction. The course provides a basic understanding of the process of soil disturbance by tillage tools and presents methods for calculating tillage forces and the optimum matching between the tractor and the implement. Methods for measuring and describing soil structure, and efficient operation of soil engaging tools are discussed and linked to plant growth and crop yield.