Introduction

The concept of soil structure has many aspects. Soil structure, as used in this publication, refers to the physical constitution of soil material as expressed by the size, shape and arrangements of soil particles and voids and its associated properties. There is general agreement on the role of fundamental soil properties such as, for example, texture, pore size distribution, density, and plasticity which are important soil structure features. There are several accepted methods for determining such properties, and individual laboratories have adapted some of these methods in response to particular needs, depending on circumstances and requirements. Because soil structure is never static, methods which suit one set of circumstances may be unsuitable when applied elsewhere.