Possibilities of using the portable falling weight deflectometer to measure the bearing capacity and compaction of forest soils

The paper discusses possibilities of using the portable falling weight deflectometer to measure the bearing capacity and compaction of forest soils. Within the study, measurements were made using manual penetrometer and Loadman II portable falling weight deflectometer. To eliminate the extreme values, Grubbs's test was used. The results indicate that Loadman II deflectometer may be used to measure both the bearing capacity and compaction of forest soils under the canopy as well as in transport lines. A significant difference was found between deflection of waterunaffected sites and water-affected sites (12.08 and 2.31 mm, respectively). Measurements of bearing capacity after removal of forest litter give far more precise details; however, the authors do not refuse the measurements without litter removal, either. To determine the degrees of soil compaction, it is useful to measure the soil reaction time; to measure the bearing capacity it is vital to measure deflection.