Fibrous peat is an undrained peat that usually possesses very high moisture content. However, not all experimental procedures are applicable for determination of moisture content of fibrous peat. This research is aimed at examining the determination of insitu moisture content of fibrous peat using field measurements. The peat soil samples were collected at shallow depths from Asajaya at Kota Samarahan and Taman Kopodims at Matang , Kuching Sarawak by using peat auger. The laboratory tests such as determination of moisture content, fiber content, particle density and ash content were conducted on the collected samples in order to establish relationships between the parameters. Undisturbed peat samples from Matang were subjected to falling head permeability test to determine the saturated permeability. The saturated sample were then allowed to drain freely to simulate the moisture loss possible during sampling when samples were brought out of boreholes. The test results showed that moisture content varies according to the drying temperature and position of the soil sample (top, middle and bottom) during sampling. Comparing samples from both locations, peat soil from Kota Samarahan possessed higher moisture content. The saturated permeability of peat sample was in the range of 2.62 – 3.05 cm/s. The free draining trial showed that moisture loss during sampling significantly influence the moisture content measurement. The variation in value of moisture content for fibrous peat may occurs due to several factors such as existing ground water table, sampling method by boring, existing standard test procedure which is not suitable for peat soils requirement and also because of the physical properties which varied according to depth of soil.
A Study on Factors Influencing the Determination of Moisture Content of Fibrous Peat
