ABSTRACT
This paper evaluates the use of several published calibration curves (Fawcett & Collis-George 1967; Hamblin 1981; Chandler & Gutierrez 1986; Chandler et al. 1992; ASTM Standard D 5298; Leong et al. 2002, and Oliveira & Marinho 2006) for the Whatman 42 filter paper for indirect laboratory estimation of soil suctions. Evaluation of the filter paper calibrations was carried out using the experimental results given by Fleureau et al. (2002) obtained with other techniques used to measure or control the soil suctions in a compacted silty sand. Significant discrepancy exists among the calibrations that are commonly used for determining suction using the gravimetric water content of the filter paper data. The FPM offers a simple technique for the determination of soil suction, provided that an adequate calibration curve is used for the investigated suction range.
