Infrared Drying for Water Content Measurements of Soils

The water content of soils is frequently needed, and its reference value is currently obtained by conventional convection ovens. Infrared (IR) ovens appear to be overlooked by the geotechnical community even though they allow for precise control over temperature, much faster heat transfer, and much better energy efficiency resulting from its inherent low thermal inertia. The European Commission’s climate action enacts several policies for greener, sustainable, and energy efficient solutions. The objective of this study is to investigate the usability and efficiency of IR ovens as the permanent replacement for conventional ovens for supporting a greener and sustainable environment. Particular emphasis is given to precision and energy efficiency through experimental comparisons. The results suggest that IR ovens offer 70 % implied energy savings over conventional ovens while resulting in comparable precision. It is, therefore, proposed to adopt IR ovens as the new and preferred standard for water content determination and to abandon conventional ovens after a transition period.