Overview
EN ISO 10930:2013 (ISO 10930:2012) is an international test method adopted by CEN for assessing soil quality through the measurement of the stability of soil aggregates subjected to water action. The standard specifies treatments, equipment and calculation procedures to quantify how aggregates (3–5 mm) resist disaggregation when wetted - a key indicator of soil structural stability, susceptibility to erosion and response to cultivation.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and applicability
- Applies mainly to tilled horizons and a wide range of soil profile horizons (cultivated or not).
- Measures aggregates in the 3 mm to 5 mm range.
- Not applicable to unstructured materials that do not form millimetre aggregates.
- Gravel handling
- If gravel (2–5 mm fraction) is 10–40%: wash the >2 mm gravel from test residues and calculate Mean Weighted Diameter (MWD) both with and without gravel.
- If gravel > 40%: structural stability tests are not significant.
- Test treatments
- Defines a set of three wetting treatments designed to simulate different climatic, hydraulic and mechanical wetting conditions; a fast wetting test may be used alone for rapid sample comparison.
- Uses 95% (v/v) ethyl alcohol to control disaggregation and limit particle reaggregation on drying.
- Equipment and sample preparation
- Specifies sieves (5.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, 0.5, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05 mm - ISO 3310-1), sieving device producing helical movement (Hénin-Féodoroff recommended), balance (±1 mg), oven (40 °C), vessels and wash bottles.
- Field sampling: ~1 kg soil, preferably at moderate humidity; spread/air‑dry, break to pass 5 mm sieve, separate 3 mm fraction and oven‑dry at 40 °C for 24 h before testing.
- Calculations
- Defines MWD as the sum of the mean diameter multiplied by the mass percentage of particles in each size class, divided by 100 (expressed in mm).
- Reporting
- Includes requirements for test report content and interpretation guidance to relate laboratory results to expected field behaviour.
Applications and users
EN ISO 10930:2013 is used to:
- Assess soil structural stability and erosion risk
- Monitor effects of tillage, crop rotations and soil conservation practices
- Support land management, watershed protection and rehabilitation planning
- Provide laboratory-standardized data for research, environmental monitoring and agronomic recommendations
Typical users: soil scientists, agronomists, environmental laboratories, research organizations, land-use consultants, agricultural extension services and regulatory bodies.
Related standards
- ISO 3310-1 (test sieves) is normative for sieve specifications.
- Prepared by ISO/TC 190 (Soil quality) and adopted by CEN as EN ISO 10930:2013.
Keywords: EN ISO 10930:2013, soil aggregate stability, soil quality, aggregate stability test, MWD, Hénin-Féodoroff, ethyl alcohol, gravel handling, soil erosion assessment.