In highly porous soils with a susceptibility to collapse, there are points of volumetric variability, due to the present heterogeneity, regarding the diameters of the poral throat. The predominance of a pore size is closely related to certain values of the Water Retention Curve (WRC). However, to date, a possible correlation with particle size distribution (PaSD), obtained using modern, highly reliable gravitational sedimentation methods, has not been studied. The porous clay of lateritic origin under study, was characterized by means of index tests, to know its basic geotechnical behavior. Subsequently, it was analyzed by mercury intrusion porosimetry tests, to estimate the Pore Size Distribution (PSD); filter paper and pressure plate method to obtain the water retention curve; as well as the method of integral measurement of the pressure in the suspension (ISP), to obtain the fine grain size of the material. This article tries to present a proposal of relationship between these parameters, with the aim of improving the understanding in the characterization of this type of materials. The results showed that there is indeed a strong relationship between the particle size distributions, pore size distribution and the water retention curve. Mainly, this is reflected in the geometric places corresponding to the air value entries (AEV) of macropores and micropores. Which coincide with essential parameters of the behavior of the other curves (PaSD and PSD).

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The Pinhole test is an empirical probe with a qualitative classification foundation that identifies fine-grained soils with dispersive potential using hydraulic heads. However, the original technique was designed to identify dispersive clays. In some cases, it is misused as a quantitative test for measuring subsurface erosion rates. This paper presents a physicochemical modification to the exact test, based on adding a dispersant in the sample compaction water. For the quantitative evaluation of the susceptibility of the soil to generate internal tubification or piping, the effects of hydraulic load, flow, and orifice diameter before and after the execution of the test are explored—both for the samples treated with deflocculant and for those compacted using distilled water. Additionally, to complete the identification results, physical and chemical approaches were applied as methods of comparison. The results obtained from the altered soils indicate a significant increase in the clay fraction among the samples at the end of the test and gains of 3.7 and 6.2 times the initial diameter. The study demonstrates that the modified test is suitable for identifying non-dispersive soils before raising the percolation pressure. This modification is helpful for the improvement of the test because it helps to understand the procedure better and allows to calibrate the apparatus used.