EFFECT OF AN ACIDIC SOIL ON BUILDINGS AND THE SOLUTION

Muhamad Farid bin Mustafa, Arnie Farhana bt Norhalim, Muhammad Syafiq bin Mansor, Muhammad Haziq bin
Saipolbahri
Jabatan Kejuruteraan Awam, Fakulti Kejuruteraan Awam Dan Alam Sekitar, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia,
Batu Pahat, Malaysia
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Abstrax
Acid soils, by definition, are those with pH below 7.0. The lower the pH, the more acid is the soil. Each
unit pH drop indicates ten times more acidity. Soil pH is a useful indicator of the relative acidity or
alkalinity of a soil. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, and the soil is assigned a value from the pH scale to
describe the acidity or alkalinity.
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1.0 Introduction
Soil acidity is rapidly becoming a problem in our region. Acidic soils create production problems by
limiting the availability of some essential plant nutrients and increasing that of the soil solution's toxic
elements, such as aluminum and manganese, the major cause of poor crop performance and failure in
acidic soils. Below soil pH 5.5 (pH is the measurement of soil aciditythe lower the pH, the higher the soil
acidity), aluminum may be concentrated enough to limit or stop root development. As a result, plants
cannot absorb water and nutrients, are stunted, and exhibit nutrient deficiency symptoms (especially those
for phosphorus). Toxic levels of manganese interfere with normal growth processes in the aerial plant
parts, which stunt the plant, discolor it, and cause poor yields.