This International Standard specifies a method for the gravimetric determination of soil water content as a volume fraction. The method is applicable to all types of non-swelling or non-shrinking soils where coring sleeves can be used for sampling. It is not applicable to soils where stones, tough roots or other factors prevent collection of soil cores. It is used as a reference method (e.g. the calibration of indirect methods for determination of water content). NOTE The determination of water content as a mass fraction is described in ISO 11465.