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I. Soil Types & Classifications: 1. Gravel

The document outlines various soil types and classifications, including gravel, sand, silt, clay, organic soil, peat, loam, laterite, collapsible, and expansive soils, each with distinct properties and behaviors. It also details soil physical properties, consistency limits, strength, behavior, and failure mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of understanding these factors for geotechnical engineering. Key failure mechanisms include bearing capacity failure, slope failure, liquefaction, heaving, lateral spreading, foundation settlement, and collapse potential, which are critical for designing stable foundations and structures.

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17 views3 pages

I. Soil Types & Classifications: 1. Gravel

The document outlines various soil types and classifications, including gravel, sand, silt, clay, organic soil, peat, loam, laterite, collapsible, and expansive soils, each with distinct properties and behaviors. It also details soil physical properties, consistency limits, strength, behavior, and failure mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of understanding these factors for geotechnical engineering. Key failure mechanisms include bearing capacity failure, slope failure, liquefaction, heaving, lateral spreading, foundation settlement, and collapse potential, which are critical for designing stable foundations and structures.

Uploaded by

rashedul.ce23
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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I.

Soil Types & Classifications


1. Gravel

Gravel consists of coarse particles larger than 4.75 mm. It is excellent for drainage and has high
shear strength.

2. Sand

Sand particles range from 0.075 mm to 4.75 mm. Sand has good drainage properties but poor
cohesion.

3. Silt

Silt is fine-grained and has a smooth texture. It has moderate plasticity and poor drainage.

4. Clay

Clay has the smallest particle size and exhibits plasticity. It holds water well and is prone to
swelling and shrinkage.

5. Organic Soil

This contains decomposed plant and animal matter. It is highly compressible and unsuitable for
structural foundations.

6. Peat

Peat is a type of organic soil with high water content and extremely low bearing capacity.

7. Loam

Loam is a balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay. It is ideal for agriculture and moderately good
for engineering.

8. Laterite Soil

Found in tropical regions, it is rich in iron and aluminum. It hardens upon exposure.

9. Collapsible Soil

These soils lose strength when wet, leading to sudden settlement.

10. Expansive Soil


Swells significantly with moisture (e.g., black cotton soil), causing structural damage.

II. Soil Properties


Physical Properties

 Moisture Content: Percentage of water in the soil. Affects strength and compaction.
 Specific Gravity: Ratio of soil particle density to water. Typically ranges from 2.60 to
2.80.
 Void Ratio: Ratio of volume of voids to volume of solids.
 Porosity: Percentage of voids in total soil volume.
 Degree of Saturation: Proportion of voids filled with water.
 Unit Weight: Includes bulk, dry, and saturated weights.
 Density: Mass per unit volume. Affects load-bearing.
 Relative Density: Indicates the compactness of granular soil.
 Particle Size Distribution: Helps classify soils and predict behavior.

Consistency Limits

 Liquid Limit: Water content at the boundary between liquid and plastic state.
 Plastic Limit: Water content at the boundary between plastic and semi-solid state.
 Shrinkage Limit: Minimum water content at which soil volume ceases to decrease.
 Plasticity Index: Difference between LL and PL; indicates plasticity.

III. Soil Strength & Behavior


 Shear Strength: Resistance to shearing stress. Important for slope and foundation
design.
 Cohesion: Attractive force between particles. Clay has high cohesion.
 Friction Angle: Resistance due to internal friction. High in sands.
 Stress-Strain Relationship: Describes deformation under load.
 Plasticity: Soil's ability to undergo permanent deformation.
 Elasticity: Ability to recover shape after load removal.
 Compressibility: Tendency to decrease in volume.
 Permeability: Ability of soil to transmit water.
 Consolidation: Gradual reduction in volume due to water expulsion.
 Creep: Slow deformation under constant stress.
 Swelling/Shrinkage: Expansion/contraction with moisture variation.
 Suction Pressure: Negative pressure in unsaturated soils.
IV. Soil Failure Mechanisms
Soil failure mechanisms are critical aspects in the analysis and design of geotechnical systems.
These failures may occur due to excessive loading, environmental conditions, or inherent
weaknesses in soil properties. Understanding these mechanisms enables engineers to design
more robust foundations and slope systems.

 Bearing Capacity Failure: Occurs when the soil beneath a foundation cannot sustain the
applied load, leading to sudden or progressive shear failure. A notable example is the
2013 collapse of a building in Thane, India, where poor soil strength and excessive load
contributed to failure.
 Slope Failure: The movement of soil masses along a slope due to gravitational forces,
often exacerbated by rainfall or seismic activity. The 2005 Kashmir earthquake induced
numerous slope failures in soft and weathered soil zones.
 Liquefaction: Happens when saturated, loose sandy soils lose strength due to earthquake
shaking, behaving like a liquid. During the 1964 Niigata Earthquake in Japan, widespread
liquefaction caused buildings to tilt and sink.
 Heaving: Upward movement of soil, often due to the swelling of expansive clay or frost
action. This has been problematic in parts of Texas, where expansive soils have led to
pavement uplift and foundation cracking.
 Lateral Spreading: Horizontal displacement of soil, typically due to liquefaction or
ground shaking. In the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, lateral spreading caused severe
damage to bridge abutments and pipelines.
 Foundation Settlement: This includes immediate settlement (elastic deformation),
consolidation settlement (due to expulsion of pore water), and secondary settlement
(creep). For instance, Mexico City has experienced significant long-term settlement due
to consolidation of its clayey soil strata.
 Collapse Potential: Involves sudden settlement of collapsible soils when they become
saturated. A famous case is the collapse of light structures in Sudan and Egypt built over
loess deposits, which suddenly lost strength during heavy rains.

Incorporating these failure types into analysis helps engineers choose appropriate foundation
types, reinforcement methods, and ground improvement techniques, particularly in soft soil
zones or seismic regions.

 Bearing Capacity Failure: Occurs when soil can't support load.


 Slope Failure: Instability in inclined soil masses.
 Liquefaction: Sudden loss of strength during earthquake in saturated sands.
 Heaving: Upward soil movement.
 Lateral Spreading: Horizontal ground movement.
 Foundation Settlement: Can be immediate, consolidation, or secondary.
 Collapse Potential: Risk of sudden settlement.

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