CE 207 Geotechnical Engineering

CHAPTER:1
Soil Mechanics is the application of laws of
mechanics and hydraulics to engineering
problems dealing with sediments and other
unconsolidated accumulations of solid
particles, which are produced by the
mechanical and chemical disintegration of
rocks, regardless of whether or not they
contain an admixture of organic
constituents.
According to Terzaghi (1948):
 Why do you need to learn about soils
1. Foundation to support Structures and
Embankments
2. Construction Material
3. Slopes and Landslides
4. Earth Retaining Structures
5. Special Problems Various reasons to study
the properties of Soil:
Who must be concerned with soils?

Civil engineers (structural, environmental

and geotechnical) must have basic
understanding of the soil properties in order to
use them effectively in construction.
Soil engineering is the engineering dealing with the
SOIL ENGINEERING & GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

application of principles of soil mechanics to practical

problems.

Where as Geotechnical Engineering is a broader term

which includes soil engineering, rock mechanics.
Foundation:- SCOPE OF SOIL ENGINEERING

Foundation is a substructure which required to transmit

the load safely & efficiently.
Shallow foundation transmits the load to the upper
strata & Deep foundation transmits the load to the
considerable depth.

Shallow
Foundations
 Deep Foundations
~ for transferring building loads to underlying ground
~ mostly for weak soils or heavy loads

P
I
L
E
Driven timber piles, Pacific Highway
 Millau Viaduct in France (2005)

Cable-stayed bridge
Supported on 7 piers, 342 m apart
Longest pier (336) in the world
Millau Viaduct in France (2005)
Retaining Structure:-
When a sufficient space is not available for a mass of soil to spread or it is
also required to keep the soil at different level on its either side.
Soil engineering gives the theories of earth pressure on retaining structure

~ for retaining soils from spreading laterally

retaining
wall
Road
Train
Earth Dam:-
Earth dam are huge structure in which soil is used as a
construction material. They are built to create water
reservoir. Extreme care should be taken in its design &
construction.
~ for impounding
water
reservoir
clay
core shell

soil
Concrete Dams

reservoir
concrete dam

soil

Three Gorges Dam, Hong Kong

Stability of Slopes:-
If a soil surface is not horizontal, there is a component of
weight of soil which tends to move it downward thus causes
instability of slopes.
Soil engineering provides the methods for checking the
stability of slopes.
Underground Structure:-
The design & construction of underground structure such as
tunnels, shafts, conduits require evolution of forces exerted by
the soil on these structure.
Pavement Design:-
 A pavement is hard crust placed on soil for the purpose of
providing a smooth & strong surface on which the vehicle may
move.
EARTH DAM

Earth dam are huge structure in which soil is

used as a construction material. Extreme care
is required to be carried out in its design &
construction. It requires through knowledge
of soil engineering.
MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS

A geotechnical engineer has to deal with some

problem like soil heave, soil subsidence, frost,
shrinkage, swelling etc. which requires an in-
depth study.
 ORIGIN OF SOILS
Soil are formed by weathering of rocks due to
mechanical disintegration or chemical decomposition.

It may considered as a material obtained from the

geologic cycle which goes on continuous in nature.

If soil stays at the place of its formation just above the
parent rock, it is known as residual soil.

When the soil has been deposited at a place away from

the place of its origin, it is called transported soil.
ORIGIN OF SOILS
 FORMATION OF SOILS
Physical Disintegration

 Temperature Changes:- Unequal expansion & contraction of

these minerals occurs due to temperature changes. The particle
get detached from the rocks due to heavy stresses formed & soil
formed.

 Wedging Action of Ice

 Spreading of roots of plants

 Abrasion:- As water, wind, glaciers move over the surface of rock

abrasion & scouring takes place it results in the formation of
soil.
Process of Chemical Decomposition

1. Hydration
2. Carbonation
3. Oxidation
4. Solution
5. Hydrolysis

 In all above chemical procedures, the chemical reaction

occurs between different contents & decomposition of rock
results.

 Chemical decomposition of rocks results in formation of clay

minerals. These clay mineral impart plastic properties to soil.
RESIDUAL SOIL
The properties of residual soils vary considerably from
top layer to bottom layer. The bottom layer resemble
that of the parent rock in many respects, its thickness is
limited to few meters.

TRANSPORTED SOIL
The engineering properties of transported soils are
entirely different from the properties of the rock at the
place of deposition.
COHESIVE & COHESION LESS SOILS

Soil in which the absorbed water & particle attraction act

such that it deforms plastically at varying water contents are
known as cohesive soils or clays.
The term cohesive soil is used for clays & plastic silt & the
term cohesionless soil for non plastic, sand & gravel.
 SOME IMPORTANT DEFINITION
1. Lacustrine Deposits
Alluvial deposits made in lake are called lacustrine
deposits.
1. Alluvial Deposit
Type of soil carried & deposited by water is called alluvial deposits.
1. Aeolian Deposits
Soil deposited by wind are known as Aeolian deposits.
1. Drifts
It is a general term used for the deposits made by glaciers directly or
indirectly
5. Till:-
 Deposits directly made by melting of glaciers are called till.

6. Black Cotton Soil:-

 It is a residual soil containing high % of clay mineral. It has very
low bearing capacity & high swelling & shrinkage properties.

7. Dune Sands:-
 These are wind transported soil. There are composed of
relatively uniform particles of fine to medium sand.

8. Hardpans:-
 It is a type of Soil that offer great resistance to the penetration of
drilling tools during soil exploration. They are generally dense,
well-graded cohesive aggregates of mineral particles.
Thank you