Materials Technology - Soil and Soil Aggregates

VOLUME 1
SOIL AND SOIL

AGGREGATES
Introduction
Soil, like wood or steel, is a construction material. It
was the first, since the first man built his shelters of
soils. Although it is the most readily available
natural construction material, it is the least
understood. Problems involving soils in engineering
work are complex and often difficult to solve
oftentimes, the soil in its “as is” or “where is”
condition may have to be utilized inspite of its poor
quality due to economic consideration,
therefore, considerable care is required during
construction and appropriate quality control
measures should be done to render the soil suitable
for the purpose it is intended.
Effective quality control of soils requires, at
least, a basic knowledge of soil engineering,
especially Identification, Classification,
Engineering properties and tests of soils.
SOIL ENGINEERING
SOIL – refers to the uncosolidated mineral
material at or near the earth’s surface, including
the air, moisture, organic matter and other
substances which may be incorporated therein,
which have resulted from natural processes such
as decay, weathering and chemical action.
THREE GROUPS OF SOILS
1. Granular (or cohesionless) soils (sand and gravel)
2. Fine grained soils (inorganic silts and clays)
3. Organic soil (peat, muck, organic silts and clays)
CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL ACCORDING TO SIZE

A. Coarse Grained (Granular) – passing 75 mm (3”) and
retained 0.075 mm (No. 200)
1. Stone – may be crushed or natural angular
particles (formed by natural processes) passing
75 mm and retained on 2.0 mm (N0.10) sieves
2. Gravel – rounded particles that will pass
75 mm and retained on 2.0 mm (No.10)
sieve, mostly found in rivers.
3. Sand – passing 2.0 mm and retained
0.075 mm (No.200) sieve
Coarse sand - 2.0 mm to 0.425 mm
(No.40)
Fine sand – 0.425 mm to 0.075 mm
B. Fine Grained – passing 0.075 mm sieve
1. Silt – passing 0.075 mm and larger than
0.002 mm
2. Clay – smaller than 0.002 mm and larger
than 0.001 mm
3. Colloids – smaller than 0.001 mm
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES
1. Granular Soil
1. Good load bearing qualities
2. Permeable, hence they drain easily
3. Comparatively incompressible when
subjected to static loads
4. Not subject to changes in strength or
volume due to variation in water content.
However, loose granular materials will
undergo considerable reduction in volume
if subjected to vibratory loads.
2. Fine Grained Soil
1. Poor load sustaining qualities
2. Highly impermeable
3. Compressible under a sustained load
4. Subject to changes in volume and strength
due to variation in water content
3. Organic Soils – inferior than fine grained soils

with respect to the properties
stated under the latter group.
SOIL IDENTIFICATION
Identification – Visual and texture
I. Granular or Coarse Grained
a. Gravel - rounded or water-worn pebbles
- no cohesion or plasticity
- visible to naked eye
b. Sand - gritty and loose grains
- no plasticity or cohesion
- If dry, a cast formed in the hand
will fall apart
- If moist, a cast will crumble when
touched
II. Fined Grained Soils
a. Silt – Fine and barely visible grains.
- When in a dry pulverized condition, it
feels soft and floury.
- Exhibits little or no strength when air-
dried.
- A dried cast is easily crushed in the
hands.
- In the wet state, an organic silt can be
rolled into thin threads.
b. Clay – Can be made plastic by adjusting its
water content
- Cohesive
- Exhibits considerable strength when
air-dried; difficult or impossible to
crush in hands.
- can be molded and rolled into thin
threads without breaking or
crumbling
III. Organic Soils – Gray to black color
- Fibrous structure due to
presence of undecomposed
plant matter
- Unhealthy sewage-sludge
odor
- Found as deposits in swamps
and peat bogs
SOIL TESTS
1. Classification test:
a. Grading
b. Liquid Limit
c. Plastic Limit
2. Moisture – Density relations:
a. Compaction
b. Density
3. Strength test:
a. Unconfined compression
b. Triaxial compression
c. Direct shear
4. Permeability test
5. Consolidation tests
SOIL PROPERTIES AND LABORATORY TESTS
Properties Tests
1. Particle size Sieve and Hydrometer
analysis
2. Consistency in the Liquid, Plastic and
presence of water Shrinkage limit
3. Capacity to absorb and Capillary and
hold moisture Permeability test
4. Cohesion and Internal Triaxial, Direct shear
friction and Bearing tests
Properties Tests
5. Elasticity No standard test
6. Settlement under load Consolidation test
7. Volume change Swell and Shrinkage
8. Unit weight Weighing and calculation
of Specific gravity
9. Moisture – Density Compaction and Density
relations tests

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VOLUME 1

SOIL AND SOIL

CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL ACCORDING TO SIZE

3. Organic Soils – inferior than fine grained soils

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